All the baws with The Spein and Jonbut (And a non-formatting laaaazy Kiwi)
For once, the manor was quiet. They'd finished a rather long round of performances, and by the time they got back even Rabbit was ready for some rest, and so The Spine saw no problem in bringing a book out of the Hall of Wires where he usually hid. Instead he took it outside, figuring he could enjoy some of the sunshine while things were peaceful.
( Read more... )
So life returned to normal. The closeness stayed between them stayed, to a point, but everything was forgotten for The Jon and time moved on.
Currently, the golden automaton of Walter's Steam Man Band was sitting crossed legged in front of his well kept stash of Crystal Pepsi, his mouth twisted into a partially serious, partially confused line. And he was thinking.
Thinking very hard.
That was never a good sign.
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"Hiya, Spine!" He didn't budge from his spot on the floor. "Whatcha up to? Oh! You found some more? Where at this time?"
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It wasn't a lie. If there was one thing he couldn't do, it was lie to his little brother. He could barely lie to other people, but something about lying to The Jon just seemed that much worse.
"So what're you doing lurking around down here?" He asked in a slightly teasing tone.
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From his position on the floor, brass hands fidgeting atop of his knees, The Jon watched The Spine as he loaded up the shelves, trying to make a mental calculation of the new total. Something just wasn't adding up correctly and it was making The Jon's head spin a little trying to make sense of it.
"I dunno, just some math, but I must need a new lesson cause my totals aren't coming out right." His bottom lip stuck out in a childlike pout, fingers tapping out a beat on his legs. "But Petey said I was doing better at my plusses and minuses, so I don't get it. Can you help me, The Spine? You're smart with maths."
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"Sure thing... what're you trying to figure out?" He asked, though he had a faint idea that he knew. It figures that The Jon would be more conscious of something like this. He was a dreamer, but he did have a few threads of practicality to him, however understated they usually were.
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"It's the numbers! Petey said he hasn't found another stash to buy out for over four weeks or something, but no matter how much I drink, the numbers don't get any lower. That isn't the way math works. I know that." And a genuine look of innocent annoyance flashed across The Jon's face as he huffed, a puff of soda cloud steam escaping his mouth. He knew he wasn't necessarily the brightest crayon in the box, especially not in comparison to The Spine, but he was sure that he had a better grasp on numbers and basic math than this.
It was terribly frustrating.
"What's going on? Do you think my portal is doing something weird again?"
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"No, you're right. Math doesn't work that way. And it's not your portal." He explained, resting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I've just been having a little bit of luck finding some myself is all." He hoped that this was one of those times that once the problem was solved, The Jon's attention would move right on to the next point of interest. He didn't want to even try to lie to his brother, and the more questions there were, the closer he would skirt to that.
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"You? But Petey said..." Huh.... Wait. "You mean you didn't tell Petey? Or anyone else? But why?" Now The Jon was really confused, this was making no sense from his limited perspective. It was such a random thing to hide from the others in the house. Yes, The Spine so often appreciated his privacy far more than anyone else within the Walter home, but that was in matters that were private and personal to him alone. Not something like The Jon's Crystal Pepsi supply.
What was really going on here?
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Him at a loss for words? Rare indeed.
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"Spine?" His hand moved to tug the silver robot's shirt sleeve gently, his lips twisting into a semi-concerned frown. Even The Jon could easily tell that something was not right between them. The Spine's evasiveness, his silence... It had only been a simple question, a small inquiry that was rolling around nonstop in his strange mind since he'd noticed the steady supply of his drink. He had no idea just what he was about to step into. "What's wrong?"
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"Sorry... just kinda worn out is all." He was worn out, but that still didn't sit right with him. It was getting too close to lying. "I'm finding some people willing to trade their old pepsi cases for work they need help with. Didn't say anything because the others have enough on their plates as it is." There. Closer to the truth to ease his guilt...
Slightly.
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So the mini-interrogation was halted immediately. The Jon didn't want to upset The Spine and make him lash out, not when they had been getting along so well as of late, but just because he wasn't asking questions didn't at all mean that the curiosity would disappear from his mind. Unfortunately for the older of the two, this would be one of those few times when his interest in the subject was far too great for him to just forget about it. Not until it was all settled.
"Okay, The Spine." His hand retreated, moving back to his lap before he fluidly rose to his feet, moving far too gracefully for a man of metal and gears. He adjusted his hat, giving the stack of pepsi cans one last look before sharing a soft, very shy smile at his brother.
"I'm gonna go play in my room now."
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"Have fun, okay?"
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Needless to say everyone else was delighted with this windfall, they didn't think to ask what kind of help. The Spine was the sensible one after all. He wouldn't do anything too terribly dangerous, he was too responsible for that ( ... )
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