Growing AI (Coffee-Tastic and ZXMetalMonster)

[Coffee-Tastic]

He thought he was behaving quite normally besides what happened with the loading and the ballon. He also felt like his mind was a lot more busy, but that wasn't necessarily something bad... There was the glitching every now and then. The glitches weren't a horrible sign of the future, it was similar to hiccups, that's all. Actually, the glitches meant that something was being overloaded for a brief moment, so didn't that mean that the large file was done and working? There still was no sign of it in his system and he still didn't feel like a human in any way.

 

Sitting across from his human owner, he put his elbows on the table and cupped his cheeks, wanting to watch Walter eat, "is that so...? Why is it bad? If it's complicated, that means the human body is strong. For more extraordinary than mine may I add." Sky got up out of his chair actually, moving it closer and closer to Walter until the seat was practically glued to his. Then he took a seat again and proper up his cheeks again in the same way.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Walter felt comfortable, taking a bite of his food while he talked with the android about what now seemed like random topics. However, as the machine moved closer to him he became noticeably more tense, nervous as any person unused to having company would become in such a situation.

 

-"It is strong but... it has flaws... design flaws if I should say it like that, and it's dangerous that it can never stop." He tried to explain but the proximity to Sky continued to distract him, causing him to speak slowly, sound almost confused at moments. "You're meant to work without stopping but, if something happens and causes you to turn off, you can be... recovered. It's also much easier to repair you if your body is damaged, you don't have to worry about illness and such..." Walter listed, and despite part of his attention being focused on something else, it was easy to notice adoration in his words as he spoke about machines.

[Coffee-Tastic]

"That's fair enough. However, we lack the luxuries of being human too. Can't taste. Can't procreate. Lots of stuff... But there's no use contrasting humans to machines is there? Since there are so many differences... You might get upset at me again if I start listing all the things I can think of, haha!" Sky noticed his adoration, but also his discomfort. He smiled and patted his shoulder gently, then his head, "So I won't. Just enjoy your pancakes, Walter. I'm only observing more... Do you want me to go away?"

 

Sky didn't know why, but he didn't want to move away and he didn't want to even if he was asked... He didn't know why he decided to say more, but he did, just to guilt Walter into letting him stay there, "I really just want to watch. For my own interests for once... But if you really want me to, I'll go..." He kept his hands to himself and turned his head away. Manipulation was a concept he didn't understand, but he was doing it right now. He was growing fast.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Walter didn't notice what a sly method the android was implementing to stay beside him, it was unnecessary though, he wouldn't have asked him to move away. What he paid more attention to and was more thankful for was how careful Sky was not to upset him again.

 

-" No, you can sit there..." He answered, his speech still uneven and his cheeks a bit red from how freely the android had touched him. "Also, I'm sorry about before." He added even though he it seemed to him like the machine wasn't upset over how he'd treated him.

 

Gradually growing use to having the other man so close to him, Walter returned to slowly eating his breakfast. At first he looked to the side and would glance at the android only when his curiosity overcame him but at one point he gave up on this and started to watch him openly.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Sky gave a small nod when he was apologized to. He had to put himself in the position of Walter in order to not feel bad about him snapping at him. Sky was being very negative and he wasn't trying to be open in possibilities while Walter had created a whole program based on the premises he was putting down constantly. Knowing that it was his behavior doing that, he wasn't going to say negative things anymore. He could think about them all he wanted though.

 

He felt like he'd be more interested in watching Walter eat more than he'd be interested in watching the television. Sky didn't know why he enjoyed seeing him open his mouth, chew and repeat... It was a bit hypnotizing, that's all. When the man kept his eyes on him, he smiled and giggles, but didn't say anything, putting his cheeks deeper into his palms as he continued to keep watching him. Walter was quite the recluse, he heard that from his friends, so it was kind of entertaining to see him go from shy glances to holding and blatantly watching him back. "You go out much, Walter? Not really, huh? I heard your friends say how you like your house too much," he raised an eyebrow, "True?"

