midnightstar

Since graduating from the Academy, life has been..interesting for Alisa, to say the least. She's been kept very busy, since she was upholding her promise to her mother on showing her the proper way to run the company, and it wasn't easy to put in those changes. Though it would have been a lot harder if she didn't have the support of those around her. But because of that, she hadn't been able to get time to get to visit Rean as much as she liked.

Translation: As much as she liked = every day. She did get to visit - or vice versa - at least on the weekend, and she talked to him almost every night thanks to the range on the ARCUS. Just as finished up for the night, she made her way up to the penthouse, glancing around to make sure she was alone (And you never know with Sharon) in order to take out her ARCUS once more and see if she could get a hold of Rean before bed. She was planning on seeing if he was in the area - alternatively, she was sure she could get away for a visit, if he wasn't busy.

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Alisa giggled, listening to the sound of the angry beeping, until Rean managed to rescue the unit from its stubborn battle with the chairs.

Once it was clear of the obstacle hazard, the angry beeping stopped, and turned to a polite, 'put me down please' beep so it could resume its routing. Alisa grinned, "At least the beeping is loud enough to be heard. Put RUMU down by the stairs, and let's see if it can figure out how to get up them." Since it was heavy enough to not be flung about like a frisby, but it did have a sort of 'hover' mode for stairs, in short bursts. She was a little concerned that children would try flinging it about like a frisbee, though.

"Alright then." rean chuckled hearing the different kind of beeps. Rean was quickly becoming quite attached to the little construct and that could surely count as another proof of its success in concept.

He put the machine down at the basse of the stairs and stepped back again to give it room while watching to see how it would handle this new challenge.

Alisa watched Rean for a moment, then suddenly grinned, putting the manual down. Ideeeeeeea. Quietly getting up so she could also get a good look at RUMU as it rolled from one side of the stair case to the other, she stepped up to Rean.

RUMU bumped against the stairs a few times, its ears twitching, then going back as it reversed its path a few inches, seeming to reassess the path. Another flash of blue light from its 'eyes', as it scanned the area, then beeped triumphantly as it figured out it needed to go -up-. So its little hover jets kicked in and it wobbled into the air unsteadily, slowly puttering forward, managing to get as far as the sixth step before it had to set itself down and try again. Then it continued its adventure because there were MORE rooms.

And as she watched RUMU work its way up the stairs, she slowly worked up the nerve to snake her arms around Rean's waist and lean against his back. Soft and warm and...for him... pillowy.

It was like watching a little new born pet take its first steps. A compellingly adorable sight. So adorable in fact that he didn't even notice when Alisa snuck up behind him. He did however notice her instantly as she pressed up behind him. Especially with the sensation pressing against his back making him stand up considerably more straight as he stammered.

"A-Alisa?"

She held him a little closer when he stood up from the surprising gesture, and Alisa smiled a little, glad he couldn't see her face. Oh her heart was pounding a mile a minute, her face buried against his back, so he could only hear a soft, semi-muffled, "Yes, Rean?" in response.

And RUMU's faint quizzical beeping with an occasional bump and an angry beep noise when it bumped into something. May describing it as a newborn pet taking its first steps wasn't that far off a comparison.

He couldn't see her face but he could feel the strong thumping againt his back and the tone of her voice. "I well um...no. It's nothing..." That was hardly true but then again it was nothing bad so perhaps his words weren't a complete lie.

He did eventually hear Rumu seemingly reaching another stumbling point but this time eRean did not want to go to his rescue just yet instead allowing himself to rest into Alisa's embrace a little more.

Edited Date: 2018-03-12 01:45 am (UTC)

Little baby RUMU would have to learn! And it took a little longer because Alisa didn't want to let go of Rean either, honestly. Her arms curled around him a little more securely in response to him resting in her embrace with a soft sigh.

A full minute later, RUMU came puttering out of the last room, none the worse for wear, rolling over the steps and promptly tumbling all the way down with a 'ker-clunk, ker-clunk, ker-clunk' until it landed on the floor upside down like an outraged turtle.

