Family Reunion Sort of (9-5-2011) [open for all]

It was a little after schoolhours, for both the high school as well as the university, and there was a girl in the high school uniform that hanging around just outside the schoolgrounds. By the way she was looking at the university and especially it's doors it was quiet clear that she was waiting for someone.
Biting her lip and looking at her watch every few seconds hoping that she his classes hadn't ended before hers and that he had already left for the mansion. He didn't know that she was here and she really wanted to surprise him. The girl that was waiting was no other then Hoshi and the guy she was waiting was no other then Aemilio.

Not even in the slightest expecting to find Hoshi here, Aemilio left the university an hour later than he was suppose to, muttering curses at the assignement he still hadn't managed to finish. He had his eyes on his Ipod, trying to find a song that would help him relax as he left the grounds, not in the least paying attention to anything around him.

Having waited for so long Hoshi let her shoulders slump, thinking that she had missed Aemilio because his classes had ended earlier then hers. Turning around to leave she heard the opening and closing of the doors of the university and a pair of footsteps, expecting to see a teacher she looked over her shoulder. Turning around fully as soon as she saw that it was in fact Aemilio, her entire face lighted up and she ran over towards him.
"Onichan!" she said happily throwing her arms around him, holding him tight, maybe a little too tight, "I've missed you!"

Upon hearing that all too familiar term, 'onichan' in that equally familiar voice Aemilio looked up from his Ipod, eyes wide with susprise and confusion; 'that's impossible...!' he thought, but just as he blamed it to his imagination he got trapped in a slightly too tight hug.
"What the-?!" he gasped, his brain needing a couple more seconds to process this was really happening, "Hoshi?! Wh- How...? Why- what are you doing here?!"

Hoshi let go of Aemilio when he didn't seem as happy to see her as she was to see him taking a step back after that. Looking a little dissapointed, shoulders slumping once again.
"Aren't you happy to see me?" she asked, "The scientists thought it be good for me to see if I can fit in a real human situation..."

"I- no of course I'm glad to see you," Aemilio said, a smile coming to his face as he finally hugged her (the wait for that to blame on his surprise as well as being squeezed half to death just now). His hug was a less suffocating but still tight enough to lift her off the ground and spin her around. "I'm really happy to see you. Just... you startled me."
After putting her down he placed a small kiss on her hair. "Long time, little sis'." Then in a lowered, hinting voice: "perhaps it's best not to discuss the scientists here in public hmm?" He looked around for a moment, then added with a small grin: "I swear, some of the people here are more curious than is good for them."
That made him think: "where are you staying?"

Hoshi's mood immediately lightened up when Aemilio said that he was happy to see her and hugged and spun her. Putting her arms around him again, though making sure she wasn't squeezing him this time. When he said that it was probably best to not mention the scientists in public she just shrugged, there was hardly anyone around let alone within hearing range. But then again he had a point, she had to be carefull not to blow her secret if she ever wanted to be allowed to leave the lab with any degree of permanance.
"I've got an apartment in the flat," she said pointing towards her windows of her place in the large building, "I think I'm going to ask if I can get a pet cause it's pretty lonely in the evenings..."

Looking at the flat his 'little sister' pointed at Aemilio smiled and suggested: "well, how about we go there? I need to get away from this place anyway..." he gestured to the university building, "I've spent so much time in that library I actually claimed one of the chairs there as my own."
He looked at her with the pet comment: "what kind of animal?" His eyes became absent for a moment, remembering his father forbad him to ever have a pet again after the horse, the puppy, the cat, the bird and finally the goldfish. After the way they all ended it still confused Aemilio that his father allowed him to have a stepbrother...

Hoshi chuckled when her 'big brother' said that he had claimed one of the chairs in the universe libary as his own. That really did sounded like him already. But she nodded at his suggestion of going to her apartment, leading the way towards the flat. At his question of what kind of a animal she wanted as a pet she shrugged, not really knowing the answer yet.
"I don't know," she answered, "I first want to know if I can before I think about that... Does that sound weird?"

"No, sounds normal enough," he replied in a small chuckle, "I was just wondering if you'd given it any thought. So how do you like the outside world so far? Why did the boring men in the white coats decided to let you go now?"
That made it sound a little like she'd been released from a mental institute, he realised, and he smirked a little at that thought.

