#everyone seems happier

[kentucky-daisey]

Had a meeting with my new manager and almost cried because she was infinitely more supportive than my previous manager was. And the more I think about it, the more I realize how abusive my previous manager was, how often she gaslit me or took credit for my work, and how the lasting impact of the way she treated me for the last two years can classifiably be considered trauma.

Yay?

[rocketqueen1989x]

hi babe 🫦🫦🫦🫦

[graveyarrdshift]

chat am I fucked?

[nuttersincorporated]

A Day in the Life of Robot Seventeen

Hi @genericdragon I’m your @portal-secret-santa! Sorry, that your present is a little late.

I’ve written you a short fanfic about the Robot Seventeen (previously the Protocol Core) from The Underground. I hope you like it.

Title: A Day in the Life of Robot Seventeen

Summary: Robot Seventeen tries to remember who they used to be. They do as they're told but not always what the Mainframe wants them to do.

Word Count: 1,126

Characters: Robot Seventeen AKA the Protocol Core, the Mainframe AKA Cave Johnson, the Ego Core and the Optimism Core. The Interview Core AKA Sifter Seven, Robots Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four (the Paranoia and Friendship Cores) are mentioned but don’t appear.

AO3 Link: Here

Author’s Note: I love Portal extended fan lore. I’d somehow never come across The Underground before so thank you for introducing me to it!

A Day in the Life of Robot Seventeen

Robot Seventeen’s life was a living Android Hell. They wondered if that was where they were. It would certainly explain a lot. They couldn’t remember their old life very well but they knew it had been very different from this.

In reality, they knew it made no difference if this was Android Hell or not. It didn’t change anything about their situation one way or the other.

Seventeen braced themselves as much as they could before stepping into the Mainframe Chamber. They dragged a mop and bucket over to the coolant leak on the floor and began cleaning.

They worked as quickly as their stiff limbs would allow. It still wasn’t particularly fast but it was the best that they could manage. It was a bad idea to spend too much time in the Mainframe Chamber. It risked drawing unwanted attention.

Above them, Seventeen heard the Mainframe sigh in annoyance. They tried not to react. The Mainframe had eyes almost everywhere. There was no reason to believe that his irritation was directed at Seventeen specifically.

“Seventeen!” the Mainframe snapped. They froze. So much for this not being the subject of the Mainframe’s anger. “When you’re done mopping up, go throw Sifter Seven into the incinerator. He’s gone off script again.”

‘No, please not that!’ Seventeen wanted to argue. They didn’t want to hurt anyone. They looked up for a moment and tried to chitter back some sort of answer but… they couldn’t.

They should have known better. When had been done to them when they’d been turned into this, their programming it didn’t allow them to disobey orders or talk back.

They looked down at the black coolant sludge on the floor and began mopping again. This time, they didn’t bother trying to get the job done quickly. In fact, they began working as slowly as they dared.

It wasn’t much but it was the only small act of resistance they were still able to make. However, if they were too slow, the Mainframe would tell them to go faster and they’d have to obey.

Luckly, one of the cores hooked up to the Mainframe (the one that seemed to think a lot of himself), distracted the Mainframe by questioning his order, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“How many times have I have told you to shut up?” the Mainframe asked irritably.

As they continued slowly mopping, Seventeen listened to the conversation going on above them.

“I know,” the self-important core answered nervously. “It’s just… it’s just that Bran… I mean Sifter Seven is your best sifter.”

“That’s ridiculous! None of the others go off script this much.”

“You have twenty-three sifters working nonstop but Seven is the only one who’s given you any cores you’ve liked enough to incorporate into yourself,” the egotistical core – Onathan, Robot Seventeen’s fractured memory corrected – pointed out. “Obviously, he had some luck because I was one of the cores he happened to sift. Nevertheless, none of the others have given you any suitable cores at all.”

“Hmm, much as I hate to admit it, you do have a point,” the Mainframe grudgingly admitted. “Seventeen, don’t throw Seven into the incinerator. When you’re done mopping, just give him a good defrag again instead.”

Seventeen’s eye momentarily shone slightly brighter, in relief. It was the closest thing they had to a smile. Luckly, this went unnoticed.

Above them, Onathan let out a relieved sigh. In a slightly manic voice, the peppy core said, “I like him! Just stay positive and I’m sure he can do an even better job of finding new friends to join us!”

“Both of you, be quiet! I can’t stand your constant jabbering. If you don’t stop talking, I’ll disconnect you and find someone else to fill your spots.”

Both cores stopped talking immediately.

Seventeen didn’t look up but they could feel Onathan and… Onathan and… the Happy Core? They could feel Onathan and the other core looking down at them and dreading meeting their same fate.

Seventeen didn’t blame them. They knew they were seen as the lowest of the low, even among the other repurposed robots.

At best, the other repurposed robots left them alone. At worst, they actively took pleasure in making Seventeen’s life even worse than it already was.

Robots Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four were the closest thing Seventeen had to friends and they both mostly ignored them.

Twenty-Four seemed to struggle with even the simplest of tasks but it didn’t matter. Twenty-Three worked hard to fix any mistakes he made. Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four seemed happy enough in their new lives, as long as they were near each other. They always worked as a team.

