tabularasa_rp | November Catch-all

[ Turing had been a bystander at best during that whole ordeal, but their reaction was similar to Ren's: sympathy. Poor Iwaizumi had just seemed so defeated by the end of it, and they could only imagine how lonely it must have felt to be a newcomer in a strange place and feel like nobody was on your side.

...Plus, they weren't on the greatest of terms with Kaiba either. Ahem.

Obviously, all of this meant they had to make an effort to help him feel a little more at home, or at least more comfortable with a temporary home. If they had access to the mesh, trying to figure out a proper housewarming gift would be so! Much! Easier! Alas, it was not to be. Food seemed like the safest bet here, and the final result reflected that as well. They had a slice of lemon cake from the church's bakery, and if Iwaizumi didn't like sweets, they also had some of the Korean BBQ from the Wall Market.

Despite all of that, they did not plan for him to do an about-face before they could do anything. ]

Please wait! I just have something I'd like to give you, and then I'll be on my way!

[ Whether he liked it or not, Turing was following, though their short strides also meant Iwaizumi could probably outspeed them regardless. ]

[Luckily for Turing, when that first passing glance fully registers, Iwa stops in his tracks and does a double take. That’s...a tiny...robot (maybe)? Certainly not the larger one he remembers getting in between he and Mr. Gamer Boy. It’s enough to cause him to stop and stare long enough to hear the little thing’s plea, which is only more baffling. This is like Ren’s curry delivery all over again. That had been done with the best of intentions, maybe this would be too, but...

[He frowns, stuffs his hands in his pockets.]

Not necessary.

[Also, what...are you???]

Not necessary...?

[ They were indeed a tiny robot, but after being turned down by Iwa, they looked more like a tiny robot who had just been scolded. After all, they couldn't make him accept it. If they tried to force him to accept it after he had already refused, that would do little other than soothe their own conscience, and that wasn't what they wanted. ]

May I ask why?

[...good...good question, actually. He...wasn’t prepared for it.]

May I ask why you’re trying to give me something right now?

[Said with irritation, because!!! Why are you even trying to be nice right now? He doesn’t understand! Just let him be mean and leave him alone!]

[ Turing braced themselves at that irritation, as if it was a strong gust of wind coming straight at them. Well, they weren't expecting this to be easy. Might was well be honest. ]

I wanted to offer this to you as an apology. I didn't step in to help you when the situation took a turn for the worse, and for that, I'm sorry. However, if you would rather be left alone, I will honour that.

[Damn is conscience. It’s really hard to be an asshole when everyone decides to be so nice all of a sudden. He sighs a little, but maintains his grumpy expression.]

There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s not like I wanted anyone stepping in in the first place.

That’s not your responsibility.

[I don’t even know you.]

[ Turing was still a fairly new (and more importantly, impressionable) being. So when one person had called them a coward in the past for not stepping in to help someone while another said it wasn't their responsibility, it was confusing! Why were humans so confusing sometimes? ]

I suppose you're right. No one assigned me with that responsibility. [ A pause. ] I would still like to offer my aid to you if you ever need it. In that case, it's not a responsibility; it's my own choice.

[ That makes things better, right...? ]

But why? You don’t even know me. I’ve never done anything for you.

[And you call him confusing.]

The results of my simulations have shown that it is in everyone's best interest if we work together and try to get along. Or at the very least, tolerate each other.

[ They didn't say it, but there was a big ol' "but" there. ]

Just saying that would be misleading, however. If I'm being honest, the most important reason is that I decided I wanted to help! [ They smiled, though it was a small one. ]

[Iwaizumi is quiet for a moment - mostly he’s still trying to wrap his head around what exactly he’s talking to right now. Simulations?]

You say that like you’re not normally in charge of your own decisions.

[His tone is a little more gentle now. That sounds like it could be a robot thing anyway.]

I assure you, that's not the case!

[ Though their life would certainly be a lot simpler if they weren't truly self-deterministic. Not to mention that there would be a lot less breaking and entering. And trespassing. ...And grand theft auto. ]

It is comforting sometimes to run them and have an idea of what to expect, but the choice to use that information or even run them in the first place is entirely mine.

Your simulations, you mean.

[Alright. He just has to ask. He also has to...squat down a little because it’s getting kind of awkward staring down his nose at this...thing.]

What are you, anyway? Like a robot or something, right?

[ Turing gave a nod to Iwa's first remark. The second was much more important for two reasons. First of all, their expression soured ever so slightly at being asked "what are you" instead of "who are you". Second, the rest of it allowed them to show just how proud they were of their identity. ]

Yes, that's correct! To be more specific, I am a ROM; it is an abbreviation for Relationship and Organizational Manager. Are you unfamiliar with ROMs as well?

Uh, yeah. I’m not really a computer guy.