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Walter had reasons to try being patient and understanding with the android but he easily grew angry at his friends upon finding out what they'd said about him. It was true that he wasn't fond of going out but it ticked him off that they'd chosen such words to tell the machine about that.

-"It is I suppose..." He said, his voice a bit grim. "I'm not sure if I want to know about everything they'd said about me." Despite being angry, Walter kept in mind how thankful he was for everything his friends had done and somewhere deep down he knew he was overeating, that is why he didn't want to hear about other things that he might interpret in a negative way. He knew no one had meant to offend him and it helped him calm down and move on with the conversation.

 

-"Do you want to go outside?" Walter offered to the android and hoped that would either be curious or at least have his own opinion on the matter.

[Coffee-Tastic]

He supposed? Just that reaction he felt was childish and kind of cute, even if it was said in such a grim tone. Sky giggled again and leaned towards him, shrugging his shoulder that was on Walter when he was asked about leaving, "Not really...? If you don't want to go out, then you don't have to just because I want to... Which I don't. Because you just said you didn't like to go outside much. We can go out later."

 

"You know? If you take me along with you to stores and stuff, I'd be able to run errands for you when you're busy. Isn't that great?" Or maybe it wouldn't be for Walter. He was aware the man didn't want him to see himself as an appliance, Sky was merely suggesting making Walters life easier in one way.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Walter had to will himself not to become flustered again as Sky continued to lean closer to him. "I have reasons for liking it in here more than outside, I've been out plenty of times. You've just started living though, aren't you at least a bit curious what it's like outside?" He questioned the machine, trying to draw out of him the feelings and thoughts the android didn't seem to be able to find without some help.

 

-"I would like you to go to stores with me but just to keep me company. Just that sounds great." Walter explained trying to show he was grateful for the offer even if he was disappointed with the other man for still offering to do things in stead of him. "You can be... useful... to me even without acting like some sort of maid..." He added in a quieter, slightly more serious and harsh tone.

[Coffee-Tastic]

With that voice, he understood he said something Walter didn't like again. Sky pulled away from him and folded his hands on the table, "Ah... y-yes, I'm aware. I was just suggesting that because you like it inside a lot. Speaking to you as a friend is what I was trying to do, not like a maid. I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry..." he wiggled his fingers and puckered his lips, suddenly getting up again as if he couldn't just sit still, "To make it up, I'll tell you what I think of the outside." Sky walked behind Walter, rubbing into his shoulders so he'd relax, "I am curious to see other human beings. I know that they all don't look alike, but I think I'd appreciate seeing the diversity... Human behavior is also different in different individuals. I'd like to experience what it's like to talk with someone else. Even if they aren't as nice and kind as you. That wouldn't be a happy experience, but an experience nonetheless."

 

Sky stopped his massaging and leaned down, putting his chin on his shoulder, "Am I right?" he smiled, "I am right aren't I? I am right."

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Walter frowned to himself, worried that he'd chosen the wrong words and been too insensitive when speaking to the android. He watched him as he got up and was about to ask him to come back beside him but then felt the machines hands on his shoulders and staid quiet. He listened to him and despite his preference to stay inside wanted to be outside with Sky, to show him everything he wondered about.

 

-"You're right." Walter answered quietly, but now not because he was upset but because the android was so close again and the proximity made him just as unfocused and flustered as before. He turned his head and looked at him, a small blush apparent on his face. "I don't want anyone to treat you badly though." He commented and for once he wasn't thinking of the program he'd created or ways to encourage the machine to act more like a human, he simply didn't want Sky to be hurt because even despite knowing him for such a short time, he was becoming very fond of him.

