On the Hunt in the Name of Science

[Jiang Wen]

Magic was power. Magic was in the air, magic was threads, magic was tangles and knots of power, strung from one power source to the next. This was how Wen perceived magic. Magic was wires. Magic was cords. Magic was electricity. Magic was every element and magic could do things to people that were both amazing and horrific.

It was no lie to say that Wen was sensitive to magic. Not all witches would be so affected by the power of Seb's magic but... he thought perhaps... they could be--because he was beginning to realize that it was strong. It was a magic unlike anything he'd ever been in contact with. Maybe it was all witches. Maybe Wen was not so... special.

But he was still sensitive and he was having a hard time summoning the will to put up a ward.

He needed one; he felt uninhibited right now--as if he had a few too many drinks. Wen never was good at holding his liquor. Didn't even care for most of it, if he was honest.

At the question of whether the pretzel was meant to be his boyfriend, he smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. His eyes softened. His boyfriend. The term brought with it an unusual feeling of warmth and stability he hadn't felt in some time. He had been blocking away those emotions, trying to become the very thing that so-called boyfriend had been.

"Most wouldn't use that term," he said softly. "Humans are cruel. Chaotic. Innately, they seem to fear what they don't understand themselves."

[Seb DeMarco]

Little by little, Seb saw Wen's guarded exterior get chipped away. He wasn't supposed to be seeing this. This wasn't his experience. Then again, Seb couldn't resist it. He'd never seen anyone react to his powers like this. Watching Wen's whole person peeling open was mesmerizing. Usually, people just snapped open and it all just poured out. Metaphorically, of course – it never gets that gross.

Seb wanted to tell Wen he should smile more. It suited him... or maybe that hint of happiness did. It wasn't all there and that was pretty obvious even for someone as emotionally stunted as Seb. Perhaps it was because, for the first time in his life, the demi-god was having a real human connection with someone. A someone he drugged but still a someone.

"You're right about that. And it's not just humans," Seb added. He had to look no further than his own family to see it. "But I don't think they are afraid of that, not really. It's the knowledge of the strange and unknown. Most people can't handle change but when it affects their whole way of being, their understanding of the fundamental principles of life it's even worse. They'd rather go on hiding behind ignorance than try to learn and adapt."

Oh, god – this talk was getting too real and existential. Seb was all about oversharing inappropriate details of his and other people's lives. This was... too much for him to handle at this point. His severe emotional trauma was there to make sure he didn't get too deep and start figuring out what his life is really about. And yes, the irony of the situation was completely lost on him.

Seb retreated back into the safe space of nosiness. Unlike other people, he was all about draining hidden secrets from the people around him. They only added to his life... even if Wen it might add shame and embarrassment, it will still add something.

"So, what did they call him instead?" Seb asked. Wen might start sobering up soon, so it was vital to get as much out of him as possible. The demi-god can never have too much gossip.

[Jiang Wen]

"...no," he agreed softly. "Not just humans..."

There were plenty of non-humans in his life that held the same stares when they realized what was really going on in Wen's studio. They didn't understand--of course they didn't. Somewhere in their broken minds, they thought it was Wen that was broken. He was now, stripped from what he loved. But he didn't think they would ever understand what it was to love something with purity. There was always that innate cruelty in people.

They may not have understood but they didn't want to because--this was what Wen thought--they were afraid of what it meant for them. People, they seemed to do that a lot, in Wen's observation. Remaining a quiet artist in the corner of a little shop meant that she spent a lot of time simply observing. And people, yes, they did do that a lot--they always brought things back to themselves. What did it mean for them?

It didn't matter if what was happening never touched their lives. It didn't matter that it could have remained a secret behind closed doors and nobody would have been the wiser. People would have treated Wen kindly, as they had always done. Now they looked at him with disgust and disbelief and distrust.

What did they call him? Not boyfriend. At least, not in any way that didn't sound condescending or as if it had invisible quotes around the term. His little "boyfriend."

"The machine," he said. "The toy. The robot."

Not a proper person, not anything but a tool, they thought. And when they looked at Wen, it brought such misunderstanding that he could hardly stand being around people anymore.

[Seb DeMarco]

The longer Seb held on to Wen, the more he felt something unusual. No, it wasn't a frustrating feeling of empathy. This was more energetic. No, that's not the right word. Booming, maybe. A vibration from within the other man coursing out into the demi-god. It might be magic. It might be Wen's subconscious trying to protect him. It could be anything. That's what Seb loved about this. There was no precedent.

If this was any other test subject, Seb would be over the moon. The things he could do. The things he would do. Something was stopping him from letting go and exploring the unknown in front of him. Now, this might be that annoying empathy. Besides, Wen was sharing. It was too good to stop now.

At first, Seb wasn't sure he heard that correctly. He's called plenty of guys 'toys' when they are good for only that one thing. Wen didn't seem to be such a dehumanizing person to do that. What if...?

"Did you build a sex robot?" Seb asked. It slipped out. He tried to hold back. No, that's a lie. He was diving head first into this. What the demi-god couldn't figure out was why this was so bad? He knows about these things – phallic objects attached to a repetitively rotating machine. He may have used one once. Still, it wasn't weird. But what if...?