[Are computers...the same thing? Are robots...made of...computers or something?

[He waits for Turing to continue their explanation.]

That's okay. I'd be happy to explain anything you'd like to know more about!

[ That...was an understatement. For someone as loquacious as Turing, it was more likely that they had to be told to stop talking, or at least dial it back a bit. ]

ROMs were developed by Parallax and released to the public in the mid 2040s. [ Not just a robot, but a future robot. Ooooo. ] The overall design of ROMs trend towards cuteness to encourage mass adoption, and all ROMs run on Parallax's proprietary OS, called LIPS. I in particular was constructed using the latest in ROM prototype technology!

[ They were going to keep on going if Iwa didn't stop them. ]

[Awkward as it is, Iwa takes a seat right there in the hallway, because it seems like this is going to take a while, but he’s not exactly disinterested (at least he has the good grace to scoot over against the wall and avoid blocking any exits.]

2040s? What year are you from?

And what do you mean adoption?

I am from the year 2064. To be more specific, December 25th, 2064. [ Yup, they literally got brought here on Christmas. Womp womp. ]

By adoption, I'm referring to-- [ "Purchasing a ROM." That...didn't sound right, especially with all ROMs being sapient now. Turing frowned in thought. ] I'm referring to the action of humans accepting a ROM into their household and becoming their companion.

[ Much better. ]

Christmas, huh? That’s when you were made or something?

[Or was that when they were “adopted”. Iwaizumi doesn’t miss the significance of the word “companion”, nor the way Turing seems to have sat on it. So this thing so far has made it clear that they have a mind of their own, and that they’re not just an object to be bought like a computer. Interesting.]

Does everyone have one—- Or, I mean. [Uhh...how to put this, exactly...] Is everyone...”companions” with one? A ROM?

[He doesn’t even know what exactly they do, but he...kind of wants one? ~~This kind of reminds him of that one manga he definitely didn’t read...~~]

Oh, no, it isn't. I was first activated on July 23rd, 2063. [ So still a baby, pretty much. ~~A baby who definitely should not hear about that one manga Iwa definitely didn't read!~~ ]

Many people are, yes! [ It didn't take a genius to figure out that Iwa was being careful with his words, and that effort didn't go unappreciated. It was always nice to meet someone else who made an effort to not only understand, but respect that they were an independent being and not a tool or possession. Not like some people who would remain anonymous. ]

There have been some...changes recently, but I want to believe that humans and ROMs can have a harmonious relationship instead of an adversarial one.

[Iwaizumi raises an eyebrow at that. As a guy from 2014 where robots and humans don’t really have any sort of relationship, the idea that they may someday have an adversarial one feels like something out of a horror sci-Fi film.]

So, they don’t get along sometimes then. What, uh...what comes of that, usually?

Is it like...a big problem?

Not as of yet, no. [ Thankfully. Still, there was a frown on Turing's face. ] But until very recently, almost all ROMs weren't sapient. While you could have a conversation with one, any answers given would simply be the result of clever programming. Now things are different. With all ROMs being sapient, it's possible that there will be people who would rather not think of them as independent beings with their own thoughts and feelings.

[ After all, hybrids were still human, but that did little to stop some from discriminating against them. It seemed reasonable to assume something similar might happen to ROMs. ]

[Iwaizumi looks more interested now than he probably has their whole conversation. Any irritation he’d felt initially from recognizing Turing’s face from the crowd has certainly faded.]

So you’re not just an AI then. [He pauses. If he’s not, then that’s definitely a rude thing to assume, right?]

No offense by that. Where I come from we don’t have things like you—- or, uh...people? [Is that the right term?]

You are kind of like a person, right? Thoughts and feelings, like you said.

[ Iwa was trying so hard. In Turing's opinion, making mistakes was one thing, but being so willing to correct yourself said a lot of good things. On top of that, Turing had come to expect that these sorts of questions would happen; machine sapience or even the idea of machine sapience happening outside of science fiction didn't seem to be very common. ]

Right, I am! [ They grinned. At the very least they certainly thought of themselves as a person. ...Wait a second. ]

Oh, excuse me! I neglected to introduce myself. My name is Turing. I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but it is nice to meet you regardless.

Well, we didn’t really meet before anyway.

[What better circumstances could their be than meeting a real life talking robot—- er, ROM? So fucking cool. ~~If only he were giant too.~~]

I’m Iwaizumi. It’s nice to meet you. Really.

[ Even before the 'really' part Turing's smile persisted, and they showed no hint of doubting what Iwa was saying. Honestly, they were just relieved that there was no bad blood between them. Or even mediocre blood! ]

Are you hungry? I still have this if you are.

[ They offered the packed up food once more. Hopefully the BBQ wasn't already cold, but at least the cake would probably be fine still. ]

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