Video | HAPPY... LATE... BIRTHDAY??? | @p.parker

[madeupnames]

[The feed is mostly full of textbooks, the spines all turned enough that they're legible; it's math, chemistry, social studies, all the fun things nobody misses from high school. And on the right side of the screen is Peter, sitting with his cheek on his palm and his elbow pressed beside a blank page of paper. He looks kind of sleepy, like he'd just nod off if he didn't have the feed to focus on.]

So I've got this essay I need to write by tomorrow, and I'm having a hard time getting — personal, and all that. The prompt's asking about what inspires you, specifically. [He looks to read it word-for-word:] 'What motivates you in your day to day life?' And I mean, I've got a lot of motivations, but trying to put it to paper is giving me a wicked case of the fogbrain.

[He tucks his pen under his nose, holding it with his upper lip for a moment before letting it fall pitifully to the table. He sighs.]

What motivates you guys? Into doing what you do? What makes you put your shoes on in the morning, huh?

And don't just say 'to avoid stepping on pointy stuff barefoot'. That's a cheap and obvious answer—

[Peter startles violently as birthday music blares behind him, so much so that his pencil goes flying through the air and RIP's somewhere off-screen. Pam the pancake making robot seems to be flying onto the scene in the background with freshly made pancakes and festive lights blinking all over her.



A little lighter arm pops out, preparing to light a lone candle on the stack of flapjacks.

Peter mutters, mortified:]

...I thought I disabled Birthday Mode for repairs...

[He looks back at the robot with his hand pressed to his temple, and clears his throat.]



... Pam, uh. My - my birthday was two days ago. Two days. It's August 10th. And, uh, it's... it's the 12th now.

[Peter watches as the AI seems to try to process this, tapping his finger on the table and thinning his lips at the awkward silence. Pam's little plate-holding robo-arms lower slightly, the generic birthday MIDI file slowing to a depressive stop as the party-themed lights and lighter are shut off together. A pause of nothing. Then she turns and dejectedly wheels away into the community kitchen with her plate of pancakes.]

Wait, Pam — Aw, c’mon, I can still eat them! Hey—

[Peter drops his arms.



... Note to self, fix her internal clock...]

Comments

video; un: hawke

[indigobird]

Peter, Peter, Peter... now that's no way to thank a woman for her hard work! Do we need to have a heart-to-heart about how to talk to the opposite sex? [Of course she's teasing but she couldn't help but give him some shit for it.]

video

[madeupnames]

N—I wasn't trying to not thank her, I just correcting—

[Oh, the woes of being a robot builder. How does Mr. Stark handle this.]

I'll thank her! We can have a... pancake party.

[God, he's eaten so many pancakes since he built her. The thought of eating more makes him queasy.]

[indigobird]

[Oh, Peter. You're too easy to tease.]

A rather interesting way of celebrating one's birthday. Haven't you eaten enough of those by now?

[Seriously dude, you're going to turn into one at this rate.]

[madeupnames]

[He Dramatically Flops (tm) and lays his head on the table.]

I really seriously have. I need to teach her other breakfast foods before I go nuts.

[indigobird]

If she can flip and make pancakes, I can't imagine it'll be much harder to learn how to cook eggs. Or perhaps make another robot who does that, then she'll have a little friend.

[madeupnames]

Oh, no no no, you just said the most dangerous thing.

Do you know how much dried egg would be all over this apartment?

An everyday robot is so bad at breaking eggs without just... breaking eggs. You know?

[indigobird]

I don't know actually but I suppose I can picture it well enough. But if eggs are off limits, that then severely curtails what other breakfast foods you can have her make.

[madeupnames]

... I guess it'd be a good challenge. Trying to get her to make something egg-related.

Robotics is supposed to be about pushing the limit.

[indigobird]

And yet another thing to brag to your fellows about at your robot club.

[madeupnames]

Hey, I'm not a bragger. That's not the Parker way.

We like to stay humble in what we do!

... But I won't say no to some 'oooo's or 'awww's if I get them.

[indigobird]

But of course.