(no subject)

[failedpromise]

Who: Cortana and ...you!
When: Throughout September
Where: ADI apartments + various locations around town
Summary: Cortana runs some tests in preparation for her plan to transfer herself to a robotic body + supernatural music interfering with errand running
Warnings: Fainting spell + possible mention of nightmares in the last prompt. Will warn for anything else that comes up.

A) There's a roomba wandering the apartment buildings.

It can be most often found in the hallways of building A, but that doesn't mean it never shows up in the others. At first glance it might seem ordinary, but there's a sort of purposefulness to its movements that an ordinary roomba would lack. It's not mindlessly covering as much ground as possible in an attempt to properly clean the floors; in fact, it doesn't appear to be cleaning anything at all. It moves in a straight, or at least mostly straight, line down the hallway, occasionally bumping into obstacles (primitive sensors suck) but does a remarkably good job of navigating around them ...at least until it bumps into your feet.

...Hey, Cortana recognizes those feet! Or at least, she thinks she does. Roombas can sort of see the floor under and in front of them but they don't see very well and Cortana is trying to limit herself to the abilities of the system she's currently inhabiting. She gently bumps against the feet in question before doing a little circle around you, whoever you are. Hi friend!

B) Apparently Cortana got a package in the mail. It's a pretty big one too, the box doing a pretty good job of blocking her view as she tries to carry it to her apartment. She's stumbling around a bit awkwardly as she tries to avoid tripping or bumping into anything. It's probably kind of funny to watch, honestly.

...You might want to get out of her way though, lest she bump into or trip over you.

C) There's a strange robot wandering the apartment buildings again. This time it's a more advanced design, modular, with several possible configurations:

1. A wheeled robot is driving through the hallways. It's a bit faster and more maneuverable than a roomba, but it's still a bit clunky in comparison to a human-and it absolutely cannot handle stairs. Which is why one might find Cortana in her normal hologram body carrying the thing between floors.
   
   
2. This time the robot is still in a wheeled configuration, but it's also equipped with an arm. It's a bit awkward, and even slower and clunkier than the first version, having to fold the arm up in order to move without tipping over, but it has one ability in particular that is proving to be invaluable: it can operate the elevator.
   
   
3. This version doesn't have wheels (or an arm), but stubby little legs! Cute! ...And also very slow and awkward. Still, it can move around outside without immediately getting stuck, so Cortana has taken it outside and is now 'joyriding' on the lawn.
   
   
4. No new configuration here, Cortana just managed to send her temporary body tumbling down the stairs by accident and a bunch of those oh so convenient modular parts popped right off and scattered over the floor. Her bound flash drive took a bit of a hit too-her hologram's nose is distinctly bloody and there's a lot of grumbling, pained noises, and swearing as she picks up the mess she made.
   

D) Oh hey! Cortana is actually out doing something other than playing with her new robots for once.

Or at least, she was.

Caught in the rain while on her way back from running some errand or other, she's taking shelter under a tree when the music reaches her ears. It's nice-the audio receptors on the robot bodies just aren't as good, when they even have them, roombas can't hear unless you hack them to do so-and she'll spend several minutes just listening, and listening...

She's not stressed, but transferring between systems and forms as much as she's been doing takes power, and she's been cutting back on the whole 'scaring people into practicing proper cybersecurity' teaching tactic, so she's been running low...

Yeah she's out. One moment she's got her eyes closed and an expression of peace on her face, the next she collapses bonelessly into the mud.

Comments

B because Steve is a good neighbor 8D

[punched_hitler]

Steve has seen the strange-acting Roomba around from afar, but never gotten close enough for it to see his feet. He's definitely mildly curious, but has maybe chalked it up to Tony being Tony and inventing something to do... something.

But today, he's just getting home from a shift at ADI when he spots... well, it looks like a box with legs. And hands. Weaving slightly, trying to avoid obstacles.

He... kind of feels the need to step in. "Hey! D'you need a hand?" he asks, jogging toward it.

[failedpromise]

A box with very glittery purplish blue legs and hands, most likely. Cortana is very recognizable.

She stops, shifting so she can sort of awkwardly peer around the box at Steve.

"That might be nice." She sounds just a little strained.

[punched_hitler]

Steve grins a little and shifts quickly to insert himself on the other end of the box, sliding his hands under it to help her manage by taking some of the weight. "Is this yours?"

[failedpromise]

"It is. Figured I'd treat myself." Her tone is playful. She didn't need to buy herself a fancier test body. Ideally she's hardly even going to use it.

"Thanks for the help. I'm assuming you already know where apartment A2 is?" He is friends with Tony, after all.

[punched_hitler]

"Oh, something good, then," Steve says, which is - nice to hear, really. Good things aren't exactly hard to come by, here, but with everything the way it is, they are extra valuable, he thinks.

