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[kickem]

Ray. Leave a message.

[Texts, calls (for 90s canon and modern day) and pictures and videos (for modern day)]

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[hairlocked]

[ Oh it's really lucky he was ready for that, because the sudden braking could have killed him. When they slow down, he pulls the seatbelt across him resignedly and jams it into the locking mechanism. ]

No, that's the wrong science fiction. Think uh--think Battlestar Galactica. That was us. They got some of the details wrong. Like Starbuck. Heh.

[ He leans across as far as the seatbelt will let him. ]

I'm a robot.

[kickem]

[Ray's not up on his science fiction enough to know much about all of this, but he appears thoughtful as he slowly pulls the car towards the apartment parking.]

A robot? Yeah, sure you are.

[Head tilted away just slightly at the lean in.]

[hairlocked]

[ Well! An extremely sophisticated squishy robot. Give him a break. He backs off from the lean in and looks out the passenger side window, humming to himself as they pull into the synthetically lit darkness of the parking garage. ]

I did say you wouldn't believe me.

[ So matter of fact. ]

[kickem]

You sure don't look like a robot.

[More side eyeing while he finds his space and pulls in without barely having to look. He climbs out the car almost immediately, more than happy not to be stuck in a confined space with this crazy guy, but he still lingers at the door, leaning on the roof.]

And if you are a robot, how did you uh, 'interbreed'-- [One handed finger quotes.]-- with humanity? See, it's bullshit.

[hairlocked]

[ Leoben takes a little more care getting out of the car, at least with the car. He looks a bit scruffy, to tell the truth, the top button of his printed shirt undone, his left sleeve open--these effects he doesn't correct. But he looks over the top of the car at Ray. ]

Who are you to say what a robot looks like, or what it can do? We were built to be as human as possible, and that includes sex, and procreation, which are not necessarily always the same thing.

[ He grins. It's sparkling. ]

But it's okay, you're still very special. More than you know.

[kickem]

Yeah, well...

[Whatever! Not even going to get into an argument about robot sex and robot dicks. Just going to turn away and start walking. He can assume Leoben will be following, if not leading eventually.]

It's my mom's job to tell me I'm special, not some Scientologist robot freak.

[hairlocked]

[ Such a scathing reply. He's hurt!

Yeah no not really.

But Leoben does hurry to catch up, falling into step just behind Ray, which is easy because their legs are the same length and everything. Spooky. But he hovers close and sticks to following, because Ray is actually taking him home because he always adopts needy robots with puppy dog eyes, and he's going to be a good little Cylon just because he's getting exactly what he wanted. ]

Well your mother is very special too, to have you as a son. I'd very much like to meet her.

[kickem]

No!

[And here's Ray spinning around sharply to jab a finger towards Leoben, snarling out in an attempt at some sort of threat. Bad puppy.]

No, you don't. You stay away from my family. And you stay away from my buddy too, 'the pretty one'.

[hairlocked]

[ Ray spins around so fast, and Leoben is already so close, that he almost walks right into him, and gets the finger right in the middle of his chest, having to lean back away from him and it, startled.

Bad puppy indeed. ]

But I...

[ He stares for a few seconds, then resolutely drops his eyes to the left, head following. Sulking. ]

I was looking forward to it.

[kickem]

[Well, there's no aggression in return. Not even threats or creepy smiles. That's... vaguely reassuring. Still doesn't mean this guy isn't a psycho intent on finding and murdering everything Ray loves.

Although it does sound like he's already found most of it.]

I don't care if you're an evil robot sent to destroy humanity, my fricken clone, or my great grandfather from centuries ago, you still aren't seein' 'em.

[So there. A huff, another jab of his finger and then he's slowly turning back around.]

[hairlocked]

[ There's nothing very aggressive about the narrowing of his eyes, but he does narrow them at the back of Ray's head as he turns away. ]

Always with the evil robots destroying humanity. [ Folding his arms around his chest. ] It's like blaming a dog for eating food off the table. It's only doing what it was taught to do.

[ And scuffing his foot petulantly, as he falls into step again, this time with a little more space between himself and Ray so that he doesn't get poked again. ]

[kickem]

[What a sulky robot. Is Ray really this bad when he's pouty?]

Pretty sure humans won't be teaching robots to destroy humanity, so that's a dumb argument.

[Elevator get!]

