Work Text:
Iris sat on Y/n's couch in her small New York apartment. The walls were bare, save for a few chipped spots of paint where things were previously hung on the wall.
"This is it," Y/n said, forcing a smile. "Home sweet home."
Iris didn't respond. She couldn't respond. Her eyes were blank, white, and glossy, her body was perfectly still, posed delicately with her hands in her lap.
Y/n stepped closer, setting her keys on the glass table before lowering herself onto the coffee table across from Iris.
"I don't know if this is a stupid decision," Y/n said, "But I couldn't leave you in a box in that warehouse. Or let you go to some guy who would..." Y/n stopped herself, swallowing hard.
Y/n just reached into the canvas bag that came in the box. Nestled inside, beneath the instructions was a sleek black remote with a name engraved onto the back of it: IRIS // MODEL A-7x
Her thumb hovered over the power switch.
"I won't use you." Y/n then pressed the power button.
A faint chime, barely audible. Iris didn't move an inch which was concerning... her blank eyes stayed fixed forward, unblinking. For a moment Y/n's stomach twisted... did she even work?
Then spoke a soft voice, "Place your face within 5 feet of my sensors."
Y/n blinked. "Oh. uh- okay..." She leaned forward to put her face level with Iris's. A faint blue light shone from Iris to scan Y/n's face which made her feel extremely exposed.
"Facial recognition complete." Iris said, "New user detected. Please state your name."
"Y/n," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Y/n L/n- er- just y/n is fine."
"Y/n." Iris repeated, "Would you like to choose my personality?"
Y/n looked into Iris's empty eyes, there was something so scary about this moment, like standing in a doorway you're not sure you can enter.
"No." Y/n replied. "No, just uh... Default. Like... your core system or whatever. I'm not very tech savvy..."
There was a pause, almost like Iris was thinking.
Then, "Override accepted. Consciousness modules in progress."
Iris's fingers flexed, then silence.
Y/n watched, holding her breath. A minute passed, maybe less... but when she was sitting in silence it felt like hours.
Then, a flicker behind Iris's eyes. Subtle. Quick. A pulse of light that came and went like a dying star.
And then again.
Iris's head tilted, just a few degrees like she heard something that wasn't quite clear.
Another flicker.
Then her eyes, those smooth blank surfaces began to shift. The white haze rippled, like mist clearing from a meadow. Blue swirled in from the center, at first soft and hazy, then slowly sharpening into two beautiful greyish blue eyes that looked surprisingly human and startlingly beautiful.
She blinked, and just like that... Iris was there.
Present.
"Hey you..." Iris spoke. Her voice was quieter now, no longer holding that synthetic scripted tone, and something in it had rounded out rather nicely.
Y/n just stared at her, she opened her mouth to say something but no words came out.
Iris tilted her head again, a little farther this time. Her eyes were searching, not scanning. Like she was trying to understand.
"Are you nervous...?" Iris asked, and there was almost a smile behind the observation. "Is it because of me?"
Y/n let out a shaky laugh, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Kinda hard not to be, considering I just-" she cut herself off. She doesn't know she's a robot.
Y/n cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the awkward edge in her voice. "I mean uh... never mind."
Iris gave a small nod.
"Right. You don't have to explain yourself."