How to Make Friends and Influence People [Tuesday, February 18, 2014]

[sith_happened]

"So this weekend was the one right after Valentine's Day, which meant that many of you had some unexpected visitors," Anakin began. "Children, in some cases completely impossible children, with expectations about how your life is currently playing out, which might be wildly different than the reality. That can take some delicate negotiations, especially if your co-parent is someone you aren't dating or, worse yet, can't stand. How did your weekend go? Did you get through it without anyone bursting into tears? Do you have the first clue of what I'm talking about?"

Comments

Re: How did your weekend go?

[ultron_junior]

"Well, yeah," Victor said, surprised by the response. "Wait, 'don't say bad things about robots in front of Victor' is, like, a thing people get lectured on?"

That was kind of weird. Not bad, exactly, but the kind of thing that made him self-conscious.

Re: How did your weekend go?

[fly-so-serious.livejournal.com]

"Uhhhh... What? No, I meant 'don't call your kid a freak while he's standing next to you'. I... Look, if your best friend is a robot or something, I'm sorry. I didn't mean -- well, okay, I DID, but -- okay, so does it help if I tell you that where I come from, all AIs are evil?"

Re: How did your weekend go?

[ultron_junior]

"I've heard that one before," Victor admitted, scratching along his jaw. "And nah, man, I just lost track of what you were saying. My dad's an evil AI. I shouldn't be surprised they, y'know, exist in other places."

Re: How did your weekend go?

[fly-so-serious.livejournal.com]

"Your..." Joker stared.

"Ooooookay. Trying to wrap my head around that one. So... Yeah, probably better if you don't remember what I was saying, because a lot of it would probably be insulting. I'm sorry. I didn't realize. And... I'm just really kind of confused." Joker scratched his head. "If... if it's not too personal -- and go ahead and tell me to fuck off, if it is -- how... does that work, exactly?"

Re: How did your weekend go?

[ultron_junior]

"No, no, it's okay," Victor told him. "Probably it's better people know. My mom gave her DNA to an artificial intelligence, it used that DNA and nanotechnology to make an android, here I am."

Which was the incredibly simplified version.

"Probably that's how you got your weekend kid, too."

Re: How did your weekend go?

[fly-so-serious.livejournal.com]

"Wow, that sounds much more plausible than what I was envisioning. Thank you." Joker gave Victor a hesitant sort of look. "I really am sorry if I offended you, by the way. I... don't exactly meet many half-android hybrids. I didn't actually think it was possible."

Re: How did your weekend go?

[ultron_junior]

"Believe me, I'm weird even for my world," Victor shrugged. "We're cool. Though now I'm sad I didn't meet your kid."

Re: How did your weekend go?

[fly-so-serious.livejournal.com]

"Well, he had a smug sense of superiority and a great sense of humor, and he was disturbingly weird in all sorts of ways... so, basically, just imagine me, but shorter, and half-robot."

Joker grimaced. "That was supposed to be a joke, but... I'm sorry! I really am! I'm sorry! But that just really creeps me out."

Re: How did your weekend go?

[ultron_junior]

"Must not creep out your future self," Victor pointed out, managing not to smirk. "Unless a robot, like, stole your hairbrush to get your genes."

He ran a hand through is hair. "You can quit apologizing. Seriously, I've heard way worse."

Re: How did your weekend go?

[fly-so-serious.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but I know how much it sucks to be called a freak," Joker explained. "I've been through that. And yet here, on this island, I just keep putting my foot in my mouth."