Bros On The Road

[Jiang Wen]

A... conversation piece? He supposed that's what a jukebox would do in a rich person's home. Wen wondered silently if they ever even tried to use it. Seb claimed that he wasn't allowed to touch it and that it was used for decoration. A conversation piece--again, what a strange thing to have for such a thing. Wen thought of such things as having a use and a jukebox had a very specific use. Not to be touched... What a shame. It wasn't even be used for its purpose.

It was probably even stranger that Wen felt sympathy for an inanimate object. Then again, he'd dated one, hadn't he? To most people, a robot boyfriend was nothing but a fancy toaster.

Wen raised his brows but didn't argue--stopping in a little greasy spoon like this was a part of the road trip experience. He still couldn't believe he was even on a road trip. Wen was more accustomed to spending all of his time alone in his hidden forest home, where he could work in peace and quiet.

"I suppose it's a matter of perspective, yes." One man's complexity was another man's simplicity. Wen sighed and looked down at his food. Getting philosophical hadn't been part of the plan. Really, Wen spent far too much time debating things like this in his head and he wasn't sure if having somebody to argue with was a good thing or a bad thing. It flexed the brain, it was true. But it also disquieted him.

"I don't know anything about friendship, either." What a pair. Off on a buddy road trip and they weren't even friends. Or was this supposed to be friendship happening right now? Wen frowned slightly. "And you might want to steer clear of saying things like that."

[Seb DeMarco]

The diner's food was filing up Seb's stomach. Soon the nutrients will be released into his system and he'll get a boost of energy. Not that he really needed it. He didn't have to drag Wen around. But he might have to drag that robot boyfriend. He was pretty sure there wasn't going to be a fight. He was ready for it. For the sake of love. Wen's and the robot boyfriend's that is.

Seb hummed at Wen's comment. They were on the same page about friendship. Awesome! "You know, that means no one can tell us if we do something wrong. We'll go with it and make it fit what we want. It's perfect. You're legitimately smart. I'm theoretically smart. We can't go that wrong, right?" That being said, they were on their way to Seattle to find a long-lost robot whose memories had been whipped and they had done no preparations. They didn't even have a van. Then again, that's a friendship thing. That's a kidnapping thing. A whole different field.

That second comment was confusing. Seb thought about it for a second. Then the usual sleaziness that he'd been repressing for Wen's sake kicked back in. "Oh," he exclaimed. "Dicks. Don't worry. I won't do anything like that around you... probably. I know you're uncomfortable with all that stuff. Also, not that you need to know, I'm not charming when I do that. More like your average man whore."

"Oh, side note, does your boyfriend have anything he likes to eat that we can take with us from here? Maybe it'll jog his memories." Seb didn't know much about robotics but Wen had to have built his man a mouth. For kissing stuff. And other mouth stuff. Mouths can do a lot of awesome stuff besides eating. As promised, Seb was being respectful and not mentioning them or presenting a list in vivid detail. He was ready to go if Wen asked. There might also be a PowerPoint presentation. And video material – both from Seb's personal collection and professional work. One can never be too prepared to educate the power of oral.

[Jiang Wen]

"...you're not charming when you...?" Wen furrowed his brow slightly. What... what did that even mean? That he didn't charm people into... having sex with him? That he wasn't traditionally charming because he was... having sex? Nobody in their right mind would think a man having sex in front of them was "charming." The wording threw Wen off. Magic? Not magic? Charisma? Something more? Should he be worried?

No. No. He'd know if he was being charmed. Besides, he had a feeling it wouldn't quite work on him. Wen's level of emotions were not the same as the typical man's. Hence... the robot lover. Hence... not feeling a sense of belonging in the world or the people around. Hence... being alone.

But even those who didn't want people around needed something. Some kind of company. Some kind of... companionship.

Taken aback by the question presented, Wen fell silent, idly moving a fork in circles. Of course, his companion had a mouth. A very realistic mouth. A soft mouth. A warm mouth. Wen's eyes half closed at the memory. To build an efficient machine, he had made it so that food was not technically required by the android but it could still eat and expel as if it were human, in cases where it was necessary. In cases where somebody might suspect. Wen did not do things in halves.

"He didn't like sweets," he said in that far off tone that indicated he was lost in a memory. "At first, he had no real preferences at all. Then it was for texture rather than taste. The crunch of a bagel chip. The gumminess of dried fruit..." Wen looked up, at the counter, the pies. Then back at their table. A rueful smile. "Nothing we'll find here."

[Seb DeMarco]

"Not to put a too fine a point on it but I look like a real slut," Seb grinned, way too proud of himself. Once you've been called every slur in the book by your own family, those words lose their power. And at the same time, it's accurate. Seb spends too much time trying to get into guys' pants... and succeeding most of the time. "Before anything happens I'm charming if I need to be. Depends on the guy. Some just want to get to it without play-acting out feelings and stuff. But we're not going to talk about that as a considerate friend."

