Professor Piston

✨ Meet Professor Piston

Professor Piston is a stout, inquisitive robot perpetually lost in thought (or perhaps just trying to remember where he left his tiny teacup). His sturdy, block-shaped body is painted a delightful distressed metallic gold and blush pink, giving him an aged, well-loved appearance. His oversized, highly observant eyes are crafted from intricate gears with bright brass centres, giving him a look of profound, if slightly confused, wisdom. His small, formal mouth, made from a watch hand, suggests he's about to utter something terribly important, or perhaps just ask for more oil. Adorned with a jaunty gear-stack "hat" and impractically huge hands, he’s ready for any intellectual challenge (or a good nap).

⚙️ Origin Story

Professor Piston was originally designed in a turn-of-the-century automatons workshop to be the world's most sophisticated chess-playing robot. Unfortunately, during his inaugural match, he became so overwhelmed by the sheer number of possible moves that he simply froze, staring intensely at the knight. His circuits overheated, leaving him with an eternal look of deep, pondering bewilderment. Now, he prefers less intellectually strenuous tasks.

💼 Employment History

Current Role: Chief Contemplator of Dust Motes & Designated Stare-Down Champion. (Professor Piston excels at holding unwavering eye contact with any object placed before him, silently assessing its purpose in the grand scheme of the universe. He’s particularly good at making houseplants feel important.)

Previous Role (1960s): Automated Fortune Teller at a Seaside Arcade. (Fired for only dispensing cryptic, philosophical pronouncements like "The true journey is within" instead of actual fortunes, frustrating customers who just wanted to know if they'd win a teddy bear. He now enjoys the quiet life, pondering the mysteries of gravity and whether he needs a bigger hat.)