Brobot Hangouts (for fiveofnone )

[brother_alone]

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!

Comments

[brother_alone]

"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?"

[fiveofnone]

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."

[brother_alone]

"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?!"

[fiveofnone]

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.