#shipcanon

-🖋️ anon (is that taken?)

-🛳️

Also idk if this is too obscure but Ivy/Scuzz/Beta has been rattling around in my head for a bit

Aurora bringing lost knifes or abandoned lighters back to Jonny, always knowing exactly what to give when he's in a mood.

Aurora letting warm air blow over Ashes to keep them cozy in the cold void of space. Her rearranging the layout of her pipes so the ones that heated water flows through all curl around their room.

Aurora running translation or transcription modules alongside Ivy, their brains computing the data together like two machines becoming one.

Aurora and Brian working together in the cockpit, having silent conversations as they fill out the gaps of the other. The intimacy of letting yourself be led and knowing nothing will hurt you.

Aurora leading the Toy Soldier through her halls with little noises for it to copy. She brings it to all kinds of fun, anything to keep it happy.

Aurora generating battle simulators for Tim in the training rooms. She puppets robotic dummies and spars with him for hours, playing together until Tim drapes himself over her comfortably cool floor.

Aurora projecting statistics and keeping track of data for Raphaella's experiments. Her monitors surround Raphaella as she fiddles with imputs and documents her findings. A shield of knowledge and company.

Aurora curling her tendrils and wires around Marius, encasing him fully within her embrace. A nest, a cocoon and a lover all at once.

Jonny kissing her door every time he leaves or comes back, a greeting and reassurance in one. He'll be back, it says, he won't forget her.

Ashes always asking her if she wants anything when planning supply runs. Even if she says no, there's alway a chance that they bring back a new set of curtains or some of that fancy fuel for her anyway.

Ivy keeping a live journal during all their adventures, not just for herself, but for Aurora as well; so she can read along in real time as the situation progresses.

Brian carefully polishing windows and dusting floors, even though she herself is more than capable of cleaning her innards. The care in each pass of a cloth or the soft scratch of a brush tingling deep jnto her components.

The Toy Soldier always setting a seat for her during tea time, one she can drape her wires over or rest her screen on. Just so she'll never feel left out.

Tim brainstroming new functions and upgrading her artillery. He makes sure she's never helpless, either against their shenanigans or attacks from outsiders. And anything she states she likes, he'll give her at least thirty of them.

Raphaella making more screens and ports for her to express herself and communicate with. With the ability to display images, Aurora can express herself through memes, drawings, photographs; anything on a reachable internet system or Ivy's archive.

Marius musing over philosophical and psychological principles applied to her being, his overjoyed reactions when she gives her own opinion on the matter. He treats her word like infinite wisdom, always affirming and accepting her view of her identity.

I love Nasrora, of course I do, but I CRAVE Aurora-inclusive polymechs, so have it!

So when Marius starts settling in, a betting pool starts; which Mechanism will Marius first show interest in. Raphaela and Marius get along well, so a lot of money goes on her. He seems to really like Ivy, so she's high on the list. Brian is the boring but understandable option, so he's a safe bet. The others have little to no money put on them.

They're all wrong! Marius, somehow, chooses the Toy Soldier as the one to show romatic interest to. So, I generally see TS as a part of the polycule. It struggles with its identity and the concept of 'being real', but it has developed itself as a person within the care of its crew. Marius is drawn to the philosophical and the way the Toy Soldier's though process works is fascinating to him. It's genuinely nice to him for the most part, something heavily comforting to the very traumatized and isolated Marius. He just grows closer and closer to it until it develops itself into a very heavy crush.

So he confesses with an entire script. He makes sure TS understands that it isn't obligated or ordered to return his feelings, that Marius doesn't even care if it doesn't love him. All Marius wants is permission to express his love to it. It it isn't comfortable with that, that's comlletely understandable. Marius will just take some distance to work on his feelings and break them down to manageable levels that don't threaten to overflow whenever he sees it. And...

The Toy Soldier knows the others love it. It is included in their relationship, which it is happy about. They show this in all kinds of ways which the Toy Soldier has memorized by now. It doesn't quite understand love as a concept, but it's just spiffing to play along and pretend with. However, nobody has ever declared it this clearly to it before! Marius made it heart-shaped cookies, both symbolical and anatomically correct hearts! They even have teeth in them, Marius' teeth which he ripped out especially for it. He would've waited so he could get flowers, but they'd be in space for another decade at least and that was just too long of a wait. It's a new, spiffing experience, different from how the others do it. So, it says yes!

Everybody is VERY confused when they find Marius cuddling it, purring (they didn't know he purred) happily as he dozed in its arms. He gets it gifts at every planet, sets up different dates across the ship, kisses it wherever it let's him and showers it in compliments and sappy words. We'll, that was unexpected. Especially since he asked Brian out next. Did he really just go from the weirdest to the most boring option?(yes) Is he only attracted to inorganic beings?(no) Should Nastya be worried about competition for Aurora? (yes)

Anyway, I just really like romantic Marius and I want the Toy Soldier to be let into the polycule.