--Galatea--

[takesitall]

[Aventurine watches as the movers bring his new statue into his garden. He recently bought a new house with a garden and it seemed a shame to keep it empty like it was. He'll figure out if he wants a statue or not later, but this one was decently priced for the quality and he is never going to say no to art of a pretty man where he can see it.

As the statue is placed down, Aventurine notices an odd device stuck on the back.]

Take that off, what the hell.

Comments

[ignoranceisblight]

[At least a new garden is a change of scenery from his sculptor's home. And at least the man who purchased him is nicer to look at than the bastard who sculpted him and eventually stuck this accursed machine to his back, the one to keep him in place.

One of the movers scratches their head at the device and starts reaching for it to do just that, while the other looks over at Aventurine.]

The guy you bought it from said it should stay on, but he never explained why or anything. [Not that they're stopping their coworker from fiddling with the device to get it off without damaging the statue.] He actually refused to elaborate when I asked.

[Which is a bit sketchy now that they think about it.

If the statue could snort, he would.]

[takesitall]

Well, he doesn't own the statue anymore. Get it off.

[ignoranceisblight]

Hey, hey, I'm not stopping my buddy from trying. I'm just letting you know.

Weird fucking device, too, actually, come get a load of this...

[Now that the mover who was fiddling with the device has gotten it off, they hold it up for Aventurine to take a better look at it.]

Mobility restriction. Damn weird thing to put on a statue, of all things...

What the hell?

[takesitall]

Mobility restriction...

[Oh goddess.]

Any buttons to make the statue move? Or is it about to start moving?

[ignoranceisblight]

I didn't see anything that'd make the statue move...

[The statue does move, almost imperceptibly, and only just enough to watch the two movers and Aventurine.]

I probably shouldn't be saying this, but... Really starting to think people were being too nice by calling that sculptor guy "eccentric".

[takesitall]

As soon as we figure out why he had that on this statue, he may soon be "arrested". Hand me the device.

[ignoranceisblight]

[The mover who took it off gladly hands it over. As they do, the statue finally speaks:]

Oh, I could tell you why if you want to know.

[That poor mover shrieks, startled.]

[takesitall]

[Aventurine nearly drops the device.]

What the hell--

[ignoranceisblight]

[The statue waves a hand, almost dismissively.]

My apologies for startling you-- [He is not sorry at all.] --But you mentioned figuring out why that device was on me and as the only one here who actually knows...

Well, now that I can move and speak more or less freely without the device-- [A glance towards Aventurine.] --your insistence on its removal is appreciated, by the way--I figured I may as well tell you.

[takesitall]

You're sentient. You're alive. [To the movers:] You're witnesses, I'm reporting that fucker.

[Okay, to the statue:]

Why did he put the device on you?

[ignoranceisblight]

Yeah, uh. Holy shit.

Ostensibly, it was to keep someone as troublesome as me in one place. He claimed it was for my own good, so that I wouldn't say the wrong thing to the wrong person and get myself damaged for it, but I suspect it was really because he couldn't stand that the statue he'd fallen in love with an idea of and found that it had been brought to life by way of a wish would tire of his behavior and simply leave.

... Man, and I'd just thought that guy was a jackass. This is...

[takesitall]

Well.

[Hm.]

We're going to have a fun few months. Do you have a name?

[ignoranceisblight]

Technically, no. I was never given one by the sculptor. But... I call myself Veritas. I'd been planning on giving myself a full name, but that was interrupted.

[takesitall]

Veritas. You can call me Aventurine, for now. Can you move off the pedestal?

[ignoranceisblight]

[He nods, carefully stepping down from it.]

[takesitall]

[Aventurine moves to help.]

Do you eat or drink? Dammit, did he deny you food and water?

[ignoranceisblight]

[Veritas tries to avoid relying too much on the help-- mainly out of concern for potentially hurting him.]

I do not require either. Even if I could ingest them, I wouldn't be able to taste them, so there's no real point.

[takesitall]

Huh. Lame.

[What's the point of life if you can't eat.]

Do you sleep? I can get a spare bed brought over if you do.

[ignoranceisblight]

[Listen, if he could he would, it's not his fault whatever made him animate didn't think to include the rest of the sensory package!]

I don't sleep, no.

[As much as he wishes he could sometimes.]

[takesitall]

Meditate? Anything? I didn't intend to get a housemate but I've got one, and I'll be damned if I don't see to it that you're comfortable.

[ignoranceisblight]

I... have never attempted meditation or the like. I mostly occupied myself overnight before getting that device attached to me by finding things to do quietly.

[takesitall]

Well, what did you do?

[ignoranceisblight]

Housework that I could do quietly, mostly. Read, otherwise.

[takesitall]

Well, that's. Something. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do while you're here, for however long that is.

[ignoranceisblight]

... Alright, thank you.