Enter the reflection

[darkerstripes]

The first thing he notices is that he's no longer plugged into his charger base. He wasn't asleep- he doesn't have the need- but he'd set his senses to 'hibernate'. It passes the time faster than being alert all night, when his (caretakers? friends?) humans are asleep. He has his danger alert system on, so if something entered the apartment he would know.

Apparently the same was not true of exiting the apartment. His eyes come back online with a soft green glow and he starts in surprise. Dust, cobwebs... stone. Nothing is familiar. That isn't possible. He doesn't dream, and he sensed no change, no movement. Hesitantly, he stands, glancing around, poised at every joint to run or dodge.

No danger is apparent, no matter how many times he scans. He can't trust his sensors, though, because they didn't even detect his arrival here. How could he have been moved without noticing?

"Kotetsu?"

He calls to his host. His own voice echoes back through the room, sounding eerie as it returns to his ears from the outside. They buzz with light feedback. He frowns. If anything has happened to Kotetsu... The android feels his eyes flash red for a moment at the thought.

He can feel the anxiety rising in his wires, sparking circuits and making his voice box feel squeezed. He remembers what Barnaby taught him, about controlling fear. Breathing in three, out five. In three, out seven, in three, out ten. Focus on your physical form. Take stock of what you know is true, toss out what you're assuming. Start over.

He is in a throne room. There is no immediate danger. He is unsure how he arrived. He is unsure of Kotetsu's whereabouts. The android takes out his phone and attempts to send a message. No signal. He does another breathing exercise. He doesn't actually need the air, of course, but his body requires the pressure change to speak, and the rhythm of it soothes even his synthetic body.

All other options exhausted, he must explore and search. He opens his map program and begins with a fresh, empty blueprint. He estimates the dimensions of the room, adds in the doors. He chooses one of those doors, and begins his exploration.

Comments

[darkerstripes]

Toshi can't stop the fond smile that forms when Kotetsu punches the air. He's just like a little kid sometimes with his enthusiasm, but it's so refreshing to the android. It's pure and it's wonderful, and it makes him feel content in reality, as stupid and romantic as that sounds. "I shall work on some test designs, then." And make sure Kotetsu can be there for it, since he's so enthusiastic.

"As long as you're careful..." Fussy mombot strikes again. He lost track of you and when he found you again you'd forgotten him, okay? He's worried. "Flying would be extremely useful." He hopes he can find these flight-enabled persons.

There has to be some sense, some order, some force behind this place and everyone's arrival here. Toshi is going to hunt for it. Hm, that's very scientific of him, isn't it? That's another moment of individuality for him to jot down and keep close. A logician. Makes sense, he thinks, considering he's a being of binary and physics. There's an ounce of pride in his smile for a moment, before it goes back to just being fond of Kotetsu.

And his adorable little signs what the heck. Toshi grins a bit wider at them, warmth tingling on his skin. "Thank you." For being so kind despite not knowing him, for being welcoming and trusting and offering him a place near yours to call his own, for the sign offer. For just existing, really. He shyly approaches the room next to Kotetsu's, opening the door to have a peek inside.

It's a room. Dusty and full of webs and signs of misuse. It's simple, sparse. There is a desk, at least. Almost a table with a chair, really, but that's enough. He doesn't need the bed. Toshi's nose wrinkles at the mustiness, but perhaps cleaning it up will be a good distraction from his worries.

"This one will do."

[oldmantiger]

Kotetsu scoffs. "I'm always careful." This is not as much of a goddamn lie as it sounds, at least from his perspective. He's always as careful as he thinks a hero can let himself be. But sometimes, you have to put yourself in danger so that others can be safe. It's just part of the job, really.

...still. Even he can guess a little at why Toshi might be especially inclined to fuss. Kotetsu smiles as reassuringly as he can, and pats Toshi on the shoulder. "Relax, pal. I'll make sure you don't lose track of me again that easily."

And a good way to start with that is getting Toshi settled in to a room nearby. Kotetsu finds himself hesitating for the barest moment as Toshi picks the one right next to his. Reassurances from Bunny aside, he's still having bad dreams. Though none of them have been as bad as that one on the first night, he still doesn't want Toshi to overhear.

