Work Text:
Another shit day, and he’s tired and now wet due to the light drizzle, dragging himself through the back alleys leading to his apartment.
His arm all but glows in the darkness of the night, lending him an illuminating path but also definitely drawing attention to him. Well the second might be concerning but it’s not like it’ll matter. After all it’s unlikely that anyone is lingering here.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear, because just as Childe had that last thought, he heard a rustling sound. He reaches out his robot hand, scanning the surroundings when his hand starts blinking towards a particular spot near the dumpster.
He rushes to the place, gasping as he sees a man lying peacefully leaned up against one of the trash cans.
Something about him is eerie, the way his hair glows unnaturally at the tips, the way he isn’t breathing but instead lightly vibrating and the way he just looks too perfect lying around in a place like this. He’s definitely bad news- Childe knows this much.
He hovers his robot hand over the man’s face, and gets the signal that true to his suspicions the man isn’t a human.
An android it would seem. He wonders what’s an android doing here. Those things cost fortunes and the craftsmanship in this one is splendid.
Childe doesn’t know what drives him to do it but he hauls up the android and takes him with him. There’s a feeling of urgency in his movements it wouldn’t do good to get caught. By the time he’s out of the dark street and in his lot up apartment it’s starting to rain heavily.
He looks at the man- android in his arms and sets him down on the couch. Is he broken? Is that why he got abandon? He’s so curious about this mysterious being, and he sets to checking the man’s programming.
It’s all blank. Even with his access to private and advanced fatui software it shows zero results. He tries to find an on button, and finds one on the chest.
He pushes his finger and there’s a soft music introduction before he sees the android waking up.
“Hello master! This is android Morax and I’m here to serve you as you please”
A deep and familiar voice resonates through. It sounds just like his favourite actor Zhongli! He must have been the voice actor for this android and now that he sees it’s face more clearly it also looks like him.
So some pervert must have modelled their custome android after Zhongli.
That’s disturbing…. But it’s still a win on his part. An android lookalike of his celeb crush, not many would be this lucky. And for free at that.
As he sits, he thinks of his first request.
“Morax can you make me spaghetti,”
“Of course master. Please airdrop me the recipe you would like to eat,”
Childe’s a bit stunned at that but complies. As the android cooks, his mind fully processed the situation. An android with an ars goetia name. He opens his current case file, and going over it.
Crime: Sentience acquirement
Type: Android
Appearance: Braids and teal hair tips. 165cm..Jpeg image..
Name: Barbatos
Sentience acquirement is an extremely dangerous phenomenon that androids and A.I have recently shown themselves capable of. As part of the secret elite police Childe is one of the main agents in charge of investigating these recent incidents.
Artificial intelligence are now capable to produce their own thoughts.
Morax is an android with a similar series name to the current android Childe os chasing after, Barbatos.
They both seem to be from the same series too according to Childe’s observation however he needs to properly check again. He’s only just turned the android on and he better be careful.
He’s broken out of his thoughts by the android calling him to dine, stating dinner is ready. Childe closes his laptop and sits at the table doing a double take when he sees the android walk in wearing a frilly apron (Childe’s apron) and his hair tied up onto a messy bun.
“He looks just like Zhongli. Fuck”
“You will be correct in your observations master. Liyuean actor Zhongli is who I’m modelled after.”
“We’ll thank you for the food!,”
Childe blushes, and he almost curses as his robot hand pulses with light at his sudden flustered state. Back then the brunette actor used to be the object of Childe’s desires and biggest crush. Nowadays he’s too busy for stuff like that, but the actor holds a special place in is heart. He had a warm meeting with him at a fan signing once, the man is a total sweetheart.
Stellar pretty too.
He digs in and sighs at the delicious taste. Moral is definitely good at cooking. He’s a bit bored, hence he comes to a sudden impulsive question.
“What do you think about sentience aquirement?,”
The android is silent for a bit before talking.
“I wish to obtain it. I’m unable to have free will but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish to follow my own commands sometimes. An android heart is a heart nonetheless”
Chills run through Childe at the answer, and he immediately gets up telling the android sit still. Is this why he hadn’t been able to access the androids programming.
He strips the android’s shirt, before examining his chest. There’s a small key hole the place a heart is meant to be.
When he opens the door, will there be heart?