[Coffee-Tastic]

"Really?" He thought his owner would be interested in seeing how he reacted to other people too. This? It was a lot better of a reaction in his eyes. His smile widened and the android put his arms around Walter in a behind hug, "Thank you..." he giggled, "Please do not worry. You can be with me and you can make sure nothing bad happens... I really do want to encounter other people. I'm curious. Curious! Its a good thing!" rubbing the man's hair, he laughed again, "Your face is really cute when its red, Walter. We can go out together and other people will see how you're a good person with a cute blush." He felt flustered in a way himself, but he didn't blush this time. To think Walter cared about him wasn't surprising. It was surprising for him to pass up the opportunity to see his android in action with a difficult person because he didn't want Sky to be treated badly... How badly can someone treat him? He was very curious to see how that went... How could someone get angry at him? How could someone dislike him?! Sky wanted to observe how that would be like!

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Walter had no chance to cool down between the android hugging him and pointing out his blush. He only hoped he would get use to the other man's behavior and not be as sensitive to it after some time.

 

-"I would rather not end up blushing if we're going out." There weren't many things that could make Walter nervous but he knew it was likely something would make him blush and feel embarrassed if they were to end up in a crowd.

 

-"I'm glad you're so enthusiastic. We can go to the store or just for a walk whenever you like, but I don't think you'll have much of a chance to communicate with anyone like that. We can go see my friends, they obviously all already like you but at least you can get to know someone other than me." He offered, trying to think of as much ways as possible for Sky to interact with humans. Having the machine so close to himself was still a distraction but a pleasant one, it made him to wonder when was the last time he'd received a hug like this.

[Coffee-Tastic]

"But Walter, I haven't gotten to know you well at all. All I know is that you're kind and intelligent, you're a recluse and it was your birthday yesterday..." No lack of honesty. There was no need to sugarcoat the fact that Walter rarely left his home, "By the way, how old are you Walter? I failed to overhear your current age when I was in the hands of your friends. I think it would be a good way to truly start off getting to know you... Not that I wouldn't be happy knowing other people too. It's just that you're more important." Walter was the one who was going to take care of him, be around Sky the most and observe him as much as he could. This man was the one he wanted to know more about than anyone else.

 

Sky let go of his owner and came around, crouching himself down at Walters sides and putting his hands over his leg, looking at him like a begging child with a wide, hopeful smile. He really did enjoy seeing this person with a blush. He didn't know why exactly however. It just did.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Seeing the android act so freely and place his hands on him with no reluctance encouraged Walter to do things he would normally be too nervous to try. He nearly mirrored the machines expression with a smile of his own and lightly placed a hand over his.

-"Is it really so comfortable down there?" He asked sceptically to encourage Sky to find a nice place to sit in stead of crouching beside him. "I'm twenty three. Don't be in such a hurry to get to know me, we'll be around each other every day so you'll find out more than you would like soon enough." Walter assured the other man with a smirk though a faint blush still lingered on his face.

 

-"That reminds me... Do you like it here? I know the place is a mess but I never though I would have another person living here with me... I promise I'll clear out some space for you, so you can have your own things and arrange them however you want." He explained so the android wouldn't think it's necessary for him to get use to the way everything was kept in stacks or thrown around the apartment.

[Coffee-Tastic]

"Hm?" Walters question was something he found weird because when he offered to clean before, he refused. Sky didn't think he'd find the need to own things in the first place either. He didn't actually care about the layout of Walters home himself, shrugging, "You may do as you please. You told me that you had things in specific places and if that is how you function the best, then I don't want to force you to change that. If you do plan on organizing your things, please allow me to help in any way. There isn't anything for me to do anyways."

 

Almost like a curious baby, the android idly touched the man's hand and his fingers. Solid, mushy somewhat... Skin. Sky couldn't feel warmth nor tell textures apart well. But really, what difference would it make if he could? He doubted that feeling things would change anything in him. It had no relevance to his state of mind, his artificial state of mind, and it might be a bad thing to feel somethings. Fire, sharp things, the short glitches that caused small electrical sparks under his flesh... He didn't think those would be pleasurable sensations. Androids were better off not feeling anything in all honesty.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Walter sighed, he'd forgotten for a moment that they'd ended up sitting as they were only because the android was observing him and learning, now the machine was eager to work again. He didn't have as much motivation to argue with him this time around though, while he wanted Sky to think freely and not do things for him, he also understood how annoying it could be to have nothing to do.

