apocalypsehowcomm | Sleepy Robot is Sleepy

Who: Cortana and Rue
When: Early Feb
Where: ADI offices
Summary:Cortana decided to "sleep" in a public area. Rue is unaware of the peculiarities of robots.
Warnings: Mentions of nudity, weird robot shit, probably some freaking out.

Cortana is asleep -- or well, not precisely asleep, but the closest robot equivalent -- in the office. The outlets in her room had stopped working, a result of what appeared to be the strange, slow death of her living space, which wasn't incredibly uncomfortable and disturbing at all and certainly not making her want to be literally anywhere else! Like work. The ADI building, at least, didn't bring the risk of waking up covered in crawling insects and filth, even if sleeping there wasn't the best idea...

A thing she was about to find out, as someone was about to stumble upon her lying on the floor, still as a corpse, shirtless and with her back to the wall so that the exposed machinery and the plug connected to her neck were hidden...

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It feels as if it's just another day working in the ADI offices. Rue has taken breakfast with their betrothed, gone for a brisk stroll through town, and is now walking with purpose through ADI's halls on their way to work. They've traded their usual flowing dresses for something a little more professional, an attractive dark plaid skirt and blazer, matched with a black turtleneck, the blazer perched fashionably over their shoulders so their wings can move without restriction.

And absolutely no shoes because not even Rue has ever succeeded at figuring out how to pair cute shoes with their ursine-like legs and clawed feet.

But power-walking through the halls or not, the moment that Rue catches sight of Cortana's limp, topless body, their attention jumps to the woman without hesitation.

"Oh spirits!" Rue is there in an instant, a paw carefully resting at the woman's shoulder, a gentle shake to see if she'll stir. "Are you alright? Shall I call for help?"

The body is limp and cold to the touch. It is also unresponsive: Cortana prefers to keep her power consumption minimal during charging periods, and it generally takes quite a bit to wake her before her charging time is up. Like overheating which, given that she's, you know, cold right now, isn't exactly happening.

She may have actually positioned herself to stay as cold as possible, right in one of those corners where the warmth of the heaters never seems to reach.

...You're gonna need more than a gentle shake to wake her, Rue.

Gentle is Rue's normal setting!

But with no response, their paw curls just a touch tighter at the woman's shoulder, giving her a much less gentle shake, their voice rising with worry. They are already running through backup plans in their head if this doesn't work. First, they'll call Dr. Carter, then try and flag down anyone who may be able to help...

"Please, oh please! You must wake!"

And well, that gets a response. With the less gentle shake, Rue might notice something moving on her back and see the the cords connecting her to the wall in the seconds before a series of near inaudible mechanical whirs emanate from Cortana's body and she blinks open her lifelike but still clearly artificial eyes.

"Rue?"

Now that is fascinating.

"My dear, are you quite alright? I - I came about you passed out here in the hallway. I was so worried!"

She blinks a couple times, eyes taking in her surroundings--she can't process things as fast as she used to, anymore--before letting out an amused sigh.

"I'm fine, Rue." After a moment, she begins to sit up, reaching behind her to unplug her power cord from the wall. "The outlets in my room aren't working right now--the apartment as a whole is a mess--so I was trying to charge myself in here." She holds up the cord so Rue can see it, before unplugging the other end from the back of her neck.

"Sorry if I worried you." Now that she's moving, Rue might see the way the skin on her back is partially peeled away to show... not a whole lot interesting beneath, though the currently open but not active vents and hard surface are a lot more obviously construct than their squishy outer covering.

She's also got some pretty neat dark blue markings all over her skin, but those are just cosmetic.

Constructs aren't completely a new thing in Rue's world - a few thousand years among the fey and Rue has known beings made of rock and water and air - but a man-made creation that plugs into electrical sockets and charges? That is quite new!

So they watch Cortana's movements with absolute interest behind their eyes, following the line of the plug from the wall all the way to the woman's neck.

"No no! It's quite fine, my friend. If anything, I'm just grateful that you're well! I was worried something else had happened."

Their gaze drops down to where the woman is a little openly topless in ADI's offices.

"- I will offer though, dear, that if you need a shirt made with a better opening for your, ah, charging capabilities, I could make one easy! Just so you wouldn't need to be left so vulnerable in such a public space. Wherever your comfort level lies."

She'll unplug the cord and fold the skin on her back into place, revealing some heavily stylized wing markings, before wrapping the cord up and putting it back in her bag.

She pauses, then blinks at Rue's offer.

"That'd be nice, actually."

Now that she is looking much more alive and completely whole, Rue's worry slips away to their usual gentle kindness.

"Certainly! I'd be happy to. I'd just hate for this to happen to you again."

Aww. People caring about her like this might not be totally novel anymore, but Cortana is still touched, and the smile that spreads across her face is radiant.

"In turn, I can help you with technology if you need. Or breaking through security, I suppose."

It would be impossible for Rue to not return such a radiant smile, their expression positively beaming now that they know for certain their friend is alright.

"Well, that sounds like a perfect deal! I feel for every step forward I take with all of this new technology, this still another five I am behind on. So I would be most appreciative for the help, my friend."

Cortana's radiant smile transitions to a more amused one.

"I on the other hand, am technology." Yes, really. She's also very pleased to show off her skills. "Anything in particular you need?" Like at this moment she means. Again, always pleased to show off her skills.

"Oh!" The very idea of being technology is a concept that Rue can not even begin to fully understand, but it sounds so wondrous already. "Let me think on it and I shall let you know exactly what I need. I know there are some phone settings and apps I am not very proficient in. Having your help would be quite a boon."

Sleepy Robot is Sleepy

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