brother_alone | Brobot Hangouts (for fiveofnone )

Josh can't believe he has this much money in his account.

He'd checked to make sure his boss gave him the right amount, because honestly it seemed like quite a lot more than he would have expected, considering he doesn't even want any work done while he's off on his Random Ass Vacation. It's not the first time he's gone off on a sudden holiday though, and last time he had he took Josh with him and got him drunker than he'd been in a while just walking the streets of Vegas.

Good times.

So Josh isn't really questioning the intentions of his boss giving him a metric shitload of money, but he is wondering what to do with it. He spends some of it taking Ice Bear and Jack out for a nice dinner and then paying Ice for his half of the groceries and utilities for a while. Paid off his rent for his storage unit slash workshop for the next half a year in advance. But there was still an awful lot of money leftover.

That's when Josh remembers Caspar and Adia's Christmas present. His very nice sweater hangs up neatly in his closet with nothing to be worn with it and that's a goddamn shame. Josh doesn't have Caspar's direct number though so he settles for messaging Adia's PINpoint first.

Hey Adia it's Josh. Can Caspar come out and play sometime? ;) I don't have his number but Bro owes me a shopping date. If he complains remind him he promised!

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"Aw come on. You gotta admit the look suits him."

Josh knows better than to prod too much at the subject of Reynard given the reaction Caspar is having. Probably doesn't like that Adia is such good friends with a guy like that. Can't be helped, really. Caspar's extremely protective of Adia.

All the more reason to keep his head on straight around the Cylon. Easier said than done but...he's been doing better. Staying out of the plaza when he's having bad days.

"I think I"m about done here. We should find something nice for you to bring back for Adia though. A snack, maybe. She didn't seem quite as upbeat as normal when I talked to her earlier." Though why, Josh has no idea. He hasn't actually seen her in a while either. How odd.

"Who, Harrowheart or Viatorus?" He supposes that's true for either of them, but will he admit it? No.

It is a markedly more peeved expression than when they last spoke about the Winter Spirit. It appears that whatever interactions he had with Reynard, they did not go well. Josh is wise to drop the subject. Unfortunately, the topic he replaces it with doesn't do him any favors. Caspar's eyes narrow shrewdly -- not at the suggestion, but at Josh's inquiry.

"She didn't tell you, did she." He sighs, unsurprised. Adia managed to keep almost the entire Nexus in the dark about her stalker, out of shame and fear. Maybe if more people had known... no, he's not going to go down that route. None of this is her fault. If anything, it's his for not being there for her when she needed someone the most.

He heads for the cashier, intending to ring up his purchases. "I know a place we can go to get her something." Another glance at Josh, and then he adds, "I'll tell you what's up on the way."

"Viatorus. I don't know Harrowheart."

They only met once and it didn't go so well.

"Tell me what."

Josh's expression falls fast. The unsure smile replaced all too quickly with concern and a small bit of anger that something is wrong and no one's told him. He keeps himself from asking further while they pay for their own purchases. It's easy for Josh's mind to go running away into dark places with what ifs and worries, but once they're outside he turns fully toward Caspar.

"What happened to Adia." She must be okay or Caspar wouldn't be here. Josh doesn't think for a minute the Cylon would give a flying fuck about keeping his promise to take Josh shopping if Adia wasn't alright. Nor would Josh expect the other to in that kind of situation.

Caspar doesn't say anything while he pays for his new clothes; he does not need the employees of Papaya Commonwealth all up in his business. Even after they leave the store and return to the dreary late winter chill, Caspar stays tight-lipped, scanning the busy street warily.

Finally, when there don't seem to be any suspicious-looking eavesdroppers, he says quietly, "Adia has a stalker." He starts to walk down the sidewalk, gesturing for Josh to keep pace. "He's a serial killer on his world, and he's been pretending to be her friend since the beginning of last year. Were you around for the Khan invasion? He took advantage of the AV field being down to kill a couple people and set them up like a frakkin' dollhouse so that Adia would find them."

It's difficult to talk about 'Josh' without losing his temper, so he concentrates on the path they take to their new destination. The brownstones are soon replaced with a more modern, colorful look. Curiously, many of the buildings have the same symbol upon them. Curiouser still are the strange animals that seem to accompany more and more of the other people walking about.