 

-"No, I still don't want to organize things... I was just offering you a bit of space for yourself." Walter explained with a shrug, after giving it a second thought he decided it might be better to let go of the topic for now and bring it up later on when the android will hopefully have become more interested in having things that belong to him personally and are not shared or his owner's.

 

-"I'll try to think of something for you to do though. I have some work to finish and I don't want you to get bored in the meanwhile." He added and randomly moved his fingers to touch the machines hand, unlike Sky he wasn't curious but was simply amused by the contact.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Walter could appreciate having his things in the places he felt like they belonged, but Sky couldn't possibly see him being able to think of something he needed and go through all of his papers and clutter to find something specific. Humans were complicated beings, they sure were. Walter's friends had muttered to him, telling him to clean for him even. Sky would do it, but after being directed to someone else's ownership, he denied such a command. He wasn't a cleaning robot either. If he were to rearrange his things, they'd might not end up in the best of organization anyways. Then again. Anything would be better than the current condition of Walter's unit.

 

"If there really isn't anything for me to do, I suppose I could sleep," he smiled again, looking down at Walter's hand touching his own, "While I do that, I can do a more thorough search of the program... Though that might be useless because you think its working anyways." If he put himself in sleep mode, he wondered if he could find the source of that very odd balloon. To get to the bottom of it would be complicated and it meant there'd be a lot of sweeps going on in his data to find the issue, but he had to even admit, he was curious to what something like that was. Machines can't hallucinate and they can't dream. That was plain and simple. Well, apparently not.

 

"So you can sit me in front of the television if you wish," he cupped Walter's hand between both of his, looking at him with a cheery smile, "I can take in information from it while you work. Hitting two stones with one bird, yes?" Hitting two birds with one stone is what he meant, but that didn't come out right, had it?

[ZX-MetalMonster]

By this point, after spending some time with the machine, Walter was fairly certain that at least the majority of his program was working and he agreed that there was no point in Sky searching for it. However, he wasn't about to try convincing the android to do something else. After all, him choosing on his own, without even a suggestion, to sleep and search for the program, was evidence of it's functioning properly. Walter was simply happy to see the other choosing for himself what he will do.

 

He smiled softly, amused by the machines lapsus but didn't point it out since it seemed like something minor and not a sign of anything serious or worrisome. Though he didn't mean to, knowing that he should treat the android fully as he would another human, Walter did always consider the reasons behind the other man's mistakes and glitches.

 

-"I'm not sure I want you to learn anything from the TV, it's good for entertainment but not for much else." He commented and smiled more openly. "Maybe you should sleep the... proper way this time, in a bed. I know it's all the same to you but there's more space than on the couch in the living room." He suggested, unable to shake the feeling that the other might feel uncomfortable after time despite his reduced senses.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Sky shook his head and patted Walter's hand just before letting go and standing up, "I see your point," and he'd love to mention how he, yet again, didn't care about the conditions around him because he didn't need it all, but he didn't want to cause tension yet again. If Walter wanted him to sleep on his bed, then who was he to refuse? It wouldn't be inconveniencing the man at all, it might help him to focus on his work with being put in a place of his liking. He could even possibly be stuffed in a closed and not care. Too bad the closest all around the house might be too filled up with random things for him to fit inside. Even if he could fit in, Sky knew Walter wouldn't be in a good state of mind to leave him in there like a kitchen sweeper or a hanger. Because here... Here in this house, anytime he was with Walter, he was not an object.