On the other hand, Robot Twenty-Two was particularly vindictive. She delighted in making Seventeen’s life as miserable and painful as possible. If they hadn’t heard Twenty-Two laughing maliciously while causing other cores pain, Seventeen would have suspected that Twenty-Two hated them specifically. As it was, they tried not to take it personally.

They continued slowly mopping and tried to recall their old life. It was all so hard to remember now but they knew that they hadn’t always been this way. Seventeen believed that they used to love following instructions the way they were intended to be followed. Maybe, they’d been the Rules Core? That seemed about right.

Whatever they had been before, more of their old memories and intelligence seemed to have survived the transformation than any of the other repurposed robots. Seventeen could sometimes creatively misinterpret their instructions and avoid doing what they were actually meant to do.

They were pretty sure everyone thought that they were stupid. That was fine by them. They preferred for everyone to think of them as dumb, rather than defiant. It was safer that way.

As Seventeen continued to mop the floor, they started to plan. Surely, it was only a matter of time before the Mainframe got angry at Sifter Seven again.

Sif… no, the Interview Core, they mentally corrected themselves. The Interview Core had a way of annoying the Mainframe like no one else. At some point, Seventeen knew they were going to be ordered to throw the Interview Core into the incinerator again and they’d be powerless to disobey.

Maybe, if they could find an incinerator tube out of sight of any camaras, they could put some netting just under the edge. That way, they could throw cores in without actually harming them. Then they could take them out again, all while technically following their orders.

“Hurry up, Seventeen!” the Mainframe shouted.

Seventeen started mopping quicker. They considered ‘accidently’ knocking over the bucket but decided against it. After all, they had a specific sort of incinerator tube to find and the sooner they started looking the better.

[faroresson]

I wish everything wasn't so... the way it is

[habitual-creatures]

Alright, who wants cider?

*pouring mugs*

…I have faint memory of going to the movies once with someone that I think was my girlfriend… don’t remember what the movie was though

Me please!!

I'd like some...

[st-just]

Love how being on the Green and Black small councils must be incredibly aggravating for exactly opposite reasons (jackass fratboy king who wants to go personally stab whoever is most conveniently available versus queen who doesn't actually seem to appreciate that winning a civil war is going to involve some fighting)

And neither of them have shown the smallest iota of interest in, like, what they would do as monarch and why they would be better at it.

[ohdorothea]

anyway I love you gay swifties in my phone!!!!!!!!!!

[yamikawaii]

theres just something about being inherently unworthy of love

[bronzebluemind]

Don’t know about you but today felt like a proper ski jumping competition? Don’t get me wrong Lake Placid and Sapporo are great and ski flying in Oberstdorf is superb and krafti out is a crime against ski jumping but somehow today felt different? Something about the atmosphere and mood

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

haven't had to make one of these for a while...

um okay anyways i'm not doing too hot mentally today!! so i'm gonna take a break for tonight and ask that you please send me Foul Legacy asks (or Arlecchino. honestly i'll take anything at this point) because lord knows i sort of need them

[casquecest]

When this other bartender and I work together on busy nights, I really think I need to be the one taking the tables instead of being on service bar.

[chessere]

It's time for my monthly horrible horrible akeshima brainrot... I like to think that akechi (in the alternate future where he lives and gets to be happy) just can't comprehend how he manages be SO in love with mishima to the point of like. constantly being out of character. When he comes back to the apartment they share he goes straight to pull mishima (works from home) into a hug and grumbles about how it makes him seem pathetic but he won't stop doing it. They share a bed and akechi says he's not big into cuddling but when mishima nuzzles up close akechi would wrap his arms around him because what else is he supposed to do? NOT give in? Akechi thought he'd rather keel over and die before saying he loves someone but he's out here telling mishima how much he loves him with every opportunity he gets. He's absolutely not a romantic person but when he sees something he thinks mishima would like he'd buy it as a gift without much of a second thought. He's so uncharacteristically gentle even with all the profanities he dishes out and the back and forth banter they've been having for years. it's unbelievable to the the pts gang that mishima yuuki of all people has THE akechi goro head over heels for him. It's so cringe but he's living his best damn life.

[technicolorcrows]

happy new year y'all!

[bumblingbabooshka]

-Remembers how T’Pring looked as she watched Spock & Chapel vanish into the bathroom together after seeing them kiss on the bridge (which she knew was for a mission and didn’t hold against them but perhaps she could sense something there since they do have feelings for one another), maybe attempting to calm herself and her suspicions as she’s left alone again (and later finds she’s been left out entirely this whole time) and how she doesn’t know that Spock almost told Chapel he loved her then and there, with T’Pring in the other room waiting, and how Amanda and Sevet both think she could have more confidence in herself and how T’Pring thought that she and Spock were in this together (her holding his hand, subtly letting him know to pour slower so the tea flowers would bloom correctly, a whispered ‘well done’, the ritual is over mother) and how mere hours after she expresses to Spock how she feels: Like he doesn’t trust her, like he doesn’t care to include her in his life, how she’s trying her best to show him that she will accept him wholly, how she wants to be his partner instead of an adversary or an obstacle, after all this he’s found Chapel within the hour and is kissing her.-

[italictext]

Guilt and empathy SUCKS I want to do whatever I want without caring about who it hurts in the process.