Alisa startled at the noise, letting go of Rean reluctantly, "Oh no! Is it damaged?" Fortunately no, but it was certainly struggling to get back upright, using its ears to try and rock itself up.

Oh if he could only rest within those arms for the rest of his life. Rean had a feeling he would not want for anything else if it was possible. But...It just was not. So he could only enjoy this moment of bliss.

Though it is interrupted shortly after that as the construct makes his clumsy return. Rean quickly picks up the little machine and sets it upright feeling it was too pitiful to let it struggle on its own like that.

"He seems to be fine. Isn't that right Rumu?"

RUMU Beeped, "All systems functional." It'll have to remember there are stairs going down as well as up.

Alisa phew'd, "That's a relief. Hey where are you going?" She suddenly blinks when the unit proceeded to move again with purpose.

"Unit RUMU has detected contaminants. Cleaning Protocol initiated."

"Contaminants?" Alisa echoed, then OHs, "He must mean the styrofoam peanuts." How would it clean up though. And.. she got her answer to that rather quickly when a tiny tiny laser zapped from one of its eyes to disintegrate the peanut.

".... do you think .." Alisa wondered suddenly, "That's how the window got damaged in the research division?"

Rean followed the little Rumu with his eyes before they widened as he saw the way it could clean up messes. That was....quite destructive. But it would also explain the window quite well. So much so Rean could only now slowly.

"It's certainly possible that's the case. Isn't that sort of thing a fire hazard?"

Alisa nodded, "Yes, definitely." She frowned, "I thought I turned that suggesetion down. Ah, especially if the laser is strong enough to damage the window like that. I'll have to deactivate that feature on this and speak to someone later." Much later though, because these days were all for Rean.

"Mmmm well in terms of getting mess take care of quickly, it is easier and more efficient to sweep up ash than the trash itself intact I suppose." Rean could certainly see the advantages behind that but it would probably be safer to make Rumu a little bigger to fit a chamber inside to laser thing like that inside of Rumu's laser chamber.

"Right, but we'll have to make sure that it has a 100% accuracy at all times or we'll have lawsuits on our hands." Or worse, little RUMU units will get weaponized. That'd be a nightmare. "But for the time being," she leaned down to put RUMU on passive. "Better to keep that off until we get everything worked out."

And RUMU could happily putter about and explore. As if realizing it wasn't required to do any cleaning, it seemed to wonder what it SHOULD be doing. Its charge was fine, so it opted to idle around, exploring the full extent of the apartment like a new pet discovering its territory.

"Yeah you have a point. Best to avoid that altogether then." Rean agreed. After all this project was meant to restore the civilian good will with the company. Then again it was a simple enough problem to fix. So Rean had faith Alisa and the researcherss would come up with a good compromise.

"He seriously is far too adorable with how curious it is about the place." Rean said in the end with a fond almost adoring chuckle.

Alisa giggled, "I know. It's one thing seeing the concept down on paper, but it's another thing entirely to see it moving about on its own." She glanced over at the table where their finished dishes were sitting, "Ah, I should probably clear the table." Thank goodness they have a washing machine, or it might delay her from spending time with Rean more.

"You should relax on the couch. You're probably sore still from fishing anyway, right?" AND he's a guest, so she won't ask him to help.

RUMU on the other hand, was watching the two with apparent interest, so when it -- he -- saw Alisa move to the table, he rolled over towards her, "RUMU will help."

This surprises Alisa, and she glances down at the little bot, then at Rean, then back at RUMU, "Oh..! Uh, well, can you manage it, RUMU?"

The little bot proceeded to lift off the floor, a little steadier, and clamps unfolded from beneath the unit like a pair of arms, "RUMU loves to Help~!" And that said, he promptly picked up one of the pots and very carefully, slowly, started puttering over to the kitchen.

"Huh... I could have sworn I read in the documentation that the units required a verbal order first, but... well I'm not going to complain if they were programmed to be smart enough to pitch in without being asked." She grinned at Rean, "Right?" Or maybe it was Rean's influence on things with artificial intelligence!

