Chapter Text
“The weather today is going to be cooler than usual. Don't let the bright sun outside fool you, temperatures are starting to drop as the days grow shorter. A sweater is a great choice for today, but make sure to grab a coat for next week!"
Ratio quietly listened to the weather report, mentally planning out his day. Perhaps he ought to consider getting a new pair of gloves for when the world starts to freeze. Every pair of gloves seems to go missing one way or another. Perhaps that's what he could do this afternoon. While he made a mental schedule of the day, he popped some bread into the toaster, grabbing some butter while it toasted.
“And on other news..”
Any other day, Ratio would probably have turned off the TV by this point, but he was preoccupied with getting breakfast for his day ahead. He might as well listen to whatever news was currently out in the world.
“Androids are now available for purchase for the public. After months of development, the androids previously being designed for military use have now had models released for general use. Whether you are seeking a personal assistant or simply a companion, an android can assist with that. They may not be equipped with the same defense mechanisms, but there are numerous other uses for these new models that you can check out on both the Starfell Electronics and Interastral Co. webpage.”
Of course, Ratio thought to himself. He’s been fully aware of their desire to make androids more common in people’s day to day life. They already had a handful helping out in the Intelligentsia Guild’s lab. “It was only a matter of time,” he muttered to himself.
“Many people are unsure of this idea, however. There is a significant concern that this will cause many people to lose their jobs. Why pay a human to do your cleaning when you can purchase an android to do it all eternally?”
Automation was always a concern with everything a person does, Ratio supposed. Ding! He sighed to himself as he pulled the toast out of the toaster. At the very least, it wasn’t much of a concern just yet. That technology was extremely expensive. The maintenance costs alone were getting expensive for the Intelligentsia Guild, even with help of Interastral Co.’s funding.
“But that’s not the only thing people are worried about. If you look anywhere online, there are dozens of people afraid of the safety of these androids. Their initial models are in fact created for military purposes. Even after numerous tests showing their safety, people still express fear. Only time will tell how our society will progress with our new android companions.”
Ratio took a bite of his toast while he considered the whole situation. The public's concerns about something new and powerful were certainly valid. The ones used in the lab were more akin to lab assistants, despite being models made with the military grade materials. Certainly the ones for public use were made with more generic materials.
Knock knock knock!!
Ratio let out a frustrated sigh, reaching over and turning off the TV. There’s only one person who would choose to bother him so early in the morning. He begrudgingly made his way over to the door and opened it, plate of toast still in hand.
“Aventurine.”
Those vibrant, multicolored eyes seemed to sparkle bright when he looked up at Ratio over his rosy sunglasses. It was childish and almost endearing. Almost. “Hey Doc!” He grinned up at him, which soon turned into a small pout. “Aw, you’re having breakfast? I was going to ask you to come get coffee with me.”
Ratio looked down at the half eaten piece of toast on the plate. He let out a sigh, shaking his head. How could he refuse that stupid little pout? “It’s just toast. I haven’t made my morning coffee yet.”
“Does that mean-?” Aventurine’s face seemed to light up once more.
With a roll of his eyes, he nodded. “Yes, I’ll get coffee with you.” He stepped aside, allowing the blonde to come inside. “Let me just get ready.”
Aventurine practically skipped inside, looking around his living room area with clear fascination and curiosity in his eyes.
“Don’t touch anything,” he said firmly before finishing his toast and putting the plate in the sink. How bothersome… Why did he agree to this again? Unfortunately, something about spending time with him made his heart flutter in an annoying and infuriating and rather bothersome way.
In the bathroom. he combed out any tangles from his hair before tying it up into a neat little ponytail and clipping his signature golden laurel into his hair. He adjusted his shirt, making sure he looked nice and- dammit, why did he care? It’s not like he cared what anyone thought of him and Aventurine no less. It wasn’t a date. Just coffee. With his coworker. His acquaintance. They weren’t even friends.
Letting out a groan of frustration, he finally left the bathroom, returning to Aventurine. The man in question had evidently made himself at home on his couch, looking at the book that he last recalled being on the coffee table.
Aventurine perked up when Ratio stepped over to him with his arms crossed. “A book on ducks..?”
“I thought I told you not to touch anything,” he grumbled, staring down at him with an unimpressed look.
Aventurine simply stuck out his tongue in response, returning to looking down at the book, skimming the first few pages of it. “You can’t blame me for being curious.”
“Are we going to get coffee or are you just going to sit there and be nosy?”
That seemed to get his attention, and he quickly dropped the book back onto the table where where he found it and stood up. “We’re going, we’re going!”
They quietly walked side by side towards their usual coffee shop. It wasn’t the closest, but their coffee was Ratio’s favorite, and neither of them seemed to mind the longer walk.
Tapping on his watch, he pulled up his hologram screen, looking over his to-do list for today, as well as adding a few things. "Get new gloves." He blatantly disregarded Aventurine’s comments that he’s going to trip looking at his screen like that, hardly paying them any mind.
It was a light day in his schedule… However, he should still make time to review his lesson plans for that afternoon lecture he has to teach.
The city, despite it still being early in the morning, was bustling around them. He continually looked up from his screen to ensure he didn’t lose sight of Aventurine nor bump into anyone. There were many voices around them, and while usually Ratio would block it out, a conversation nearby piqued his interest.
“Did you hear about them releasing those androids?”
“Even after that one went rogue?”
