Oneshots, etc.

Darkened City AU

SYSTEM LOADING: 87%

SYSTEM LOADING: 94%

SYSTEM LOADING: 100%

SYSTEM LOADED.
PROCEED?

>YES
>NO

OPTION [YES] SELECTED.

WELCOME. PLEASE ENTER A NAME.
______

WELCOME. PLEASE ENTER A NAME.
XYLO__

PLEASE CONFIRM NAME: XYLO

>CONFIRM
>BACK

OPTION [CONFIRM] SELECTED.

POWERING ON...

And so, eyes that click like camera shutters snap open.

A robot twists and swivels its joints, wires and gears visible all over despite the patches of skin-like rubber covering its limbs and face. Its head tilts, shuddering violently. To its left, it hears a sigh. Not quite the exhalation of a human, but what else could it be?

"I knew I did a shoddy job reattaching the head. Give me a moment, this shouldn't take too long."

A hand rights the robot's - Xylo's - head. The hand settles on its face, and Xylo can see it doesn't look quite right. It looks and feels just like a hand, soft and warm and textured, but it is not quite right. Yet it is not wrong, either.

The skin of the hand is a warm, smooth brown, like caramel and coffee were thrown in a blender with copious amounts of cream and told to behave. As it watches, Xylo sees the skin ripple, comforting warmth giving way to cold, hard metal for a split second.

The hand pulls away, and what appears to be a person, but is not, yet might once have been, stands in front of it.

"There you go! All better." The maybe-once person smiles. Xylo tilts its head once more. It does not wobble this time. The maybe-once person is holding a screwdriver.

"You are not a person." Is the first thing it says. The maybe-once person rolls its eyes.

"Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean you have to be so blunt about it."

"Maybe you were once. You are a maybe-once person."

It raises an eyebrow at Xylo, who is looking at it earnestly.

"You know, that's probably the most apt description of what I am I've ever heard. Most people just stick with 'monster!' and the likes." It claps. "Anyway, let's get you down from there before you trigger a tangent, and we can get to introductions."

It reaches for a sparking panel of wires. Its skin slides back, revealing the metal beneath, layered over itself in concentric rings to form the shape of the hand. The metal morphs and elongates, melding with the plastic and copper of the panel. Something around Xylo lurches, and the frame that had been suspending it in the air places it lightly on the floor of the small workshop.

The maybe-once person's hand retracts, warped steel melting and solidifying without ever changing temperature. False skin slides back over false hands, and the thing looks human once more.

It holds out a hand and smiles, jacket sliding soundlessly across its shirt, the appearance of fabric another lie. Its shoes make a soft thunk noise as it steps across the room. Its smile is friendly, but behind it is no emotion at all. No darkness, no light. Nothing but emptiness.

"I know who you are, but you don't know me. I'm Mario."

A/N: This is part of a much bigger AU. I was going to add more to this, but I figured that was a good place to end off. If you want me to explain anything about it, just ask.

Also, I realized I've never actually introduced myself? Like, at all? So if you want to me to do that let me know.

Anyway, if ever I make another part to this, it will be Very Long. Probably.

That's all. Have a nice day/night. : )