Maraich was in his apartment, as usual, watching his son. He had Matthias set up in a little chair to play with a variety of colorful toys. Nearby he was resting on the couch
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Astro looked at the elevator doors as they opened for him, admitting him into the hallway leading to Maraich's apartment. He paused a moment on the threshold, swallowing lightly before he started walking, his boots making soft sounds on the floor as he went. He was nervous, to be sure; this was his first world hop experience, and his first time meeting someone he'd previously only spoken to online. And he was coming here for a very serious matter.
Still though, even with the nervousness, there was a tone of excitement to it. He was going to get to meet Maraich and Matthias, and the experience of being in a very different world was interesting, almost exhilarating. It was with these altogether mixed emotions that he came to a stop outside of the door, staring up at it for a few moments, then finally raising a fist and knocking twice.
That was the knock he was waiting for. He couldn't help but be a little weary as he pulled himself off the couch. That was simply something that came from raising a kid.
He opened the door and peeked out with a soft smile and small, but cheery, "Hey there." He opened the door further to let Astro in. The room was decent sized for an apartment, but crowded with a piano, desk and some couches. The toys and playpen didn't help, either. Still, it was a nice living room in light shades of blue, and light coming in from where a small balcony was. Furniture was dusted and the carpets were vacuumed, making it obvious that even though a mess of toys was splayed out across the floor he still cleaned up the place.
The boy robot froze slightly when the door opened and he looked up, blinking. Smiling at the sight of Maraich, he raised his hand. "Hi there." He walked inside when the door opened further and looked around curiously.
"You have a very nice place here." He stopped a few paces in and turned around, looking up at the man. "I like your apartment very much." Turning back around he blinked, then smiled. "Oh, and this must be Matthias!" Astro's tone was light and cheery as he moved over to the chair where the baby was at.
If there was one thing Astro loved about humans, it was human babies. They were so cute and innocent, and he loved playing with them. Stopping beside Matthias' chair, he giggled and waved, smiling. "Hi Matthias, my name is Astro." When the toy broke, Astro sprang into action as it were and went over to it, picking it back up. He turned it over in his hands for a moment or two, then returned to the babe and held it out to him. "Here, you dropped this."
Giggling, he looked at Maraich with a smile. "Oh, he's adorable~"
((OOC: Sorry my response is so belated 8D;; My nephew was over this weekend, and then Astro!muse left me for a while ^^; ))
Astro seemed like a cute kid, and polite enough. He was familiar enough with humanlike robots, so he didn't have too much trouble thinking of Astro as a little boy.
"I know. He is mine, after all," Maraich responded nonchalantly as Matthias took the toy back. He swung it a bit with one hand, with the end of the flower banging lightly on the table. For a brief moment he paused almost as if he was thinking about what to do with it. Then he leaned over as far as he could with his arm outstretched and let it drop again.
Maraich figured he'd interrupt before it went on too long, "Don't worry too much about it. He seems to think it's fun to drop stuff and get people to pick it up right now. I think it'd just a phase." At least he hoped it was. He stayed in place, figuring he would let Astro get around to what he wanted to talk about whenever he was comfortable.
He was halfway to getting it again when Maraich spoke, drawing his attention. Astro looked up at him and blinked, then chuckled faintly. "Oh. Okay." He smiled at Matthias before his expression did a 180. Staring at the ground, he sighed, his hands balling into slight fists at his side.
The reason for the change in his demeanor was obvious: He'd decided on finally discussing what he'd come to. He looked at the couch, gesturing at it slightly with one hand. "May I sit down?"
For now Matthias was satisfied. Even when the toy wasn't picked up, he went back to tugging on the other toys. They were more securely locked in, however, so he wasn't able to pull them out. A few of them played tunes of children's songs when their buttons were pressed, but they weren't too loud.
"Go ahead," he said reassuringly, patting the spot next to him gently. Astro's expressions were especially easy to read. It didn't take much to figure out what was probably on his mind.
Astro watched the boy for a few moments longer, a ghost of a smile passing through his manmade features. He then turned and walked over to the couch, putting his hands on the seat and pulling himself up onto it, turning around once he was there to sit down.
He rested his hands in his lap for only a moment before he laced them together, his thumbs twiddling nervously. He was staring at his feet the whole time.
"It..." Astro stammered for another word or so, then gave up and shook his head. "I don't really know where to begin..."
The young robot nodded slightly, then sighed. "His name is Atlas, and he really really hates humans..." Astro was silent for a moment or two before speaking again, spreading his hands in an almost-shrug. "I don't like it, but I think it's because of how some humans treat robots... And he wants me to join him, but I don't want to do it!" The sharp change in his voice was accompanied by his fists clenching again, before his hands relaxed and he looked up at his friend.
"When... when we were captured by him-- my classmates and I --I said I'd join him, just so he would let them go and not have them as hostages anymore..." Astro's head sank slightly and he was looking off again; his voice quieted as well. "I'm not proud of it... But he was doing mean things to them, and threatened to make them go away forever! I had to do something!..." His eyes closed and he shook his head. "I did get away, and we had a fight and I defeated him. But I don't want to do it again... I just want to stop fighting him..."
The situation had vaguely familiar overtones to it. He let Astro finish, and gave him a minute before he responded, soothing but firm, "Sometimes we don't want to fight but we have to. Sometimes we have to do a lot of things we don't want to, to keep people happy, or safe, or protect people we care about."
