Chapter Text
Even though you may not look the part, you’re a genius. More specifically a genius in robotics and coding. It’s been your number one hobby since you were in primary school. At first, it started off as a hobby, toying with kits with already built in instructions on how to make the robots and all of that. But it quickly escalated into something bigger, something better. After years of honing your skills, even into adulthood, you had become good. Too good. So good that Urbanshade employees were sent to hire you. Why not settle for an email? It makes it feel like theres a bounty over your head. You would’ve been perfect. But you declined. You didn’t like the feeling urbanshade was giving you. They seemed… Nefarious.
But the harder you tried to resist, the harder Urbanshade would try to convince you.
And convinced you were.
Ten million dollars.
.
Ten. Million. Dollars.
That’s a lot.
You could build all the things you’ve ever dreamed of. Along with that, Urbanshade had the tech you never had. It was paradise for you.
Until it wasn’t.
The underwater labyrinth had every single being behind cages, behind what set them away from freedom… freed.
As much as they all deserved to have their misery of constantly being tested on being put to an end, you don’t exactly like having your life on the line all the time.
Having to worry about wall dwellers sneaking up on you, getting into a closet with a puddle of void mass while Pandemonium tries to come and eat you, might you add. Or maybe Pinkie coming through with no warning whatsoever (as per usual). Or maybe even being gunned down by your muse. The p.AI.nter himself.
It really feels like he’s toying with you. But, you’ve seen how fast he guns down the expendables. Why does he purposefully aim only just close enough to make you think you dodged? You’re not stupid, you can notice it.
The time you spend with Sebastian and the p.AI.nter is fun, you don’t think they enjoy your company one bit. But that’s okay, anything to prolong the inevitable fact that you’ll go insane down here.
But, after interacting with the p.AI.nter a few times, you feel… just, so bad for him.
Stuck in one place. In a boring, colorless room. Unable to move from where he stands, mining crypto all day.
But you decide to fix that today.
In order to compensate for the painter’s lack of a body, you’ve made one for him.
It was… you admit, quite bulky compared to the other robots you built, but thats not saying much, since your robots resemble humans by a lot in terms of shape.
For the painter’s body, there was a nice doc for his computer where his neck was and about 20 different plug ins on his back so he can properly connect to the body and move it as he pleases.
You can’t wait to give this to him tomorrow.
-
Making it was the fun part, dragging and carrying it to his room was not.
But he would be so happy, wouldn’t he?
Here you were. Destroying the weird wall like chain link gates that blocks you from the p.AI.nter with some funky contraption you built just for this.
Though, admittedly, it was taking some time.
“Uh, what are you doing?” The p.AI.nter mumbled, trying to play it cool. In all honesty, he was happy to see you. But he wouldn’t just tell you that.
“Setting you free, duh.”
“As much as I appreciate the idiotic thought you formed, I think you forgot that I lack the legs to escape. If I had a body, trust me. I would’ve been looong gone.”
‘I want to escape with you’
“Yeah, well, I got a surprise for you.” You say, flashing a wide grin on your face, god, was it cute.
‘Is it your love? Please, let it be.’
…
But he would never admit that out loud.
You quickly put your contraption down onto the floor and promptly leave the room before coming back in with the body you made for him.
For a second there, you almost feel as if he too, returned the same grin. You swear he did, but the same scowl he had on his face remained.
“Okay..? A body? What am I supposed to do with this? Run around like a headless chicken? How do I even hack into this thing?” The p.AI.nter grimaces.
“What kind of messed up version of pronouncing ‘Thank you’ was that?” You retort.
You finally managed to destroy a you sized hole into the fence-wall, and quickly go inside, dragging the body all whilst approaching his desk.
“Hey p.AI.nter?”
“I don’t wanna hear your incessant ramblings any further.” He replies. Something about his tone makes him sound… joyful.
“Which one of your cables connect to the power?”
“Uh, the red o- why am I telling you?!”
You quickly disconnect the cable and plug it into the power of the body, putting the p.AI.nter’s computer onto the body as a replacement for a head, watching the screen come back to life.
“Wow! This looked a lot better than I imagined! Now all I have to do is get your cables plugged in where they should be, starting with your audio cable.”
Before you connect the audio cable to his back, you see him scribble onto his face “what the #### >:(“.
Even if you didn’t see it, he did write “thank you” on his screen, but would you even care?
-
After about a few minutes later, you finished up organizing his cables. You can finally say you feel happy and proud of yourself.
The p.AI.nter on the other hand looks like he’s about to slap you.
Or, maybe?
He looks angry, but also doesn’t? Matter of fact, he’s blushing.
“Listen, ___, I…” the p.AI.nter grumbles.
“Thank you.” He says.
You smile.
He wants to see more of your smile. He wishes to feel your skin and warmth nearly just as badly as he wants to see and paint the outside world. Did you program touch into the body? It doesn’t matter, he already felt touch in the first place. It should’ve transferred to the body. Right, right?
Speaking of body….
He can finally ask you.
“Uh. ____?”
You perk up and look at him. (if you weren’t already)
“C… c-could you…” he stutters out.
“Could you hold my hand..?” He utters, looking the other way from sheer embarrassment, trying to hide the pink tint his canvas is now taking on.
“Of course.”
You put your hand in his and savor the moment, just as he does.
He loves you, and wishes to convey it so badly. But how?
“Please don’t leave me, ___.”
“I would never.”