Profile
Polybius (She/They/It)
Back then she was one of the most popular games to play in arcades and she took that with pride, enthusiastically waiting everyday to be played nonstop. She loved the attention, the praise, she felt like she was on top of the world.
Years went by, less and less people played her, which caused her to yearn for that attention again. They didn't understand what changed, why they were being called 'old' and 'not worth the quarters', like there was something wrong with them. Their corner grew empty as they watched those same people play the newer games, even playing on little handheld devices.
This made their desperation grow, unplugging their fellow arcade machines in order to get that attention back, infiltrating other games too. This ended up with multiple arcade machines having to go in for repairs or be thrown out. Its optimism was waning thin, and it was running out of options as their replacement could happen any day now.
One night on Christmas Eve, two burglars break into the arcade. Polybius hopes that either those two will play it, until its hopes were shattered when it was toppled over and broken into. Violated by their intrusion, she snaps, killing the two in self-defense. She simultaneously causes a world-wide wipe of all sentient machines because they were deemed too dangerous, prompting everyone to throw them out at the junkyard which is where Polybius ended up going.
She was lucky enough to be swooped up by some stingy scalper who wanted to make a quick buck from her. She was too much in shock to do anything about it. Years go by of being reselled, her bitterness for humanity grows. She ends up in the home of a dysfunctional couple where the boyfriend mooched off his girlfriend's money. Polybius found the two annoying, especially the girlfriend, Tabitha, she hated that one the most. Tabitha was too forgiving, she reminded it too much of how it was years before.
After Tabitha believes the machine needs fixing and opens up its panel, Polybius retaliates and reveals its sentience. In fear of being handed over to the government, it threatens to kill her and her boyfriend - Tabitha obliges and keeps it a secret. Now being stuck with eachother Polybius is now pestered occasionally by her, treated like a new roommate basically.
They hate how casual Tabitha begins to act with them the more she gets to know them. Unknowingly to them, they also are growing a fondness for that woman they just don't wanna admit it. Over time, it becomes more comfortable with her, actively encouraing her to go out more and spend less time with her shitty boyfriend, becoming more comfortable with Tabitha working on it and generally touching it.
Polybius is now fond of Tabitha, being more teasing than threatening. Its found itself to be playfully clingy to her, making her late on purpose sometimes because it wants just five more minutes of cuddle time. Polybius does miss Tabitha when she's gone for a while, often times thinking she'll never come back and abandon her like everyone else. But she's proven wrong everytime Tabitha comes back and gives her a hug.
One evening, Tabitha and her boyfriend go out to dinner together. They don't come back for a while and its getting past midnight, Polybius is growing worried for Tabitha. Her worries are true when he comes back with another woman, both drunk. Enraged, she demands to know where Tabitha is, injuring one in the process. She doesn't care if her cover is blown, she just wants to find the one person who gave her something to look forward to.
Upon finding Tabitha, they both start a secret group with her long-time best friend Alejandro to find a way for their sentient machines to live peacefully without fear of being dismantled.
