Notes: I haven't noted this yet because I forgot, but robots choose their names at random.
Notes: If a robot isn't given a name in their coding/marketing/whatever they'll just pick something they like at random.
Notes: This can be an object, a name they overheard, anything. There's a herd of wet floor bots by the daycare named after planets, stars, and other space themed things. Another group is named after dinosaurs. There's one named after a jumping spider because it was sitting nearby during Harriette's spider booklet creation. Some will go by sounds they make, others will go by science terms. There are no rules on how they chose their names. There have been a few guid dogs and some of the bots have chosen names based on those. There are literally no rules.
Notes: Robots don't have gender roles. They use whatever pronouns they feel like. They don't care.
Harriette woke up feeling better. She was still wobbly from not eating enough. She decided to dip into her supply of Sundrops, and snacked on some of her dried fruit. She felt better after eating and taking another kid's tylenol. She packed up her things and got ready to start heading up. She waved goodbye to Ms. Spider.
She'd get a real breakfast. She waved to her staffbot friends and Flr. Rubberband, and other Wet floor signs as she went. She sent a message letting Tinsel, Daisy and Todd that she was feeling better.
"Hey, I didn't see you the last two days?" Marnie said.
"Oh, yeah, I was sick," Harriette said. "I'm feeling better now." Harriette coughed then. A really hard rough one. Marnie muttered some not very nice things about Harriette's family, and rubbed her back. "I'm okay."
"Well, you will be, guess what I got for you?" Marnie asked.
"Fish tacos?" Harriette asked. Stomach growling.
"You know it," Marnie chuckled, handing the girl the bag. "Now get out of here before you scare off my customers." It was said with mirth, concern and a bit of wariness. Harriette headed out to find a good spot to hide and eat. She headed over to a place she knew was out of view of everything else. She munched her tacos and watched people milling around. A couple holding hands, a mother carrying a baby, a family in matching t-shirts; aunts and uncles, moms and dads, cousins and siblings. Harriette sniffled trying no to think about what it would feel like to have her mummy ruffle her hair, what it would feel like to have her parents swing her between them, have her dad reach out and help her keep her balance. She sniffled, wiping her nose. She needed to give Chicken her new gloves. She hoped Chicken liked them.
It just so happened that Chicken did in fact love her new gloves. She chittered to her friends, who all fawned over them, but not jealousy the way some humans would have. They were happy for their friend. Glad that they got something good. Harriette wondered about the plex, noting things that were left behind, she decided to check on things to see them sooner, what with the big coat bag being so old, and having such useful stuff in it.
While she'd been searching she finally spotted one of the security guards, one of the humans. She'd nervously slipped out of sight of his would be sight and down one of the halls. She slipped into one of the vents she had traded a handmade garbage rose for passage through. She scooched far enough back that she wasn't worried that she'd be over heard and looked to her watch to wait for the security guard to pass. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked back, one of the tinier TinyMusic-men, Tina was sitting on her shoulder. There weren't that many Tina's size, and they'd claimed this vent for their home, at least for the most part. Harriette put her finger to her lips and showed Tina the security screen. The guard was still too close to risk speaking out loud. Just when Harriette was sure the guard was going to leave, someone else came. The two started talking and then they leaned against the wall. Harriette gagged silently. They were together against the wall, Harriette had seen enough teens sneaking off to hide in dark corners to know that they were kissing. Ew. She'd always managed to get them to go away, but now what was she going to do. She decided to slide backwards.
"Al you're at work," The other person said.
"Well, y'know what they say the lips are the most sensitive part of your body," the other man joked. The other laughed, really loud and obnoxiously. Harriette didn't think it was that funny. Harriette wondered if that was true, she guessed it might be otherwise why say it. She scooched back farther until she was far enough that she couldn't hear them. She'd spend some time with Tina and the other Mini TinyMusic-men. She spent an hour with them playing cards. Then the went out to get lunch. She was pretty pleased. Because of her ability to see the guards and avoid the cameras she was pretty confident. Just to prove how clever she was she made a game of not showing up on the security cameras. Like a game.
She was still feeling a little sick, but she was a lot better. Another of the restaurant workers offered her some leftovers they couldn't eat. This one was a boy, a boy boy, he had a trans flag and pronoun button to say just that, and he worked in a different restaurant.
Harriette ate the hot dog she'd been given, she didn't want to watch the other guests so she was watching one of the screens, she thought about trying to sneak into some of the other places and seeing what they were like, but she wasn't yet willing to risk it. She hadn't even been brave enough to do more than look into some of the shops, and she was kind of dirty. She hadn't washed her clothes or showered since she'd gotten to the pizzaplex. She wondered if the water would be warm. Probably. It was warm in the showers at the daycare. She'd overheard workers talking while sneaking through the vents, she'd also had things pointed out by her staffbot friends, but those bots worked in the utility tunnels. There were staff showers in the basements, and a laundry room right next door. She could clean herself and her clothes all in one go. She wanted to plan out her night excursion though. She'd learned how to check staff logs too, and she knew that tomorrow night would be best for that, so she'd have to wait till then. Still she was pretty confident that she could make it. She still had one set of clean clothes from the Raywoods so she'd probably be fine. Thinking about the Raywoods made her stomach flip. She missed Mayla. And Emelia. And Ginny. And Daniella, and Elison. She missed Mr. Sun and Mr. Moon.