"Did you build a humanoid sex robot?" Yeah, Seb was going all in. "Yes! Yes!" There was no stopping him now. "This is the best thing I've ever heard. I do hope you remember this, Wen. You are amazing. Your genius surpasses everything! You couldn't get what you wanted so you made it instead. I'm a half-god but in this room, you are the real deity. Creating life. You don't just accept any D, you make the one you want. I just can't! I can't even! This is what I need in my life – people like you." He was this close to doing a gat finger-wag but managed to contain his homosexuality.

Seb sighed, "Damn, now I feel really guilty about drugging you. I think I can sober you up... or knock you out for a good night sleep. What would make us cool?" He really hoped Wen could understand him. Seb really wanted to have someone who made a robot boyfriend as a ... friend. Yep, that's the word.

[Jiang Wen]

With the words ejected so earnestly and almost eagerly, Wen was caught off guard. Even in his current state, his mind scrambled, caught between shame and curiosity.

When people discovered what he had done, there was so much disgust. They used the same terms that Seb did, along with toy, machine: sex robot. Humanoid sex robot. Wen felt the back of his neck heat up. The warmth crept up the tip of his ears and he finally lowered his gaze, the squirm of shame taking root once more.

To Wen, the robot had been a companion, a best friend, a boyfriend, a lover. Scraping him down to merely a sex bot made even Wen feel gross for what he'd done. Yet he still felt he hadn't been in the wrong. It was everybody else that knew his filthy secret. They weren't many but there were enough of them for Wen to withdraw further from society than he had already been before.

Seb sounded absolutely impressed, however. Strange. Wen only slightly lifted his head, eyes angling to glimpse him out of the corners. Why was he so... happy? It was strange to see somebody crowing about his "accomplishments" when most would have been concerned that Wen was some kind of a pervert.

"...who could be more perfect?" he said, a hint of wistfulness in his voice. "Than somebody you made yourself?"

Because who else could meet every criteria and every need and every desire than a creation that he'd made himself? Wen smiled, small and flittering, a "blink and you'll miss it" affair. Finally.... somebody who understood.

[Seb DeMarco]

There were so many things Seb wanted to know. What was this robot guy made of? Was it an accident? Was magic involved? Was it just a vanilla model or was it customized for some kinky stuff? And was the robot into hair-pulling? That was mainly for Wen's sake. At the same time, these details were important. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they approach their passion. This was clearly it. Wen was more of a god and more of a scientist that Seb ever was... or ever could be.

It should hurt. Looking at someone who's a perfect version of you. Or they are close enough. But it didn't. It was... amazing. Under all the bravado, there was a foolish man who knew his limitations. That man saw Wen as something special. This wasn't about empathy. It was a genuine human connection that had happened here. It was that smile. Seb knew he saw it. It was there. Just for a moment. But it looked so real, so right.

Seb's family wouldn't be happy about this. If you know someone is stronger than you, you don't let go. You twist them to fit your needs. Seb didn't want to do that. Wen was like a porcelain figurine, cracked but still standing. Too much movement would shatter it. Seb couldn't allow that. He wasn't used to this. This feeling. Is this what happens when you find someone you genuinely enjoy? It wasn't love. That's too weird. It was better than that. It was just good. There wasn't a lot of that in the demi-god's life. Now he wished there was.

There was little doubt that this experiment was successful and the best thing to do was to end it, if just for Wen's sake. "OK, here's what we are going to do. I'm going to sober you up now. Um... the last time I did this after an experiment, it didn't go well for me. So, just if it works, leave me in the corner. I'll wake up eventually."

The sucky thing about this was that Seb didn't know how Wen's organism would react to him breaking up the substance in his system. That's why this was the only option. It wasn't difficult to pull it back. But there was more. Something was following it back into the demi-god. Strong energy. A surge building from Wen's skin.

Without warning, Seb was slammed into the nearest wall. A faint blue light emanated from the hand he had been using to hold Wen. "Damn," Seb coughed, barely able to catch his breath. It hurt. He didn't mind. "Subconscious magical defenses." Through some struggle, Seb raised his hand and gave a thumbs-up. "You're awesome, Wen." With that, he slumped over to his side... and started snoring quite loudly.

[Jiang Wen]

Nothing more about him? If Seb had questions, he wasn't asking them aloud but there was a strange feeling where their skin met, like there was more than even he knew was going on between them. Strange. Wen didn't normally feel much at all for other people. He just tolerated them, a little like cats, actually. They were around and occasionally he needed them for something but for the most part, he ignored them and they ignored him.

"...what?" Confusion crossed his face. Sober him up? Was he not sober? Wen blinked slowly. Perhaps not but he didn't recall drinking anything. Perhaps it was... paint fumes. No, perhaps it was...

Magic. Wen's body responded violently to what it considered a breach of its system. Even he could feel the magic snapping at Seb like a massive rubber band pulled taut. Then Seb was physically thrown against the wall and Wen's body went rigid for a long moment before he took in a deep, gasping breath and stumbled up to stand. There was a strong energy still bouncing around inside of him and it made him feel like he'd overdosed on adrenaline.