That definitely caught Ratio’s attention. This wasn’t something he’d heard about. He kept his gaze on his screen to cover the fact he was eavesdropping on strangers’ conversations. He really should be better than this, but he couldn’t help his own curiosity.
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you hear? I think they tried to cover it up, but during testing, one of the androids went rogue and escaped. I don’t think they’ve managed to find it.”
“That sounds like some sort of conspiracy theory. There’s no way that one had managed to escape. They don’t have free will like that.”
“..I guess it could all just be a rumor. I think there was some article on it though.”
How intriguing, Ratio thought. He’d have to look into this later. Unfortunately, he was quickly pulled out of his thoughts by a harsh yank on the back of his jacket, causing him to stumble back.
“Idiot! I told you to stop staring at your screen while we walk!” Aventurine scolded, and when Ratio looked up, they were at an intersection where cars were rushing by. It took a moment for him to process the fact he was just about to waltz himself straight into oncoming traffic. “Are you okay?” Aventurine moved to stand in front of him. “You seemed to have spaced out a bit.”
Ratio closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a slow breath. He should’ve been paying more attention. “I’m alright.” He can focus on that escaped android situation later. He needs to do his own research instead of simply listening to rumors on the street.
Aventurine stared up at him with a raised eyebrow but said nothing more about it. As the light changed for them to walk, Aventurine took hold of Ratio’s hand.
He could feel his face heat up. His skin was so soft. “What are you do-” He started to speak before Aventurine quickly interrupted.
“Clearly someone has to keep you from walking straight into traffic,” he mumbled, but Ratio could swear he saw his face blush a bit as well.
Neither of them broke contact until they reached the coffee shop where Aventurine held the door open for Ratio. “What would you like, Doc? My treat,” he said with a grin.
“Just the usual, thank you.”
Aventurine nodded, giving him a goofy salute and childish grin. “On it.”
Ratio rolled his eyes at his childishness, but the action did cause a smile to form on his face. “I’ll find us a table.” Luckily, the coffee shop wasn’t overly busy just yet, so most of the seats were open for them. He ended up choosing a spot close to the window where the sun hit and warmed up the area. He stared out the window, watching people walk past while he waited for Aventurine.
Aventurine soon sat down across from him, setting his coffee in front of him. Ratio smiled, taking a sip of it. “You even remembered the extra cinnamon. Ten points.”
“Of course I did. I could never forget your order, dear professor,” Aventurine said with pride. “You ask for it every time we come in.”
Ratio shrugged, taking another sip. “It’s good every time.”
Aventurine merely laughed in response, taking a sip of his own drink. The two sat in comfortable silence for a while, staring out the window until Aventurine piped up once more. “So you're a fan of ducks?”
“...Is this important?” He raised an eyebrow, skeptical when it came to Aventurine's schemes.
“Which one is your favorite?”
“I like the mallard. They tend to favor freshwater, but you can see them in a wide variety of places. For example, there’s often a decent amount at that park nearby.” He stopped when he noticed Aventurine’s smirk. One moment he was reluctant to answer and the next he was mentally preparing a whole essay.
Aventurine pulled out his phone, seemingly looking something up before showing it to Ratio. Ducklings. His one weakness.
“They are very cute.” Cute was definitely an understatement. He looked away, trying to suppress the dumb smile creeping onto his face.
“Aren’t they?” Aventurine grinned. “We should feed the ducks together. That's something people do, right?”
Ratio stifled a small laugh. “Sure. We can get some lettuce or corn for them.”
Aventurine paused for a moment, seemingly thinking about something. “Right, bread is bad for them.”
Ratio nodded in confirmation, almost impressed that Aventurine knew this. “That’s correct. We’ll have to wait until spring though. They won't be back until the end of winter.”
“I can wait,” Aventurine said with a hint of disappointment. “So what do you have going on the rest of the day?”
Ratio leaned back in his chair. “I have a lecture today in the afternoon, but I have to check on my samples back at the lab as well as grabbing a pair of gloves for next week. Overall, an easy day. How about you?”
“They just have me doing paperwork again,” he groaned. “They’re getting onto me because I still need to submit the financial report from that last project they put the two of us on.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You still haven’t finished it?”
“I’ve been busy with all the other paperwork,” Aventurine whined. “Oh! I’ve been meaning to ask.. What do you think about those new androids they’re coming out with?” he asked with a tilt of his head.
Ratio shrugged. “I don’t really have much opinion on them. We have some at the lab. I think they’ve been using them to handle more harmful chemical compounds. I don’t really see any reason for concern about them. I’m not entirely against them. Any particular reason you ask?”
Aventurine seemed to relax a bit, a tension releasing that Ratio didn’t quite pick up on before. “Interesting. I was just curious.”
“How do you feel about them?”
That slight tension was back again, this time Ratio picking up on it, but Aventurine didn’t acknowledge or even seem phased by it. “I don’t know. It’s unnerving, I guess. I mean.. What if you ended up talking to an android without even realizing it, forming a bond just to realize it was all fake?”
Ratio hesitated. That was.. An oddly specific concern. “I do believe they’ve made them pretty easy to distinguish from humans. I feel as though the lack of emotional intelligence would give away the lack of humanity.”
Aventurine laughed. “Of course. It’s a silly question.” He shook his head, giving Ratio a smile. “How about we get lunch together later? I should be able to make some time.”