She blinked hard to clear the moisture and sniffled. She wasn't as stuffed up anymore at least. She'd be fine. She wiped her nose and finished her hot dog and got back to wandering. She decided to sneak out of the plex all the families were starting to really get her down. She pulled her baby Blanky up over her nose as she walked.
It was hot outside the pizzaplex, Harriette actually had to pull her gloves off and tie her coat around her waist. It made it more obvious her scarf was a baby blanket but whenever someone stared to much she made their eyes fall off her. Like they suddenly believed that she really was just a normal sight, rather than a lost and scared child. They wouldn't help her anyway. They'd find out she was a freak, or they'd send her back to Vernon… She shuddered at that, and put a little more force into the near constant background mantra.
Don't notice me, don't think about me, don't notice me, don't think about me, She went to the library and read in one of the corners, for a while. She could read down at the dump but she didn't want to go down there, besides she needed to pick up batteries. She'd brought a small amount of money to pay for them, but she wanted to wait till a little later. She'd learned there was a perfect time to purchase things to not be noticed. The time when there were the most people in the store. She waited till the time was right then headed to a store she'd marked off on her map. Purchased her batteries for her hand light and headed 'home'. She wished she could think of it as home home. It was the best a freak like her deserved, but still. She wanted more.
She snuck in through the secret entrance Tinsel had shown her and offered more tinsel for his nest. Her was with Flr. Rubber Band and another security bot. Harriette paused in half crouched. Should she approach or-. Flr. Rubber Band noticed her before she could even think about her other option. Beeping excitedly. Harriette stood awkwardly. The security bot beeped politely before turning back to the conversation they were having with Tinsel. Harriette waited a moment, the security bot turned to look at her, tilting his head. She held up her offering of tinsel and Tinsel tuned his delight. The security bot clapped silently, he didn't actually let his hands touch but he was playing a clapping sound and making the motion. Flr. Rubber Band cheered in celebration. Harriette pulled out a rubber band she'd found on her way back that was a different color to any rubber band she'd ever seen. This seemed to delight Flr. Rubber Band even more, circling and beeping cheerfully before getting close, Harriette hooked the band in the hiding spot she'd learned was where Flr. Rubber Band kept her secret treasures. Mostly gifts from friends like Tinsel and Harriette, and probably the security bot. Harriette looked over guiltily.
"I'm sorry, I don't have anything for you," Harriette said. The Security bot just tipped his head and like a lot of other bots patted Harriette on the head. "I'll maybe bring something for you next time." the bot patted her head, and made cheerful shushing noises. The kinds they made when they were telling Harriette not to worry about it. She pouted. She wasn't a baby. She could do nice things for her friends just fine. "I will. What do you like?" Tinsel and Flr. Rubber Band and the Security bot talked together. Harriette catching little bits and pieces sometimes. She huffed, but waited. The bot pointed to her wrist watch then. Harriette nodded holding it out. Then there was a beep. A new chat log had opened for her and the Security bot. Ports was his name.
'I like boats, that's why I said you didn't have to get me anything,' the message said. Harriette pouted.
"I'm still gonna try, just you wait," Harriette informed. "Someday I'm gonna bring you the best dang boat you ever seen." She insisted. Standing with her legs spreed like a superhero, and pointed. She'd seen it on a cartoon a long time ago. Ports clapped, then patted her head again. His next message read.
'The thought is appreciated, and I look forward to seeing your efforts,' Harriette grinned, she said good-bye and headed off.
She was heading back 'home' after dinner, when she ran into Daisy, and Todd and another staff bot who was too new to have a name. Harriette waved, and Daisy invited her over. She came over and arrived.
"What's up?"
'Another human staffer quit,' the none named staff bot said.
"Oh, is that bad," Harriette asked. "Won't that mean you won't have as much things to worry about?"
'It was one of the nice ones,' Daisy's message said.
"Oh," Harriette said, disheartened. "I'm sorry you lost a friend." She offered the staff bot a pat on the shoulder. They took it, maybe gratefully.
'It's just not fair,' the bot was saying. 'They were nice to everyone, they helped, they did their job.' they all nodded.
'And they minded their own business when it was the right thing to do,' Todd added.
"What happened?"
'They turned in a customer for - for doing bad things to his child,' Daisy said.
Harriette received an image of a very sarcastic looking Mr. Sun. He was doing air quotes and making a face. Harriette felt homesick seeing him there. She forced herself to pay attention to the whole thing. Mr. Sun's sarcastic face was air quoting the words 'the customer' and under that the rest of what the bot wanted to say.
'The customer brought the kid down to- do the very bad thing, and my friend couldn't stand to just let him.' the unnamed staff bot said. 'He stopped him, he called the cops, he was fired for "unrelated" reasons. Yeah. Sure." the unnamed staff bot said. 'He's gone now.' Harriette rubbed the bot's shoulder.
"I'm very sorry you lost your friend," Harriette said. "I'm sorry he got in trouble for helping someone. That's very stupid and very wrong." Secretly Harriette was very glad she hadn't gone to Mr. Sun and Mr. Moon while there were still human staff members. She didn't want to risk them getting in trouble. She worried her staff bot friends might, but they couldn't exactly communicate with the rest of the staff. Most staff members didn't even think they could speak. Harriette still worried. Todd patted her head gently, while sending her a message.
'We've got this, you should go get to bed, sleep is very important for tiny humans,' Todd said, and Harriette almost giggled.
"G'night, or at least as good as it can be," Harriette said.
'Go, get to sleep tiny human,' the unnamed bot said, patting her head. Daisy did the same. Harriette waved good-bye to them and headed off.
