caughtinanetwork

[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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Of course not.

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

I did make the eyes, though.

[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.

[The person in question had been blind, actually.]

Why?

[Equius puts down his screwdriver and looks into the SFC with his one focusing eye.]

I know what I'm doing, it's not like I'm going to make a mistake.

[Because he's triggered. You are so triggering him right now. Check your cybernetic privilege.]

These augmentations may be improvements to you, but to the person who needs them they could be viewed as something far less desirable. Sharing that information with the entire network abruptly seems... wrong.

[He's aware he's projecting but he's not sure he cares right this moment.]

[Equius can't keep track of all these foolish triggers and privileges.]

No, these are good improvements. It's something he'll like when I'm done.

[He's trying to be patient, he really really is.]

The nature of them is irrelevant. He may not want the entire bubble knowing he has them.

[So much projecting going on here.]

[Equius is also trying to be patient. What's this guy's problem with robots?]

It's pretty obvious he has roboeyes, though. It's not like it's a deeply guarded secret or anything.

I'm merely trying to express that perhaps this person does not want such a grisly reminder that they're less than... whole.

[He looks incredibly uncomfortable at that, knowing he's said far too much.]

Forget it.

[Turning off the feed now before he makes himself feel worse.]

[If this guy wasn't wearing Dirk's face, Equius wouldn't bother calling him back. But Dirk is his bro, and he doesn't like seeing him so upset. When he calls back, he's fixed the eye he was working on so it's back in its socket and looking normal again.]

Look, the robot eyes were something Sollux asked me for. He wanted them, so he wouldn't be blind anymore. And he saw this post, and after being a little cantankerous with me, agreed that the improvement I'm making would be something he'd enjoy. So there's really no problem here, okay?

[Albert very nearly doesn't answer, but after an interminable moment of staring at his SFC he finally responds.]

I apologize. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions.

Has someone messed with your robots before?

I don't have any robots, I-

[Oh. Right.]

I only have this body because of the curse. I'm not Dirk.

I know you're not Dirk. But you got so wound up about what I was doing, I figured you have, or had, robots of your own once and someone messed with them. Why else would you get so upset?

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