"He was acting weird at the holiday party, so Harley followed him through a portal. That's how she and I learned about the serial killer business. But it was Adia who figured out that he was her stalker, too. That was only about a week ago." He rubs at one of his wrists, a gesture of frustration and deeply buried fear. "She hasn't been in the Nexus since."

"What the fuck?" It takes every ounce of self control for Joshua not to shout the question at the top of his lungs. He's lowered his voice instead until it's frozen steel and barely louder than their steps on the sidewalk.

A stalker? A serial killer stalker? How had he not known about this? Who could it be? Josh wracks his brain for answers but comes up short every time. Adia's never mentioned anyone other than people they both know to him before and certainly none of them are stalker-slash-serial killers.

"I was. Isidor and I were helping set up shelters until she jumped into the fight. I didn't...I didn't even know Adia was there at the time. I'd hoped she'd have stayed away. I mean I live in the Nexus so when things go sideways I gotta do something but..."

How?

How did he not know about the murders Adia found? How did he not know...anything???

"Motherfucker. Who is this son of a bitch?"

If the situation weren't so serious, he'd probably crack a smirk at Josh's reaction, because that's exactly how he felt when he learned about Adia's stalker. Who knew that she was so good at keeping secrets? "She was helping injured refugees in the Plaza when her stalker lured her to another part of the Nexus using some tortured teenager as bait." He bites the inside of his lip to quell the frustration building within him. Bad enough she put herself in danger in their own universe, but to risk her life here... "Sheriff Coltrane was with her, and Felix, but it still went pear-shaped. Thank god they got her out of there before she got hurt."

He stops at an intersection, waiting for a young trainer and their lumbering Rhydon to pass before crossing the street. "He said his name was Josh." He glances at Joshua a moment, and adds, "Don't worry, it's an alias. He's medium height, dark-haired, light-skinned... real distinctive, I know. The asshole managed to avoid himself getting photographed. He met Adia online when his computer connected to the Nexus. That's when his obsession started. A Voodoo witch on his world opened a portal for him. He's been lurking on the DarkNet and causing trouble ever since."

Josh knows who those two are, even if he hasn't talked to them too much in person. The sheriff thinks of Josh as some kind of kid and Felix is one of those skirt wearing not-Romans always hanging around that big ostentatious table the Star Trek guy frequents. He wasn't aware Adia was friends with them, too, but then again Adia is friends with everyone.

And that seems to be the problem, here.

She's befriended monsters like himself, Caspar, and Reynard and then real monsters. Like this--wait. "Of fucking course his name is also Josh." It only adds more fuel to his internal rage, knowing he possibly shares a name with this A-hole.

"I only know Of the Darknet, sadly. Was never the techie in my group of friends and shit, even if I was that's the sort of place you don't tend to go unless you've got a fuckload of shit to hide." Which, okay does fit Josh's MO but it's not him, dammit.

Caspar gives Josh a surprisingly sympathetic look. The Cylon shared a face with a suicide bomber and several model Fives with a propensity to use physical torture as an interrogation tool. Of course Josh is going to be pissed that there's a serial killer running around with his name. "Like I said, it's probably an alias. A guy like that doesn't give out his real name to just anybody."

As for the DarkNet, Caspar shrugs dismissively. "I've been keeping an eye on it in case he rears his ugly head again. You don't want to go on there, not if you want to preserve your faith in your fellow sentient beings." Caspar never had any to begin with, so it's no skin off his nose.

There's another street to cross and then Caspar stops in front of their destination: a bubble tea café that also sells pokémon cupcakes. "Adia loves their strawberry tea with the heart jelly. I'm going to get her a cupcake, too. You want anything?"

Josh sees that look for what it is, even though his kneejerk reaction is to assume it's pity. Caspar doesn't do pity and that's what stops him from getting even more angry. He nods stiffly instead. Tries to quell the storm brewing without abandon in his chest.

How could he have not known about this? Why would Adia keep coming back to the Nexus time and again after the Khan invasion with such a threat looming over her head? Why? Who?

The cafe Caspar takes them to is bright and cheerful and suddenly Joshua feels sick to his stomach. He's dripping in loathing and hatred in a place that's all fun and whimsy. He takes half a step back while he tries to check his expression into something less...well, LESS than it was up until now.