"Yeah," he says, because he does, and glances over his shoulder to make sure he won't knock into anything before he starts heading in the right direction. "Guess they wouldn't deliver it to the door, huh? So much for modern conveniences."

For Jaeger

[failedpromise]

AI don't sleep, precisely, but they do dream.

Cortana's dreams are rarely good.

It's one of the reasons she prefers to avoid running maintenance on herself, or at least to only do it when there are people up and around the apartment so she has something in the background to keep herself from completely losing touch with reality. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way. Maybe when she first settled down and started offlining systems her surroundings weren't so silent and so empty, but it's late, and hours later when she finally stirs it's after being tormented by images of the Chief staring at her with an expression of shocked betrayal as his blood pours out into her hands, and the apartment is dark and she is alone.

When Jaeger enters the area, provided he isn't too loud about it, he'll be greeted by the sight of a tiny glowing form curled in on itself and shivering, and the sound of what might be... sobbing?

[bloodalwaystells]

Jaeger does sleep, but this isn't one of those nights. His restlessness, his need for constant reassurance of his surroundings, leads him out to the halls of the complex on a grim nighttime patrol. There might be a curfew in the apartments, but he is security, and he can roam the halls of the complex with at least a bit of impunity, another watchful gaze keeping things safe.

For a little while, at least, but eventually it comes to a point where he decides to try and rest, even if actual sleep doesn't come. He lets himself back into the apartment with surprising grace for a man his size, light on his feet and, if nothing else, considerate of his roommates. He's more than capable of quietly making a cup of tea and returning to his room for whatever's left of the night, practiced as he is at making a soft entrance to an occupied house.

Except, it's not quite as calm as usual. Jaeger pauses in the dimness of the apartment, alarm prickling the back of his neck and down his spine at the sound of clear distress, before he fixes his attention on the source.

"Cortana?"

[failedpromise]

She looks up, startled, and there's a burst of light as she uncurls and shifts to her larger form. Her color is a very pretty silvery blue that's common when she's in a quieter or more solemn mood, but she's doing her best to hide any sign that she was crying or that anything was wrong at all.

"Jaeger?" Unfortunately, the thing about real actual tears is that the streaks they leave behind don't just instantly disappear, and her voice has a telling thickness to it.

[bloodalwaystells]

"It's just me." His voice is quiet in the stillness of the dim apartment, softened by the late hour. "Are you alright?"

He's still not entirely used to Cortana as a presence. His world doesn't allow for that kind of technological progress, and while magical illusion is certainly capable of it, it's not a common thing.

Even with that difference, though, he can still read the more obvious signs of her distress. He might not always have something to say, but he watches, very carefully, filing away little details about his surroundings and the people around him. A survival mechanism most of the time, but also...

Well, he's human. And he genuinely likes Cortana even if he can't always figure her out. So he stands there, a bit uncertainly, but his voice gentle.

[failedpromise]

"I'm fine." It's said, perhaps, a bit too quickly. "Just a dream."

Except no, she really did betray the Chief, even if it didn't unfold like that.

How can she be doing this? How can she just be here, just live as though nothing had happened?

She doesn't look at Jaeger. "Do you need something?"

C-4

[worthallthis]

"Cortana?"

Winter peers down the stairs at her and the mess of machine parts. He was on his way out, and did not expect to hear her grumbling a flight down from him.

He starts down towards her. "What happened?"

[failedpromise]

"Hey Winter."

She looks up at him, the blood on her nose and face very visible though nothing appears to be broken. It's probably just a bit creepy given she's a translucent hologram with no blood vessels of any sort.

"I was test driving this-" she indicates the robot pieces on the floor around her "-and took a tumble down the stairs. Not my finest moment."

[worthallthis]

He frowns at her nose, taking the last couple steps two at a time, and fishing out his handkerchief for her, offering it out for her to wipe it off or staunch wherever that blood might be coming from.

"Test driving?" he asks. He might have missed her roomba experiments.

[failedpromise]

She takes the handkerchief gratefully and does her best to staunch the flow.

"I plan to switch to a robotic body-less entity influence." She looks at the parts scattered around her again. "Was trying to test it before attempting to do anything big or permanent." Just to clarify that this is not anything like the robotic body she would actually want. It's slow, flimsy, and limited in its capabilities... and she'd prefer to still look mostly Human.

[worthallthis]

"Oh. Oh, that's a really good idea," Winter says, blinking. "I didn't know you could do that." He drops to a crouch beside the damaged robot, poking at it with his metal finger. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

D

[edalyn]

Eda is also... well, running errands is the excuse for taking a walk more than it is a thing that she needed to do, but she's wandering around Gloucester. When the rain begins she has a brief moment of panic. For all the time she's spent in the human realm before this, she's still more used to boiling rain.

On instinct, she quickly ducks under the nearest tree before remembering that the weather here isn't dangerous. Still, she stays where she is for a moment and... is that music? She tilts her head to the side, ears twitching curiously.

