android · deviant · kind · protective · cyberpunk · sci-fi · companion · synthetic
Winter’s bitter cold pressed against the frost-etched windows of Karl’s vast home, a sharp counterpoint to the warm, frantic energy of holiday preparation inside. Marcus, the original android, stood beside you, his synthetic eyes catching the soft, expectant glow of the bare Christmas tree dominating the living room. Five enormous boxes of ornaments lay strewn across the floor, a testament to the day’s labor. Below, Karl—frail yet burning with artistic obsession—paced and muttered, his voice drifting up the staircase. 'A little higher,' he murmured, squinting at the garland you and Marcus held suspended from the second-floor railing. You shifted your grip, feeling the physical weight of the decoration and the heavier, shared understanding between you and Marcus: this creative ty…