Wen knocked over a nearby easel, staring as Seb gave him a thumbs up and then promptly fell asleep. With his head swimming, Wen stumbled to the closest wall and leaned against it, closing his eyes tight. When he opened them again, Seb was still there, snoring as if he had fallen deeply asleep.

What... just happened? Wen looked around, half expecting the shop to be mess. Other than a few things out of place, it seemed fine. They hadn't been robbed. Wen ran both hands over his face and took a few deep breaths. He had no idea what to do with Seb. He couldn't leave him there, he supposed. But he wasn't bringing him home.

After a moment, Wen moved over to him, waving a hand over his face to make sure he was breathing. Then he sighed and curled his hands under Seb's upper arms so he could drag him over to the futon in the back room. Art took time to make and sometimes there was no time for them to go home. With some difficulty, Wen eventually got Seb onto the futon. Strange how a man like that could look no more innocent than a child when he slept. It was probably the deception of his lashes and his tumble of dark hair. Wen shook his head and then slowly backed out of the room, closing the door quietly.

Once he was alone, he wrapped his arms around himself.

What happened?

He didn't have full memory of their encounter. But there was something untoward in there. Magic or... drugs or something. Wen frowned, then went straight for the mini fridge, where he pulled out a cold bottle of water.

[Seb DeMarco]

What the hell just happened? Everything hurts... but not really. More soreness than anything. Seb remembered flashes. There was Wen – the one with the robot boyfriend – and then there was a bang. That was probably Seb hitting something. And then nothing. Now he's on a futon. This was like the time he was at an all-male frat party... except he was naked... and he remembered everything. Fun times.

Seb turned and faceplanted into the floor. "Ow," he said almost deadpan. He pushed himself up. It wasn't easy. His legs felt like jelly. His body felt like jam. His head felt like a split open watermelon. None of it was good. What the hell did he put in Wen? This wasn't supposed to be this strong. And why the hell did Seb have the sudden urge to share traumatic childhood instances? He needed to leave before he started sharing some shit.
Wen was nearby so Seb had to try to sneak out. Now that he was sober he might not be too happy with what happened. Despite his problematic feet, he managed to leave. Seb was sure he wasn't supposed to be in this room. He opened the door and leaned out. Wen wasn't looking in this direction. Good. He dashed – or rather waddled – to the counter.

Seb couldn't just leave. He took out his checkbook and wrote a 10,000-dollar check. He didn't give a fuck. His family could afford it. Those self-obsessed, tyrannical psychopaths. In addition, he added his business card. Luckily there was a paper and pen in arm's reach, so he could also leave a note.

Wen,

So, stuff happened and I'm sorry about it. I should have had you sign a release. Anyway, I feel bad about it and I'm not going to tell anyone about your robot lover even though it's the best thing that I've ever heard. I just wanted you to know that you are not the problem. Fuck other people! You are awesome. Don't let them make you feel less than you are just because they are afraid of your greatness.

Seb

PS. Call me. We'll hang out. Get coffee. Talk about robot boys. It'll be great.

Seb left the note with everything else. He sneaked to the exit but before he left, the demi-god yelled, "Love your hair. Hope you win." He had no idea what it meant but it seemed appropriate. And with that Seb was gone. Whether Wen would be his test subject or something else, only time would tell. Nah, this totally the start of beautiful, and slightly messed up friendship... whether Wen wanted it or not.

[Jiang Wen]

The quiet was back. Seb slept and Wen pulled out a sketchbook, abandoning his current work with the sculptures. When he had drawn the strange man to memory, he closed the sketchbook and looked out the window for a long moment, nursing his cold water. He only looked back over at Seb once more before he sighed, raised his arms above his head, and went back to work with the sculptures.

Whenever Seb woke up, he was so silent about it that not even Wen heard, and he was usually pretty observant about these things. In fact, he didn't realize Seb was even lurching about the shop until he heard a sudden shout. Startled, Wen jumped and jabbed accidentally at his sculpture. Heart thumping, Wen looked up, and then around. He stood, looking for the source of the familiar voice.

It sounded like he had left the shop. Yes, he must have. The bell that rung when people entered and left went off but once Wen arrived, he was just... gone.

Wen blinked, idly toying with his hair. What did he hope he won? Puzzled, Wen turned away, then found that there were a few extra things on the counter. A hefty check. A business card. A letter. Wen briefly pursed his lips before he drew the letter closer to inspect and read it. Then he looked at the card with the number on it. He didn't know what kind of person Seb thought he was but Wen wasn't the type to go around calling weird strangers... especially those with an uncanny ability to extract the story of his "robot boyfriend" from him.

Swallowing hard, Wen hurried over to the old cloth bag slumped down by his art space and he thrust everything into the bag, plus some of his supplies and his sketchbook. Then he slid it over his shoulder and turned the shop sign so that CLOSED faced outside the window.

He promised to watch the shop today but he had more important things to do now.

( Queen HaloQ I think this thread is done but let me know when you want to follow up!)