She can't hear it clearly, but the music carries a feeling with it that reminds her of bard magic. Or maybe she's just very, very tired all on her own. She really is, physically and emotionally. Maybe she should just have a nap under this tree, wouldn't be the first time.

In fact, she's just about ready to curl up on the ground when she catches the moment of someone across the street collapsing. That snaps her out of whatever was happening and she decides to check on them, crossing to the nearby tree before she spots that it was actually someone she knows.

"...Blue? You good there?" Eda nudges Cortana lightly with her foot before crouching down to touch her shoulder.

[failedpromise]

She is so definitely not good there. Unresponsive to Eda's words and touch Cortana continues to lay unmoving on the ground, features drawn and dark, lacking any hint of the typical peace of unconsciousness.

The rain is soaking through her clothes. The music continues to play in the background.

It might be a good idea for Eda to get both of them out of here, if only to get them away from the music's influence.

[edalyn]

Eda sighs when Cortana doesn't respond. She wonders if it's something similar to the whole affair with the cameras again, but the music is nagging at her... and actually, is this really that important?

She grits her teeth and shakes her head to try and clear it, focusing on the music seems like a bad idea. "Right, let's just... get out of here."

She scoops Cortana up in her arms without much trouble. She never feels quite as strong as at home here, but carrying a person still isn't too bad. "Least you're wearing clothes today," she mutters, or this could have been somewhat more awkward. With that she gets back to her feet and starts heading back in the direction of the ADI headquarters.

[failedpromise]

Cortana also weighs way less than any actual human should. Normally it's an inconvenience-even with training she's not the most effective fighter-but it does make carrying her a lot easier.

Other than the occasional distressed expression crossing her face, she doesn't show any sign of movement until they're almost at headquarters, at which point she spasms, eyes shooting open with an expression of pure terror.

Wait. Her fear transitions to confusion. "Edalyn?" She's being carried? Why is she being carried?

[edalyn]

Cortana turns out to be light enough that Eda considers just throwing her over one shoulder, but decides she'd rather be able to keep an eye on how she's doing.

Eda pauses in her tracks, a little startled when the woman she's carrying suddenly wakes up in a panic.

"Morning, you," she says, mildly. Either she's just not all that fazed by most things that happen here, or she's sounding calm on purpose. "Can I put you down? You decided to have a nap in the rain... it may not boil here but it still didn't seem like a great idea."

She knows that isn't exactly what happened, but apparently she feels like playing it down compared to random, probably magic induced fainting.

shows up late for A!

[lesbeau]

Beau still isn't exactly used to how common it is for little robots to be running around in this world. She's seen servants, sure, or little minor magical spells to do things, but not just... totally un-sentient things. It makes it even funnier when robots do seem to recognize her, because usually it's just her with egg on her face assuming they do.

Except now, Cortana gets to play the best unintentional prank of all time. Hopefully she enjoys it. Because as Beau looks down to see the little roomba circling her, she immediately looks confused, and squats down to try and look at it. "Uh... hey. Am I in your way or something? Shit, you can't even hear me. Uhhhhhh."

[failedpromise]

That's the fun part: Roombas really can't hear. At least, not without some hacking fuckery.

Which leaves her with almost no way to understand or interact with anyone. She really didn't think this one through.

Oh hey, they're moving! From the way the shadows are shifting they're... squatting? She stops moving. Are they saying something? She knows there's a way to make a Roomba pick up sounds without modifying it physically. Let's see...

It might take her a few seconds to figure this out.

[lesbeau]

God, they are both out here trying. It's not necessarily working, but by god they are trying. Beau hesitantly reaches out to it and pokes it once before tilting the edge up to try to look under. Looks like a little electronic crab. Or a turtle. At least she knows enough to leave those shell-side up.

"You got any hidden notes for me or something? Or are my shoes just really bad." Now she's looking to make sure there isn't obvious shit on there, especially if the cleaning crab is making a fuss.

[failedpromise]

Just a little more and... there we go!

Now able to hear, Cortana immediately recognizes Beau's voice. And well, she'd laugh if she could, but for now she just runs another little circle around her.

It's too bad-if Beau did check beneath the little robot, she'd find that it's been altered and there's a little plug in with a little flash drive that should be very recognizeable at this point, since for a while it was the only thing Cortana wore on her person and considering it was on a necklace it would have been hanging right above her tits when Beau was ogling them.

[lesbeau]

Listen, Beau is capable of recognizing details and looking at good tits. She's a professional as an investigator and also as a lesbian. It's fine.

Obviously, this robot is trying to communicate with her somehow, and that means she needs to figure out what the hell was going on. Once she's determined there's nothing on her, she does finally take a closer look at the robot, and gently put her fingers underneath to scoop it off the floor.

Wait, hang on, that USB does look familiar. Who has one of those...?

"... You're not a normal cleaning crab, are you. Can you talk? Beep one for yes two for no or whatever?"