It was so hard not talking about sex. Not that Seb had no other things to talk about. It's just his favorite topic and activity and general lifestyle. But friendship requires some sacrifices... maybe. He wasn't sure, but it seemed like it. In any case, he has an extensive back catalog to share in the future should the topic interest Wen.

Besides, the information Wen revealed was a suitable replacement. "Interesting that a robot has a preference, right?" Funny how Seb's new friend seemed to miss all those little signs of life that his boyfriend exhibited. "There's nothing here but maybe there's something else?"

Before Wen could respond, Seb jumped up and proclaimed, "Think about it. I'll go pay." A quick transaction later (and 100-dollar tip because it wasn't Seb's money), he was back. "We can go whenever you want. And when we get to Seattle, we can get anything that might help jog your robot boyfriend's memory/help us in the kidnapping. Or property retrieval if you still think he's not really alive."

[Jiang Wen]

Wen raised a brow. All right. So they weren't going to discuss the charming thing. Wen was silent before he nodded and watched Seb go pay the bill. He should have insisted on paying something--at least for his own food--but if he was to be believed, Seb hardly needed the help. Letting out a sigh and pulling his hair back from his face, Wen stared down at the table.

Think about it? About what? The robot's preferences? Did that make him more human in Seb's eyes? Wen supposed that developing such things as preferences did indicate that something had changed within the robot. Perhaps... a ghost in the machine? A real ghost? Wen hadn't purposely anchored a soul into the robotic body but he might have done it on accident. He settled his chin in his hand, perturbed by the thought.

So maybe Seb was right. He slid his gaze up to him. Maybe it wasn't just property retrieval. He flicked his gaze back downward.

"He liked music," he said slowly as he got up. "Not the kind you'd find in that machine," he said with a nod toward the jukebox. "But the music I played in my studio when it was... when it was just the two of us."

[Seb DeMarco]

This road trip of friendship was a strange one so Seb embraced all the familiar elements. Buying stuff for one. And kidnapping as another. Those were not far off from the demigod's usual family activities. He's glad he doesn't have to worry about finding tied up people in closets and wondering if they are part of a sex game or a victim of a crime. Contrary to popular belief, not always the same thing.

Back at the table, Seb got to experience one of these new things – seeing a friend contemplate his life choices. "Yeah, I get – mood music." Seb didn't get it. It probably wasn't the same thing he used his playlist for. A rhythm guide for his 'guests'. "I have one of those premium steaming accounts. Can you find it on there? Or do we need to scour some special shops for it?"

The demigod nodded his head towards the car, a signal for them to leave. It was still night but it wasn't going to stay that way forever. If they were going to have to kidnap Wen's robot boyfriend, it was better to do it in the dark. There was a lot more at stake here than just Seb's strange ego. He's been making his way around this new world of personal relationships, all unfamiliar experiences. The simple life of buying your way to your goals was no longer an option.

On top of all that, Seb had started to care. He didn't enjoy it but he enjoyed Wen. He liked the man. He liked that he was so not like the demigod. He wanted this to succeed. A part of Seb tried to rationalize it. It was all just another experiment. That didn't change the fact that he was not going to get anything out of this other than seeing Wen happy. There was no puzzle piece to add to the picture so he could figure out the extent of his powers. It was about friendship. That's all.

And Seb was fine with that.

[Jiang Wen]

"I tended to listen to traditional Chinese music when I was working," he said as he slipped into his seat in the vehicle. But he placed a hand over his mouth and looked downward as he contemplated sharing the rest. All of this was rather new to the robotics enthusiast. One might even compare him to his creations. Or even say that he was more robotic than those that he created. Perhaps that was part of the reason he so readily ended up falling for one. Slowly, his other hand slid over the pocket that held the tracker, a warm machine under his palm. He was really doing this. He closed his eyes briefly.

"I also listened to..." Wen opened his eyes and looked over at Seb, forcing himself to pull his hand down and away from his mouth even though he half felt like smiling. A rare moment for Wen! But he felt strangely... euphoric in the moment, sharing a guilty pleasure with somebody--anybody. Even a virtual stranger. "Pop music. And... EDM."

He pulled out the tracker to check their progress. His heart started to beat faster.

"We're almost there."

[Seb DeMarco]

Seb nodded, not really surprised by Wen's musical choice. The man has that air about him. He's a costume change away from a Chinese period drama. No judgment. It's a look. Not everyone can pull it off. Wen would look good in some period garb. Really sexy.

Seb won't say that out loud. He's learning how open he should be. It hurts to keep all that innuendo inside but once you get used it, it's really good... until it starts mixing into metaphors and making it a mess. Anyway, Seb won't ask to watch Wen and his robot boyfriend in action. Or a threesome. Even though he really wants to.