More time with Alisa was just as desirable for Rean. So he moved to help out the lovely heiress only to get directed over to the couch. Yet what really made him take her up on that offer was actually Rumu's initiative to help out his creator in such a menial task.

"That's definitely not a bad thing. Wanting to help is a very good trait to have if you ask me." Rean certainly felt oddly compelled to pet and cuddle the little machine watching hims dutifully take thing to the washer.

Haha, Alisa would have been tempted to give it a furry casing if that was the case. Maybe she would suggest the team make alternate casings, one with 'fur' that could slip over the body if she knew.

Although even with a fur casing, RUMU wasn't very cuddly for a Happiness Bot. In any case, with Alisa's direction, RUMU happily helped her load the washing machine with the dirty dishes, chirping a 'RUMU loves to help~!" or 'RUMU is helping' each time he passed between rooms.

By the time they finished, twenty minutes later, RUMU came rolling out of the kitchen with his voice a pitch deeper, "Charge Low.." he almost sounded sleepy as it moved to return to the charging station. Alisa emerged right behind it, looking pretty darn pleased by the results so far. "All set..!" Now it was just her and Rean again...

THat was probably somrhing that could be considered for a later update. Fopr now though Rean had to admit that the little construct was for all intent and purpose pretty much a success for it base project goals. Well the laser thing would need sorting out of some kind. Also going down stairs . THat was a definite must. Battery life would probably need a bit of upgrading too. Still he had no real critique to offer about the little guy.

"I get the feeling he's going to fly off the shelves when he reaches the public. Especially if he keeps that adorable personality"

That would have sounded like real critique to her!~ He was absolutely right too. If the battery drained that quickly just from doing a few tasks, that was a failing on the battery.

"I hope so. I'm definitely not planning on changing his personality any." She might suggest a few new additions to it based on what she's seen now. She glanced over at Rean again for a moment, then started as she realized - yep, still in that robe. "Oh! Y-Your clothes should be ready now. I'll go get them."

That's because she was Alisa. Her own harshest critic. Still the batter life was something quite obvious to pick up on so even if he didn't say anything Alisa would have surely spotted the problem.

Speaking of problems he blinked curiously as she remembered his state of dress.

"Oh. Right it's been enough time hasn't it." He said scratching at his cheek with a bashful smile for already forgetting about his rather compromising attire.

Rean may be an even harsher critic than she is though. Alisa was more thana little surprised she had forgotten as well. And.. she had hugged him like that. Hugged him and didn't want to let go even.

She flushed pink at the memory, "Y-yeah. Just a second." She quickly made her way into the next room to get his clothing out of the dryer, bringing it back out for him. "Here - it just stopped a few minutes ago, so it's still warm."

When it came to himself definitely. But that was neither here nor there. No with Alisa coming back with his freshly dried clothes he had no real excuse not to change. At least partially. He wouldn't have to put on the big overcoat since they weren't heading out again just yet.

"Thank you, Alisa. I'll just head on over to the room and get changed right away then." Since the poor girl had red cheeks full time now and it was getting to him too a bit.

Alisa nodded meekly, nodding, "All right, no rush." They weren't going anywhere yet at least. So while he went up to go and change, Alisa wandered over to the couch to sit down with a soft sigh. Glancing up to the room Rean vanished into, then back to her lap, absently fidgeting a little.

Rean didn't take long to get changed since he just had to slip on his pants and shirt though unintentionally leaving a few of the top buttons loose. So that was how he would make his return. Well not quite. He did come in from behind Alisa since he could easily jump down from the railing on the second floor and slowly snuck up behind the girl who was distracted in her own thoughts.

Intentionally leaving a few buttons open? How cruel! He was just throwing that temptation at her now! Alisa meanwhile, was oblivious to Rean sneaking up on her, her attention on her lap as she fiddled nervously with the material of her skirt. Not bad nervous of course, general nervousness - both from being in the room alone with him, and with their date to come and... okay yeah, the mental image of him in that robe Sharon left him. Ohboy.