[hairlocked]

Humans destroy humanity every day. Look around you; genocide and murder are the human condition. It's been that way for so long you couldn't change it even if you tried, it's hard-wired into your genetics.

[ He steps into the elevator with Ray, reaching across to press the button for his floor. ]

Children learn by imitating their parents.

[kickem]

Not all humans. You get the good and the bad. Some of us are tryin' to stop the scumbags from doin' that sorta thing.

[Before he can lean for the button, the other is in there, and that's kinda creepy seeing a stranger find your floor without question.]

Even if you wiped it out and started again, there's still gonna be scumbags, same with anythin'. There's good dogs and bad dogs. Good cats and bad cats. Good humans and bad humans.

[hairlocked]

You don't need to convince me. I know. I learned. Not all humans.

[ Ray's floor isn't many up, so there's only a moment where they're trapped in a confined space together, and then the door opens again and it's amazing because neither of them are dead, imagine that.

He puts his hand on Ray's shoulder. ]

I knew I could rely on you to try and trust me.

[ Not what you want to hear from a man before you accept him into your home... ]

[kickem]

[Ray sure did have his keys gripped pretty tightly juuust in case there's an incidents. Good thing there's not because he wouldn't stand a chance.]

This isn't trust. This is uh, I dunno what this is.

[This is him conceding that if this crazy already knows everything about him, then what is there to hide? Plus maybe some curiosity about the same face thing, which he's still constantly sparing glances to even as he heads for his apartment door and fumbles with the keys to get it open.]

[hairlocked]

[ Not a chance.

Leoben is glancing back, because it's oddly strange. He's lived among thousands of other twos, but they'd all been the same, they'd all been him. This is like meeting a stranger with the same face, and it's a novelty, bizarrely.

So he keeps looking over, and smiles every time it coincides with Ray looking back at him. ]

Hey.

[ He reaches up and steadies Ray's hand with his own, gripping it firmly, turning both hands with uncanny strength--steady. Then the door's open, and he steps inside first, spinning on the spot to look at Ray because he's the new thing in this apartment, not Leoben. He's never been inside when Ray was home. ]

[kickem]

[He's less entertained by their eyes meeting, instead dropping his gaze when he gets caught. At least he's got something to stare at when that hand wraps around his and twists the door open. Why does he feel like that could have been a crushed hand if Leoben had wanted?]

Oh, hey, come in. At least I know now you're not a vampire, huh.

[Damn robots inviting themselves in.]

[hairlocked]

No, but all stories come from somewhere.

[ Totally could be legit.

He watches Ray step inside, leaving him to it, his eyes bright with interest. He takes several steps back, carefully avoiding stepping into anything as though he mysteriously knows the layout of the room. Hmm. ]

Just--do what you normally do.

[kickem]

[Ray trails in, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it onto the sofa as he moves towards the bedroom.]

I'm gettin' changed. Touch anythin' and I swear my fist will go straight through your head.

[hairlocked]

[ Leoben follow quietly, scooting up into Ray's heels, staying close behind him as he strips off his jacket, as he heads for the bedroom. ]

I promise not to touch. But can I watch?

[ Eager puppy is eager. ]

[kickem]

[Being followed into his own room by a same faced guy who claims to be a robot from the past is kind of weird. Or very weird. Either way, Ray's left just standing in his room staring back.]

Why would you wanna?

[Seriously weird. Dudes don't ask to watch other dudes get changed.]

[hairlocked]

[ Leoben cocks his head over to the right. ]

I should have thought that would be obvious. I want to know if we really are genetically identical, or if the face is just a fluke.

[ He shifts on his feet, rolling his shoulders, then brings his hand up to his mouth and chews on his knuckle, watching Ray still. ]

[kickem]

[Just staring right back for a drawn out few seconds before conceding with an eye roll.]

Freak.

[But ugh fine, it's not like he's getting his dick out and he's changed in public a million times before with an audience, if they are usually less interested in watching.

He's pretty methodical about what comes off first; holster, t-shirt, jeans, socks, perched on the edge of the bed by the end of it as he grumbles.]

Must just be a freak magnet. S'all I seem to get.

[hairlocked]

[ Leoben waits in the doorway for most of the stripping, but as Ray sits on the edge of the bed he peels away from the decent distance and patters closer, raising a finger and pointing it at Ray's right shoulder. ]

What's that?

[ Because ooh tattoo, and also defacing his lovely body. ]