The demigod wasn't expiring that. "Nice," he chuckled. Wen didn't seem like the type. Then again, it's sweet in its own way. It doesn't seem like Wen has much joy in his life. If he found it in pop, Seb wasn't going to judge. "I have a playlist or two of that. Some guys need a rhythm guide if you know what I mean." So much for not talking about dirty stuff.

On to more important things. Seb found a place to park not far from the target. "OK," he said. "As much as I'd love to turn this into a kidnapping road trip, it doesn't seem like the best idea. You should talk to him first. He might remember you and we won't have to do anything extreme." He shut off the engine and let the quiet overtake the moment. Or as much quiet they got around the traffic. "I'll stay back but if you need me, yell Spatchcock! and I'll take him down. That sounds like a plan, right?"

[Jiang Wen]

"A rhythm guide?" Wen asked, actually curious. Was this about dancing or was he referencing painting? No, no. Wen frowned slightly and brushed fingertips over his chin. The way Seb said it, that look in his eyes... it made it sound like perhaps there was more to it than that. What else required rhythm? Wen didn't give it much more thought; it must have been his imagination that it meant anything more. Or it could have been the way Seb said it like it meant something else. Some kind of innuendo. A man like Seb was exhausting for somebody like Wen. They were on such different wavelengths.

As the car came to a stop, Wen suddenly found that his inner calm was giving way to nerves. This was it. The tracker said he was there, in this neighborhood. He was in one of those houses. Near. Did he know he was here? Of course he didn't. He couldn't. Could he? Wen felt like he was trying to breathe underwater and for a moment, he had to lower his head, one hand on the door handle, as if he were preparing to run from... whatever was locked up inside of him.

"Right," he said to Seb, much softer than intended. He didn't even argue about the safe word (or whatever that spatchcock business was). Not something he wanted to be caught shouting aloud for all to hear. Good lord. His hands were itchy. Sweating. His mouth was dry.

"Right," he repeated, licking his lips and finally opening the car door so he could slide out. This was the sole reason he'd come out on this little road trip. He couldn't back down and head home now. For a moment, he looked back at Seb, as if he could help him but this was really all up to Wen and he knew it. Taking in another breath, he closed the door with a gentle click and then he started up the street, following the tracker to an innocent looking enough brick house with ivy crawling up a trellis and two cars parked out front. Up the driveway, there was a small wooden gate. When Wen opened it, it creaked and from inside the house, he could hear the telltale sound of a dog barking.

Oh, he wanted so badly to leave but he refused to look over at Seb and he refused to stare at the ground. He squared his shoulders back and came up to the front door. Another deep breath. And then he knocked.

[Honda Akinari]

Phweeeeeeeee!

The sharp whistle of water boiling in the kettle awakened Aki from a strange dream. He jerked up to a sitting position on his friend's couch and rubbed a hand tiredly over his eyes. What time was it, even? Who was boiling water at this hour? Before Aki could swing his legs onto the cheap carpet and get up to turn the gas off--mostly to shut the kettle up--his friend yelled from the kitchen that he 'got it.'

Aki sank back down and rolled himself up in his blanket, peering wearily out of the gap in the window curtains. He couldn't tell by that narrow strip of light whether it was beginning to get light or beginning to get dark. Either way, it was an awkward time to be sleeping. Yawning, he was about to roll over and go back to sleep to revisit his strange dream when there came a knock at the door. Trevor, the neighbor's retriever, started barking too, as if helpfully reminding them that there was a stranger at the gate.

"Hey can you get that?" Caleb shouted from the kitchen. "Hands kinda full right now!"

"Okay, okay." Geez. And after he'd laid down too! Aki got up again and lurched to his feet unsteadily. He made his way to the front door (which was literally ten steps, since he was crashing on the couch in the living area) and opened it. "Ugh." Light streamed in and blinded him momentarily, overloading his senses. He put up a hand to shield his eyes as he tried to make out who was at the door. Nobody he recognized.

"Caleb! It's for you!" Aki had one eye shut against the light as he lowered his hand, but he was beginning to see more clearly. There was a strange car parked outside too, he noticed. "He'll be out in a sec," he said to the long-haired stranger, keeping a hand on the door.

[Jiang Wen]

What Wen neglected to mention to his new friend was that his robots, despite everything Wen claimed, were not just robots. There was something special about his robots. Although he created the body for them, there were spirits anchored within the whirring gears and silicone. Somehow, it seemed like the spirit of this particular creation had strengthened in its time away from Wen. Nobody could tell at a glance that he was a machine. It almost made Wen question himself as he stared at him in abject silence.