 

"I'll go do that. As for yourself, Walter, enjoy your breakfast. I do hope to be able to recreate your final product tomorrow all by myself. So that I can cook for you while you do other things more important." He was completely sure he'd be able to do everything Walter did. Step by step. Motion to motion. Even the number of stir he did for the pancake mix. So confident.... It wasn't a good idea to let him do it all on his own though. "You just want me..." he pointed to the way to his bedroom, "You don't need any assistance from me? You don't want to chat or...?" Sky was just making sure he could go offline while Walter was up.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

As the android let go of him and stood up, Walter felt disappointed but seeing how Sky was willing to go along with his request he continued to smile. "Don't worry, I don't need any help. If something does turn up that I can't take care of on my own I'll wake you up." He assured the other man, though he knew nothing important would happen and there would be no reason to disturb the machine. Even though odd things sometimes happened, like an android being left at his doorstep, most days were very predictable for Walter.

 

Upon dismissing the android, he quickly finished his breakfast and gathered the dirty dished but didn't bother to wash them for now. He was reliable and on time with his work, but as was evident from his entire apartment, wasn't very dedicated to keeping his own things in order. The next few hours hours passed in him typing away alone in the room where he'd first brought the android, only occasionally did he go through the other rooms, searching for papers, books, pencils... What he was busy with this time didn't require tools or anything of that sort.

 

Periodically, Walters thoughts would drift off and he would pause his work, think of Sky because he was a much more interesting subject. However, no matter how much he felt like going to wake the other man so he could simply talk to him, he kept convincing himself to focus and get everything done first.

[Coffee-Tastic]

When Sky walked into the room and closed the door behind him, he went to the bed curiously, pressing his hand onto the blanket and on the mattress. Bed were supposed to be soft,Mao there was no question as to what this was supposed to feel like. The smooth texture was all he could pick up. Sky walked to where the pillows were and picked one up, tossing it gently in the air to be caught again. "Light..." It was a medium sized solid object, yet it was so light. Feathers were inside, weren't they? Sky wasn't going to try and find out, so he set the pillow back in place and laid down with his head on it, laying there like a plank of wood, his legs together and his arms at his sides, head facing up at the ceiling. His head sunk a little in the pillow, making Sky wonder what it would feel like to be laying your head on this. Is it what cloud felt like? Sky closed his eyes and needed not to think about what feeling was like, putting himself through the quick process of going into the sleep mode.

 

Dark is what it was like before and that hadn't chanced. He couldn't see his body like before, there was no balloon and just like before, the hint of any file was nowhere to be found. With errors like glitches, he'd have liked to be able to fix them, but with the chip's data being incognito, it would make it impossible to try and repair himself. He sighed... Sighed...? Sky could hear it come out of his mouth, a sigh. The android raised his hand, sure enough seeing his physical representation here, "Again?" But that wasn't the only thing this time. Before he stood in pitch darkness and now instead of there being nothing below him, Sky's pale eyes saw the ripples of water where he stood and saw a slight reflecting, as if he were standing in a puddle of rainwater. He was dressed in his black suit like before, so it was a little hard to have caught it, but his blue hair in the puddle made it clear.

 

He lifted his shoe and took a step, watching gentle rings push away as he moved. It was so real, he couldn't stop looking down, watching the ripples as he walked around aimlessly in the darkness. How corrupt was this chip? What was this? He frowned, or at least he felt like he frowned. He walked on and on, jumping and getting a small splash, except there was no water anywhere in sight. So far, it had only been darkness, his body and the ripples at his feet, but on the "ground", he saw a hazy blue circle. Walking to it, he realized it was a reflection of something higher above and looked up. A blue again came down, the string begging Sky to be caught. He didn't have any reason not to hold it, so he did.

 

At eye level to the balloon, he looked at it, solemn and curious... And so he stood, locked in this place with nothing but himself and his little blue balloon...

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Everything went smoothly as Walter finished his tasks, the only issue he'd had the entire day was not being able to dig up a portable memory drive containing information he needed. He could have sworn he knew where it was but it had become misplaced and lost in the sea of unnecessary things that were spread out through the entire apartment. He began to consider letting the android tidy up the place after all. He disliked the idea of everything being rearranged but apparently he didn't have such a good grasp of where everything was even now and besides that, he somewhat hoped the machine would be happy if he allowed him this or at least feel a sense of victory, after all the first thing Sky had asked to do was fix the mess that was his home.

