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[stayb100ponyboy]

[It should come as no surprise to anyone that people are switching bodies this week. Equius has been swapped before (for a tiny female fairy who could only communicate through the sound of bells, which had made life interesting), and he's been a yellowblood before too, so when he woke up in Sollux's body, it was no big thing. Sure, he's been rather irritated all week about how weak and pathetic this body is, but then he eventually realized something fascinating.]

[He could make all the improvement he's been wanting to do on Sollux's roboeyes without any bitching from the eye's owners.]

[And who wouldn't want to see that, right?]

[So he's got his SFC set up on the sink edge, broadcasting what he's doing. And what he's doing is taking apart one of Sollux's eyes. While it's still in his face.]

The eyes are a fascinating evolutionary development.

[Especially when all the wires and microchips involved in said eye are cascading down his cheek as he looks at himself in the mirror.]

I did the best I could recreating one, but there are still facets where I could improve.

[Using a tiny screwdriver, he pries a spring out of the eye, and it lets go with a soft sproooooing. The eye sparks a little, and he winces when a spark falls on his cheek.]

Does anyone else know anything about eyes and robots?

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[copesetic]

What in the world are you doing?!

[It's bad enough to watch Dirk poke around his own cybernetic body as he stands by and allows the teen to satisfy his curiosity with supervision, but to see someone brazenly go at their own face with a screwdriver - on a public network no less! - is enough to make his stomach turn.]

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[stayb100ponyboy]

[That's Dirk's voice, but Equius guesses that it isn't Dirk, based on the tone. He casually finishes what he was doing with the inside of the eye--although it's still broken open and hanging on his cheek--before he answers.]

Making improvements.

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[copesetic]

Is that even your body to toy with? What gives you the right?

[Even with the nightmarish visual, Albert doesn't look away from the screen.]

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[stayb100ponyboy]

Of course not.

[Equius selects another tool and starts casually digging around in the socket again.]

I did make the eyes, though.

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[copesetic]

[Albert clenches his (Dirk's) jaw, narrowing his eyes, but after the initial flare of anger that he'd been unprepared to contain (what are these teenage hormones, seriously), he calms enough to think rationally. Dirk had mentioned someone who made cybernetic prosthetics and accusations aside, Albert has no idea if the person who's body it is needed the eyes in the first place. They could have been blind for all he knows.

It still makes him angry that it would be on the network for all to see, though. He growls.]

That sort of thing is better done privately.

[butwhyhairspiders]

[Immediately modifying robotic attachments and asking the network about them? He has a feeling he knows who this is.]

Equius, if this is you as I do suspect, then perhaps I might offer a bit of advice? As much as I can more than understand the need to improve upon your previous work, there are indeed individuals on the network who might not take kindly to your toying with Sollux's eyes like that.

I've had to learn this sort of thing from experience.

[stayb100ponyboy]

[And Equius knows of only one person in Vatheon who talks like that, even if he is in the wrong body.]

I'm not toying, Darkleer. I'm making it better.

[butwhyhairspiders]

[A slight but incredibly fond chuckle.]

Of course. What modifications are you making?

[stayb100ponyboy]

[Good, at least someone understands him.]

Ultraviolet vision. So he can tell his bees where to go to find the best flowers.

[See, it's even a mod Sollux will probably like!]

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[shippingmath]

[Is this better or worse than ARquiussprite? He honestly can't tell. Equius is his buddy, but then things like this happen and he starts wondering.

And he's certain that this isn't Sollux, though that doesn't explain who it is exactly- it might be either Zahhak. Or some other weirdo in the bubble. But that doesn't make it much better.]

Why the fuck is it still in your head.

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[stayb100ponyboy]

Because popping it out would cause damage to the tissues surrounding the eye, and I can work just fine using a mirror.

[See, a rational explanation!]

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[shippingmath]

And Sollux knows you're fucking around with those, doesn't he?

[Please let him keep his faith here. Please have another rational explanation.]

For that matter, why the hell are you showing everyone?

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[stayb100ponyboy]

Uh... he will.

[Whoops.]

He's going to like it when I'm done. And I made a broadcast because I had some questions.

[He really didn't. He just wanted to show off how skilled he is. He can make eyes, Dirk. Functional biomechanical eyes.]

[text forever]

[stubbornskeptic]

Oh my.
You and Dirk must get along famously!
All those machinations and robotics and such.

[And doing horrifying things to heads.]

[voice forever unless something changes]

[stayb100ponyboy]

[Equius keeps to voice because of the fine work he's doing within Sollux's eye sockets.]

Dirk and I are bros. We work on robots together sometimes.

[stubbornskeptic]

I'm glad to hear that.
Dirk didn't have many opportunities for friends, back home.

You're a troll, correct?
I believe I've run into a few of you.

[stayb100ponyboy]

Didn't he? He doesn't really talk about home all that much.

Yes. I'm Equius Zahhak, except I'm in Sollux Captor's body right now. Who are you?

[thekidsare0kay]

[It's a good thing that SFCs are unbreakable, because Sollux has basically hermitted all week, having broken nearly everything else he's touched.]

HEY 2T0P THAT.
what the fuck exactly are y0u d0ing t0 my b0dy with0ut a2king?

[stayb100ponyboy]

[Welcome to being STRONG, Sollux. Equius is deeply unimpressed by how wimpy your body is.]

I'm making improvements. You're going to like it when I'm done, and this way I can get all the work done without you having to hold still for a long time.

[thekidsare0kay]

what kind 0f impr0vement2?
y0u c0uld have t0ld me y0u wanted t0 give me upgrade2.
it'2 ju2t, that'2 really fucking gr022, man.
and what if y0u fuck it up when y0u can 0nly half-2ee what y0u're d0ing?

[stayb100ponyboy]

[He's keeping this voice because his hands are full of Sollux's eyes.]

I'm giving you ultraviolet vision. Like a bee.

And I'm not going to mess up!

[terribubbly]

Geez, Equius, couldn't you wait to ask? He's going to be carping on about this forever because it's so rude.

[stayb100ponyboy]

Why is everyone saying that making an improvement on someone's eyes is rude? He's going to like what I've done for him.

[terribubbly]

It doesn't matter how cool it is. This isn't going to go swimmingly just because you're helping.

[ She rolls her eyes. ]

[stayb100ponyboy]

The other option was trying to convince him to let me do it, and then hearing him complain the whole time I worked on them. It's much better this way.