"No, thanks. I want to know what I can do now, and cujpcakes ain't it."

Edited Date: 2018-04-29 02:14 pm (UTC)

That's the one question Caspar never asked Adia, why she kept coming to the Nexus despite a serial killer stalking her. He never asked because the answer was painfully obvious -- even with a stalker, the Nexus was a safer haven than being hunted to extinction by Cylons. By his brothers. The guilt twisted at his gut nearly as much as his rage towards 'Josh'. The only reason he can stomach entering such a cutesy café is because he's had time to handle the news.

And Adia is his priority. Always.

He turns at the tone of Josh's voice and looks the other man over. Josh may be trying to hold back his expression, but Caspar recognizes it for what it is immediately. "Hey," he says. "You're angry, I get it. You cannot possibly be as angry as I am, but I am setting that aside so that I can put a smile on my girl's face. If you want something to do, trying making sure she's safe and happy the next time she shows up here and I can't be around to do it."

And on that note, he steps into the café. Josh is welcome to wait outside.

"This isn't a competition, dick."

The reply is out of Josh's mouth before he can hold it in but the cafe door is closing in his face by the time he's done with it leaving a cutesy picture of a pink pudgy round thing holding a tray of cupcakes all Josh can see. He moves away from the door and leans against the side of the building instead, letting his head fall back against the wall.

Put a smile on her face? Make sure she's safe and happy?

If Caspar was serious about that he'd keep her out of the Nexus altogether. At least until he was able to find this sick fuck. Thing is, Josh is pretty sure he's always serious when it comes to Adia so the choice just doesn't add up. Josh doesn't understand. If it were his sisters--

No. Don't start that right now. He's no good to anyone if he's ten layers deep into his own skull talking to the dead. He takes a deep breath and presses his head uncomfortably hard against the wall until Josh's sure he's grounded. Good? Yeah, good. Good as he can ever get, at least.

When Caspar comes back out with his sweet smelling treats in adorable designs, Josh is waiting for him.

"I don't get it." Straight and to the point. "I know you're not fucking around when it comes to Adia, but why let her come here if you know it's not safe? You guys have a house and a cat and shit, so...why?"

He doesn't acknowledge that comment as he enters the café and puts on an expression of polite neutrality for the cashier. One strawberry tea with heart jelly and a slowmo cupcake to go, please.

When he exists the shop, package in hand, he's got his own snappy comeback to deliver, but Josh beats him to the punch. Expecting more attitude, he's taken aback by the straight-forward question, enough that he thinks up a serious answer instead of delivering another healthy dose of sarcasm.

"Believe me, there's nothing I'd like more than for her to wait this out on Atlantis. But what would you have me do, Josh? Take away her PINpoint? Tell her that I'll kill myself if she doesn't stay put? Build a cage and put her inside it?" The words taste bitter in his mouth, precisely because all those thoughts have crossed his mind, dark impulses to keep Adia safe, a desire that bubbles up from his robotic ancestry, where choices are binary and the end always justify the means. "What kind of boyfriend would I be, hmm? Her happiness is as important to me as her safety."

"It shouldn't have to come to that. I expect her to think a little bit and not selfishly risk her own safety because she's bored when there's a serial killer on the loose that's been stalking her specifically."

Caspar is talking about this like Adia's some child who doesn't understand the risks and who will cry if he tries to protect her but she's a grown ass woman who should know better. How is it that no one has managed to talk some sense into her since they found this out? Josh just looks a little bit incredulous.

"I get you want to make her happy, Caspar. What I don't get is why that means she also gets to act like her life doesn't matter for the rest of us. Including you. What kind of potential murder victim goes walking into the same mall or setting the murderer is known for stalking?!"

Caspar is listening, although to Josh it might look like his attention has gone somewhere else completely. Whatever warmth had been there before has been replaced with a cold stillness.

"You think she comes here. Because she's bored."

It's not as though Josh's concerns are invalid. But all Caspar can hear is his girl being insulted. It's only because of the good will that Josh has built up between them that he doesn't lash out, verbally or physically.

"Tell you what, Josh. Next time you see her, you can ask her about that yourself. Because I'm done talking to you." He pulls out his PINpoint and teleports away on the spot.