#parisprxtector

An eyebrow arched as he noticed the increasing intensity of rose hue overtaking her face.  Was she just as unused to people offering compliments that weren’t solely about aesthetics?  Perhaps they were more similar than he already believed.  He shrugged and patted her shoulder as his continued to smile, “Oh, I’m sorry.  Completely obliterated me.”  He corrected with a soft chuckle on his voice, before he added, “Though, I do admit my playing has improved ever since I put that charm you gave me on my key ring.”  To him, it had been a simple gesture from a talented girl that took pity on his subpar gaming skills, but he wasn’t about to turn down any gift from a friend. 

Response to this.

Chat Noir glanced at his partner uncertainly. He was of mixed feelings about the kiss that had been concealed from him, but it had been impossible to hide the fact that he was perturbed.

“My Lady...” He began, without getting very far.

He shut his eyes and collected himself to avoid another false start. It would be easy for this to mess everything up. It didn’t take much for two people to end up so awkwardly estranged that they just couldn’t deal with each other. The boy beneath the mask didn’t want that.

Closed starter for @parisprxtector​

Paris didn’t have many androids. The laws governing their usage were much more comprehensive than they were elsewhere, and as a consequence of that they were less desirable for any number of purposes. Licensing was expensive, purchase was expensive, and there was a minimum expectation of upkeep that didn’t exist overseas. Use of androids for low-wage jobs and simple labor was highly restrictive in particular.

But one purpose for which they were bought was as companions.

Only the very wealthy could afford an android companion.

Adrien Agreste hadn’t asked for an android, but he had been getting underfoot lately. Keeping Nathalie tied up minding his affairs was too onerous; she was needed for smooth business operations. So his father had ordered him a machine to mind him, to keep him from being lonely, and hopefully to make him have less of a desire to roam free.

The world was dangerous, after all. If everything he could ever want and need were within this walls, he might forget about his wanderlust.

He stared at the tall container in which the android had been shipped. They came in many styles (the most common of which was a simple multiple-bot three pack), but Adrien found this one disconcerting. It was only just taller than the android within, and it had a clear plastic front that could swing aside on a hinge to display the machine within.

It was like an action figure, or a doll. And it was a she. He wouldn’t have described it as a machine, if he met it on the street. You wouldn’t have known, if not for the uniform; if not for the LED on the side of her head. And the clothes she came in. Sterile, marked, cold. The hair style, simple and “safe”.

It felt wrong. It felt so profoundly wrong he didn’t even know how to describe it to himself, much less anybody else.

Fighting a feeling of deep unease, Adrien swung the display port open on its hinge and knelt to press the button at its base to initiate the activation sequence. He stood up as lights began to blink along the stand, slowly winding their way around towards the back of the base.

“Er...” He leaned to one side to look at the LED, “Can you hear me yet? I’m not sure how long this is supposed to take...”

Adrien rubbed at the back of his head uncomfortably, “Not that I’d know what to do if you could... I don’t really have anything for you to do. I guess... just hang out? Keep an eye on me?” He wondered if Father had her configured to spy on him for her. It was distressingly plausible, and more than a little sad.