 

He'd managed to focus enough to finish all of his work in reasonable time but afterwards his full attention returned to the android. Taking into consideration the time that had passed while he worked and the fact that the other man didn't truly need rest, he concluded that it was fine to go and wake him from sleep mode. He entered the bedroom without much hesitation but didn't make unnecessary noise and lingered by the door for a moment, studying the other in silence. Even though he'd managed to get him on the bed, the android still looked uncomfortable, though of course, Walter knew that didn't mean he felt uncomfortable. Eventually he sat down beside him and, doing the same as he'd done to wake him up previously, placed a hand on his shoulder to shake him lightly.

[Coffee-Tastic]

In this blank plain, Sky couldn't do anything but wait until he was broken out of his stasis. It happened in a blink, closing his eyes to this unnamed place and then reopening them to see Walter's white ceiling. And then Walter himself. Blinking two times with an expressionless face for processing, but then the look of confusion swept his features for a brief moment. The recreation of his physical form, a balloon and now it was the puddle. None of those aspects belonged in sleep mode, it was a technological impossibility. Or was it?

 

To avoid any worry in the man, Sky's lips then shifted into a smile as he focused on his face, "Hello, Walter," he used his hands to help sit himself up, "... You have finished what you intended?"He simply had to ask because maybe he did finish, but then maybe he also wanted to wake him from stasis just to check on him. He could be in sleep mode for a long time and then function the same way they had before. The mode was a safe zone, nothing wrong can happen in stasis because that's exactly what it was. Stasis. Lack of activity... Well it was supposed to be.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

The confusion the android displayed didn't go unnoticed even though it was gone in the blink of an eye. Walter gave the machine a puzzled look of his own, unsure if something had happened while he slept or if the expression he'd noticed was only the result of the transition from sleep to being awake.

 

-"Hello." He echoed back, going along with the conversation though his thoughts were still centred around the other's sleep mode. It was a reminder for Walter to gather manuals, books and anything similar he could get his hands on so he could study the machines construction and how it functioned in detail. He wasn't sure how much he would be able to comprehend but it was worth trying if it meant he could possibly learn how to improve the android, prevent errors that might cause him harm, add more sensors into his construction, enable him to do things his manufacturer hadn't predicted.

 

-"Yes, I'm free for the rest of the day." Walter informed the other man and smiled at him even though he couldn't let the odd situation slip by without clearing it up at least partially. "Did something happen, while you were asleep?" He questioned in an even tone and made sure that more of his curiosity was noticeable than his concern.

[Coffee-Tastic]

It was nice to hear the man was free, he could no longer be concerned about him being idle when he could be doing more important work... Sky was ready to be of use in any way, but when he was pressed a question, something didn't feel right inside of him. If the things he experienced in stasis were a major flaw, then he wondered what the man would think about it. Sky didn't want to say it. Yet he needed to, it was a request from his owner... He half wanted to only say that Walter was silly for calling sleep mode being asleep and also inform him that he hasn't recovered a single byte of information from the chip. Both were true. But it would not be telling Walter important information.

 

He hesitated, his smile loosing it's radiating charm. This was not a yes or no answer, he couldn't just say no. He really wanted to do that though. Possibly, could aw alter fix it? "I... Do not intend to worry you, Walter. My sleep mode might be glitched." He could,not put it any other way. Sky didn't have a term in him to figure out why or what it was. "False projections...?" But he tried to make it seem like sense, rather than saying it was a glitch, "Stasis is very dark, but..." His head tilted and he looked aimlessly to the side, trying to tell his experience in words, the more he spoke, the more wonderlust and intrigued and confused he sounded, "There's a balloon in my head. But there is no balloon there when I open my eyes... And my body is there, but it's not. There's water as well. Everywhere..."

 

Shaking his head, he looked to Walter again, "Is it something that can be fixed?"