Private The Wayward Conductor

[One-One]

May 29, Y-109
4:00 PM

@Halcyon Adhil @Scaramouche​

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Far from the bustling cities and cozy homes of the average citizen was the Dread Wastes. An empty landscape, which was actually preferred due to the large criminal population! Standing among the dirt and sand stood a little robot shaped like a sphere. To occupy his time, the little 'bot was singing. "One, two, three, four, walking through the kitchen door~!" Glad-One's voice rang out across the barren desert, echoing off of the crags and buttes. He marched around in small circles. His nubs kicked up small clouds of dirt and dust. "Five, six, seven, eight, I am feeling really great~!"

"Speak for yourself..." His other side interrupted, voice a gloomy and sullen groan. Sad-One's influence brought their little dance to a pause. "I never feel great."

"Maybe you would if you tried to sing a song!" The optimistic half insisted, marching in place excitedly as he attempted to lift the mood of his twin. "It's not that hard! You just think about how you're feeling, dig down deeeep... and then start singing!"

"I guess that does sound easy... A little too easy..." Sad-One kicked a pebble nonchalantly. "What's the catch, huh? There's gotta be a catch..."

"No catch~! I'm the only audience and I promise to give you a stunning review!" With a soft pop, the ball split into two halves. Glad-One shuffled until he was facing his other half, and planted himself onto the dirt with a wide and eager white optic. His nubs waved at the other robot in a reassuring manner. "Go on, go on~! Give me your best shot!"

"Oh... O-oh geez... I uh, I don't perform very well under pressure..." Sad-One sank down into the dirt, grasping at himself in despair. "Oh no...! Someone's got expectations of me! I'm gonna let you down, man, I'm gonna let you dooown..." The little robot was tumbling down the rabbit hole, the weight of his twin's hopes and aspirations weighing down on him like the firm concrete shoes of a mobster! He trembled, kicking up bits of dust onto his white shell.

"Odds bodkins...!" Glad-One scuttled over quickly, rubbing the top of his twin's shell in a comforting manner. He might have underestimated his depressed half's performance anxiety. "You couldn't possibly let me down! I just wanted to hear you sing, but if you don't want to... Maybe I could sing for you! Would you like that? If I sang for you?"

He peeked at the other from between his nubs. "...Maybe... If you wanted to sing for me, I wouldn't stop you." The trembling had stopped as soon as his twin had toddled over.

"Hm..." It only took a moment's thought for the robot to think up a song, an elated giggle sounding. "Hahaha, I've got it...!" Pausing only to 'clear' his 'throat', Glad-One began to sing. "Iiiii've got a lovely bunch of coconuts~! Here they are, standing in a row...~!" He began to bob in place to the rhythm, as did his twin. And then, surprising both of them, the depressed half began to sing as well!

"Big ones, small ones... Some as big as your head...!"

Pausing only to squeal happily, Glad-One continued on happily, embracing his twin with a snug nub. "Give 'em a twist, a flick of the wrist...!"

"That's what the showman said~!" Their voices mixed together as they sang as one, a brief little harmony established between the halves. It wasn't always easy to entertain themselves while their dad was busy, but somehow, One-One managed!

 

[Halcyon Adhil]

Many people might consider a place like the Dread Wastes as empty, desolate, and barren. Hence the area's title, the Dread Wastes.

But Hal was a scientist, an astronomer. He saw things in a slightly different light than most people; and, even without activating his power, the feathered raptor was able to see the beauty this place had to offer. He knew the most basic laws of existence: matter is neither created nor destroyed, merely altered from state to state. Even back home, people had held misconceptions, like how barren and desolate a desert was. But there was life everywhere, even in the vast expanse of space. You just had to look hard enough...

The feathered raptor bent down to watch as a tiny lizard burrowed into the sand, taking the opportunity to collect a sample of dried, dead grass. He wasn't a graduate biologist, he preferred studying the stars as opposed to studying people or animals. But he knew enough about biology from his sister-studies, as well as more than enough chemistry. And, far as he was concerned, he was basically on an alien planet. The more he knew about this whole place, the better.

Hal continued to collect different samples and observe the sparse and hidden wildlife that defied the world and thrived in this desolate place. And he walked on.

He was so lost in studying the world around him, that it took him a while to realize that the melody bouncing through his ear holes wasn't in his head nor even a tune he recognized at all. The raptor frowned, standing up and actually focusing on the song. Compelled by curiosity, he began to follow the voices to try and find their origin, even as his tail began to bob its head in rhythm to the tune.

What he came upon was a fairly unexpected sight... After all, Dreamworld had fairly advanced technology spanning its long history. But not even the great city of Alduruna had actual robots, let alone sentient ones.

Hal smiled as he came up behind them, unaware that they may not be aware of him. At least, until he spoke up. "Remarkable! I don't suppose you can play music, too?" The raptor only belatedly thought that asking that kind of question might be some kind of faux pas. Was there a specific way one talked to robots? Hal had a hard enough time connecting to other people...

"Er, hello -- sorry, I didn't actually expect to meet anyone else out here," Hal tried to apologize. Silently, he added, Let alone, something like you.

Curiously, it wasn't quite the robot Hal had envisioned when he thought of the word. They were more like a sphere cut in half, with little metal-looking stubs for legs. The raptor tilted his head at the little things, his tail watching them over his shoulder, filled with his own curiosity.

 

[One-One]

Unaware of the audience that they had gathered, the two continued to sing among themselves obliviously.

"Every ball you throw will make me rich~!" Glad-One chanted, climbing atop his twin's form like an excited puppy. Once he was properly balanced atop his other half, a feat that was surprisingly easy despite the diminutive nubs, the little 'bot sent an encouraging squint down to his twin.

"There stands my wife, the idol of me life~." Sad-One sang the next line, tone flat as old soda and yet there seemed to be a hint of happiness in his optic. Who knew how much fun it could be to just sing along with his twin? Tentatively, the depressed half of the robot was letting down his guard...!

"Remarkable! I don't suppose you can play music, too?"

"WUUAAAGH...!"

"NYAAAH...!"

The two cried out in surprise at the same time. Sad-One jolted to look at the strange who spoke, far too fast for Glad-One who tipped over and fell off with a small clack! "Oof...!" Despite the tumble, the little robot seemed no worse for wear as he wriggled like an upside down crab and overturned himself. "Oh, hello there!" The friendly half skittered a little closer, single white optic wide and curious. "What big teeth you have, ooh! And what lovely feathers you've got!"

"Yeah, all the better to eat us with." Sad-One grumbled, hanging back and letting his twin do all of the socializing. His singing 'feng shui' had vanished now that they had a spectator.

"Oh, you asked a question, right!" He hummed softly, nub rubbing his 'chin' before he was able to recall what had been asked. "Oh! I can play a mean triangle! Otherwise, I can pretty much sing anything! Like this, duh-duh, dah dah~ duh-duh, dah dah~!" Glad-One giggled softly. "We didn't expect to run into anyone else here either! Do you live here?"

"We definitely didn't expect to bump into some sort of... dinosaur with a...second face?" The depressed half was content to pout on the dusty ground.

"The wha-...?" Blinking, he swiveled to better see their new friend and at last noticed the tail peering over a shoulder. "Oh! Hello there! Wow, you have a twin, like me! Hello sirs~! My name is One-"

"-One." Sad-One closed his optic, leaving only a squinted 'lid' visible on the blank band along his bottom.

"What are your names?" He, of course, naturally assumed that Hal's tail had a different name compared to...well, Hal himself! The little 'bot had no reason to suspect otherwise yet.