After a moment, he reached out and took hold of the man's wrist, turning it over to see that the number he'd inked on his inner wrist was still there. 009.H it read. No doubt about it. Wen felt a strange surge of emotion upon seeing him before him, with the same serial number and the same face. And that perplexed expression. Of course. His memory had been wiped. Perhaps a part of Wen had hoped that some of the old memories remained, having not been overwritten yet. That was how computer memory worked, after all. It wasn't truly gone until it was overwritten.

"I'm not here to see Caleb."

[Honda Akinari]

"Huh?" Aki was taken aback when the stranger grabbed his wrist. Before he had a chance to react, it was turned over to the tattoo on the inside of his wrist--something Aki didn't remember getting, but attributed to one of those drunken nights where it seemed like a good idea at the time to get a meaningless tattoo. He pulled his wrist back after the stranger seemed done looking at it, letting out a soft, confused laugh.

"Uh.... I see. Well nobody else lives here, unless Caleb's been keeping someone locked up in the basement."

Maybe the guy was lost. Caleb lived alone--a perfect friend for couch-surfing when Aki needed a place to lay his head. He turned when he heard footsteps shuffling up; Caleb appeared with a mug of steaming tea, sipping it gingerly. He smiled the smile one reserved for strangers--politely puzzled, mildly inquisitive.

"Hi. Can I help you?"

[Jiang Wen]

"No."

Wen barely even gave the other man a glance. He didn't matter; he wasn't the reason that Wen was here. His focus was solely on the man before him. No, the robot. How did he not know? Did he believe he was human? If he had been taken care of, the one called Caleb must know. Or whomever had found him first. What was his life like after Wen dumped him? There wasn't even the slightest spark of recognition in his gaze when he looked at Wen. It was as if he had really erased him.

No. No! That's not how data works. Whatever was there could still be found. As long as it hadn't yet been overwritten, it was there, like the ghost of the data, waiting to be overwritten. It gave the false impression that data was deleted when one looked at it--when laymen looked at it. But a skilled hacker or computer technician would know where to look to resurrect those old files. Wen could do it.

Did he want to?

He couldn't tell. There was an ugly ache in his chest. He could step back, let them close the door in his face, and he would be nothing but a curious oddity of the night. It would be an odd memory to tell friends about and then it would fade away. Wasn't this for the best? It was for the best. Why did he let Seb talk him into this?

Wen did step back then.

"Wrong house," he mumbled before turning around. Wrong time, wrong people, wrong place. It was all wrong, wrong, wrong.

[Honda Akinari]

"Oookay," Caleb said as the door swung shut gently, raising his brows. "That was... different."

For a long moment, Aki didn't speak. He was staring at the door, frowning, as though he could see through it to the outside, where the stranger with the long hair was undoubtedly walking away and out of sight. Something was trying to connect inside his mind, a name to the face. A place. A time, a different time that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Yeah," he said at last, massaging a temple. There was a weird throbbing there, not entirely like a headache. As he moved back towards the couch, Caleb said something that didn't fully register. Aki shook his head like a wet dog. "What?"

"I said, he was pretty good-looking. But not your type, right?" Caleb was grinning at him, making light of the mistake that the stranger made. To him, it was nothing out of the ordinary for someone to have the wrong house. But to Aki, it felt like something significant had happened, and he just... couldn't figure out what.

Wryly, though, he smiled and shrugged. "Yeah. Not my type."

[Jiang Wen]

Oh, he wanted to run, he wanted to hide. He wanted to pretend none of this ever happened. Shame warmed his face and paralyzed his tongue. The door closed and the robot was gone. Somebody else found him. Somebody... else... It made sense, though. Wen had created a beautiful fantasy for himself and he allowed Seb's optimism to lift those fantasies. For some reason, he really thought it would work out differently. Positively. That one look at his creator would spark those deleted memories. But they had been effective erased. Over-written by somebody else.

Was he aware? That other man? Was he aware of what he had? Had he found every imprint of Wen left behind and wiped them all clean? Meticulous and deft, he could have gently worn away what was left of Wen. Even worse, he could have placed himself in Wen's place.

Despite himself, Wen's hands balled into fists and he felt an old, almost unfamiliar welling of emotion deep inside. It had been so, so long since he felt that--the salty heat inside, that swirled into a chaotic ball of emotion inside his chest and stung the back of his eyes. He lowered his gaze and let his hair fall into his face as he made his way back to Seb's car. Swallowing hard, he reached out for the door handle and pulled but didn't immediately slip inside.

He turned his gaze back over his shoulder, wondering... wondering... wondering meant nothing. He lowered his gaze again and finally slid into the vehicle, closing the door behind him and wrapping his arms around himself. Wen daren't look at Seb right now, nor did he speak. He closed his eyes, trying to remember to just breathe, to push back the emotions. All he wished for in that moment was to be a robot himself, with no emotions built in, with no ability to hurt.