He placed a hand on Astro's shoulder, looking him in the eye. He couldn't find any way to whitewash the situation that wouldn't lead to disappointment later. His eyes were thoughtful, almost too understanding of the situation after growing up fighting and having many times he had wished he could stop. He added as little more resolutely, "That's why we have to stay strong. People count on us."
He listened in silence, letting it absorb into his mind. When Maraich touched him he looked up, staring at him. His eyebrows knit together slightly, giving him a little air of confusion, but his face cleared at the further addition from his friend and he nodded, looking off again.
"I know. It's kinda hard sometimes though..." Astro paused for a few moments, thinking over his words. He inhaled deeply, and released it in a sigh. "But I have to stay strong for my friends and family..." That was muttered softer than the rest, more to himself than anything else. Raising his head he watched Matthias again, sitting in silence.
He could tell Astro was still struggling, and he couldn't blame him.
"It's hard," he admitted, smiling just a bit to encourage him, "But you'll have me." He left his hand on Astro's shoulder, gently.
Matthias was going about his business as if nothing was going on. The toy he'd taken an interest in was on the opposite end of the table, so his back was facing them as he pressed the buttons to make the lights flash and music play.
Staring at, or rather past Matthias, and intent in his thoughts he jumped slightly at Maraich's touch, which so suddenly brought him from them. Blinking he turned his head, staring up at the man, before he broke into a smile.
Still though, even with the nervousness, there was a tone of excitement to it. He was going to get to meet Maraich and Matthias, and the experience of being in a very different world was interesting, almost exhilarating. It was with these altogether mixed emotions that he came to a stop outside of the door, staring up at it for a few moments, then finally raising a fist and knocking twice.
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He opened the door and peeked out with a soft smile and small, but cheery, "Hey there."
He opened the door further to let Astro in. The room was decent sized for an apartment, but crowded with a piano, desk and some couches. The toys and playpen didn't help, either. Still, it was a nice living room in light shades of blue, and light coming in from where a small balcony was. Furniture was dusted and the carpets were vacuumed, making it obvious that even though a mess of toys was splayed out across the floor he still cleaned up the place.
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"You have a very nice place here." He stopped a few paces in and turned around, looking up at the man. "I like your apartment very much." Turning back around he blinked, then smiled. "Oh, and this must be Matthias!" Astro's tone was light and cheery as he moved over to the chair where the baby was at.
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Giggling, he looked at Maraich with a smile. "Oh, he's adorable~"
((OOC: Sorry my response is so belated 8D;; My nephew was over this weekend, and then Astro!muse left me for a while ^^; ))
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"I know. He is mine, after all," Maraich responded nonchalantly as Matthias took the toy back. He swung it a bit with one hand, with the end of the flower banging lightly on the table. For a brief moment he paused almost as if he was thinking about what to do with it. Then he leaned over as far as he could with his arm outstretched and let it drop again.
Maraich figured he'd interrupt before it went on too long, "Don't worry too much about it. He seems to think it's fun to drop stuff and get people to pick it up right now. I think it'd just a phase."
At least he hoped it was. He stayed in place, figuring he would let Astro get around to what he wanted to talk about whenever he was comfortable.
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The reason for the change in his demeanor was obvious: He'd decided on finally discussing what he'd come to. He looked at the couch, gesturing at it slightly with one hand. "May I sit down?"
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"Go ahead," he said reassuringly, patting the spot next to him gently. Astro's expressions were especially easy to read. It didn't take much to figure out what was probably on his mind.
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He rested his hands in his lap for only a moment before he laced them together, his thumbs twiddling nervously. He was staring at his feet the whole time.
"It..." Astro stammered for another word or so, then gave up and shook his head. "I don't really know where to begin..."
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He didn't want to press him too hard. Giving him something to start with might help, though.
"You wanted to talk about that other robot, right?" he brushed his bangs back as he looked down at the boy.
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"When... when we were captured by him-- my classmates and I --I said I'd join him, just so he would let them go and not have them as hostages anymore..." Astro's head sank slightly and he was looking off again; his voice quieted as well. "I'm not proud of it... But he was doing mean things to them, and threatened to make them go away forever! I had to do something!..." His eyes closed and he shook his head. "I did get away, and we had a fight and I defeated him. But I don't want to do it again... I just want to stop fighting him..."
Reply
He placed a hand on Astro's shoulder, looking him in the eye. He couldn't find any way to whitewash the situation that wouldn't lead to disappointment later. His eyes were thoughtful, almost too understanding of the situation after growing up fighting and having many times he had wished he could stop.
He added as little more resolutely, "That's why we have to stay strong. People count on us."
Reply
"I know. It's kinda hard sometimes though..." Astro paused for a few moments, thinking over his words. He inhaled deeply, and released it in a sigh. "But I have to stay strong for my friends and family..." That was muttered softer than the rest, more to himself than anything else. Raising his head he watched Matthias again, sitting in silence.
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"It's hard," he admitted, smiling just a bit to encourage him, "But you'll have me." He left his hand on Astro's shoulder, gently.
Matthias was going about his business as if nothing was going on. The toy he'd taken an interest in was on the opposite end of the table, so his back was facing them as he pressed the buttons to make the lights flash and music play.
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"R-really?"
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His tone was slightly defiant, almost as if he was telling someone that he wasn't going to die even if he was supposed to.
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