He heard, rather than saw, the other bot come forward. His head was still bowed, posture still rigid, tense. How was he supposed to have this conversation when he didn't even know how to start talking? His wings folded flat against his back.
"No one ever is, Shadowmaru. Not me. Not you... not even the living robots," he said. He forced his voice to remain steady. To reassure the other. He wanted, after all, for Shadowmaru to be happy. Above all else.
Above... even his own happiness.
The next question caught him off-guard. He jerked a little, in place. The answer screamed inside his AI -- Yes, yes, I wanted it more than anything -- but he bit it back. What he wanted was of so much less importance...
Even though what everyone else had said clamored for his attention, too.
"I ... can't say," he said, finally. It came out choked. Like the words actually hurt him. "I don't know... I didn't think of it."
no subject
"No one ever is, Shadowmaru. Not me. Not you... not even the living robots," he said. He forced his voice to remain steady. To reassure the other. He wanted, after all, for Shadowmaru to be happy. Above all else.
Above... even his own happiness.
The next question caught him off-guard. He jerked a little, in place. The answer screamed inside his AI -- Yes, yes, I wanted it more than anything -- but he bit it back. What he wanted was of so much less importance...
Even though what everyone else had said clamored for his attention, too.
"I ... can't say," he said, finally. It came out choked. Like the words actually hurt him. "I don't know... I didn't think of it."
Liar, his AI screamed now.