...it'll probably be fine. The walls should be thick enough, as long as his dreams don't get as bad as Bunny's. So instead, he just moves to peer curiously over Toshi's shoulder at the new room.

It's about what he expected. Not for the first time, he wonders - how long has this place been abandoned for, anyway?

"Yeah, I know. They're kind of a mess. Hell, I barely got any sleep the first night I was here just because of how dusty it was." Among other reasons.

"Guess the sleeping won't be a problem for you, though. Man, that'd be great. I wish I didn't have to sleep."

[darkerstripes]

He rolls his eyes, facing away from Kotetsu. He most certainly is not always careful, but Toshi doesn't want to argue the point. He will just continue to be vigilant in his protection of his heroes. Kotetsu and Barnaby will protect all of Sternbild... or all of this Castle... and Toshi will protect them. That's how this works.

Toshi is caught off-guard with the display of encouraging affection, and the reassurance against exactly what he was most afraid of. You really are something incredible, aren't you Kotetsu? His face relaxes from it's initial surprise into total fondness. He never knew what he did to deserve Kotetsu's best effort, no matter how often he keeps getting it. Their old pattern of playful banter comes to the fore before he can stop it. "You better," he hopes it doesn't come across as too familiar. His eyes widen again for a moment and he stares at his feet.

"They are clearly unused." Which is for the best, in some respects. Toshi wouldn't want to commandeer a room that already belonged to someone. "This place is very strange." Did someone used to live here? Did it have a purpose and a family and a history? How would they even learn? Kotetsu had mentioned a library... with a big mean crocodile monster in it. Maybe not there, then.

"Shall I help you dust it? It is important to get proper sleep..." Fussy mombot strikes again. And shakes his head. "It can be rather tedious, truthfully. I am fascinated by sleep and dreams..."

[oldmantiger]

((ooc: And I figure we'll call it here with general cleaning/hanging out, say that Toshi met up with Barnaby later, and running off happens?))

Kotetsu knows that he can sometimes be very careless of other people's feelings. It's something that he tries to keep an eye on, because it's something that's caused his most important people a lot of unnescessary pain in the past. He's still not always successful in paying attention when he needs to. But it's gratifying when he is. The way Toshi seems to settle and relax and metaphorically start breathing again in the face of that reassurance is very, very gratifying.

He opens his mouth to tell Toshi that it's fine, that he got his room at least to the point of being liveable a few days ago even if he doesn't especially want to think of having been here a few days. But then he takes another look, and thinks again. Maybe it will do them both some good to get their hands dirty for a bit. It can be a way for Toshi to feel like he's doing something, and a way for Kotetsu to get used to being around him.

So instead, after he makes a play of consideration, Kotetsu nods. "I think we've got it pretty cleaned up, Bunny and me. But hey, another pair of eyes can't hurt, right? Then after that, I can help you straighten this room up. It's only fair, right?"

[darkerstripes]

Any carelessness that Kotetsu displays about the emotions of others is always from a place of ignorance rather than malice, and therein lies the important distinction. Kotetsu would never willingly cause harm to another person, and Toshi believes in that more than he believes in really anything else. Nobody is perfect, that's a fact of humanity, but Kotetsu is always striving to be better, to do better by others. Toshi strives every day to be half as strong a force for good.

It's always especially wonderful when the hero manages to do well with his observing. He continues to relax in slow stages, each breath that passes another little release of tension. He found Kotetsu. Kotetsu is safe, even if he doesn't remember him... he's accepting him again. Adopting him all over again, like he did the first time. "I would like to assist in making sure you can rest well, as long as we are all stuck here." He offers an uncertain smile, still worried his over-caring might not be welcome. But his fears are unfounded, of course, which Kotetsu proves all over again with his insistence in helping.

"The dust will not bother me but... I will not send you away." He doesn't want to leave Kotetsu alone. Not yet. He nudges the hero gently with his shoulder, and turns to Kotetsu's room to begin his battle against the mess of disuse.

((we can call it done there yes c:))