"Good," Hoshi answered with a cheerfull smile, not getting the possible pun she gave him a sideways hug, "they want to know if I can pass for normal girl and this is a small town and you are here in case I need help so... that's why I think... Didn't really bother asking about it, I just wanted to leave before they would change their minds."
She was babbling, she knew that, but she was just so happy to be out of the lab and be capable of seeing her 'big brother' every day for a full schoolyear if everything would go well. Of course she was nerves about being on her own, very nerves, but at the moment she was just to hyped to really let the nerves get through.

Laughing at that last, Aemilio side-hugged Hoshi back and replied: "m'yeah, gotta be careful around those nerds! Come to think of it... have you made any friends? Or met new people?"

At that moment he thought about the mansion and wondered what it would look like to his house mates, if they saw him walking here with Hoshi like this.

Keeping her arms around Aemilio Hoshi smiled a content smile, she felt save with him close, as if she could take on the world. The memories of him spending time with her at the lab where her better once, mainly because he threated her like an actual person not an android or a project. The scientists didn't show much sympathy towards her, keeping themself distanted to make it easier to work on her. Or delete her if the investors where nolonger interested.
"I've met the people in my class, my teachers, some people during the lunchbreak but I haven't really made friends yet..." she answered with a shrug, her smile fading a little as she added, "Onichan... do you think your father... would consider... buying me from... 'the white coats'?"

Just about to ask more about Hoshi's life outside the lab so far, Aemilio found himself caught of guard by her quesion. First of al because that question sounded slightly wrong if you pulled it out of it's context, but mainly because he didn't know how to anwser.
He didn't want to get her hopes up but he didn't want to disappoint her either. "I don't know," he replied, "I'll ask."
'Now just to come up with a fabulously good reason for him to spend that kind off money', he made a mental note.
"You might want to help me come up with some good reasons for him to do that?"

Hoshi hadn't been very hopefull about getting a positive response so when Aemilio told her that he didn't know but that'll ask came as no surprise to her. When he said that she would have to help him come up with a good reason she already had a few ready in her mind. Having had several still ongoing discussions with the scientists about her rights and what they could and couldn't do to her without any headsup or consult.
"Because they threat me like a project," she started off, "while I've been programmed to be an exact human but I have no rights. They can do any tests and reprogramming they want without me having any say it in. And... they'll delete me permenantly if the investors are nolonger interested in me..."

Hating to have to say the next, Aemilio hessitated for a moment but finally informed her: "you might want to give him something other than moral reasons...?" He didn't want to say it outright but he didn't think it anywhere near likely his father would spend an immense amount of money without any personal gain - and the good feeling some people get from doing the right thing didn't count... family trait.
"Nevermind, I'll come up with something?" he said with a encouraging smile, giving her arm a small squeeze, "so... just to get things clear... how much time do I have for that?"

Hoshi thought a little longer when Aemilio said that they needed a reason other then moral ones even though he told her not to. Her eyes drifted to his robotic arm, her eye scanner making a quick scan, the results giving her an idea, but first she would answer his question.
"I don't know," she said, "I think that if everything goes well this schoolyear that the investers will stick around for a while longer but it's unsure for how long. I might know a reason to persuade your father... I can fix and optimilize all your mechinical appliances, including your parts. But I can't replace or update them... Do you think your father will be interested knowing that?"

Frowning at that last, Aemilio's expression slowly started to clear up; "you know something," he said absently, a smile starting to form, "that's not a half bad idea."
Then he realised he hadn't shared several thoughts racing through his head just now, and explained; "not the arm-thing that much... I mean, it would be a nice bonus but... with your abilities, you're..." he didn't finish that, but just smiled at her and said: "I'm sure I can get my father to 'buy' you." He didn't like saying it like that but it was the truth and he didn't feel like finding another term for it in his victory moment.
He stopped walking for a moment, to see Hoshi's reaction.

Very excited about the possibility of Aemilio's father actually buying her having become realistic Hoshi gave him a, slightly too, tight hug. Laughing happily as she did, feeling like for the first time she actually had a change of becoming free and nolonger be afraid of being deleted. But as that moment of utter happiness started to fade her mind went over what he had said before sharing the good news.
"If not for your arm and the other things then what would your father want me to do?" she asked a little confused, letting go off him and looking at him with a tilted head. Though she really wanted her freedom and safety from being deleted she did had moral standards, so she hoped that what Aemilio had come up with wouldn't ask of her to break those.

Chuckling at Hoshi's happiness Aemilio didn't even mind being squeezed a little - though it reminded him he should remind her; "hey?" he started with a cough from the strangle-hug, still smiling though, "you should really be more careful with your strenght..."
Then to her question he replied: "well, it would be a great personal bonus if you can help me with my... prostetics..." he said, thinking 'bonus' sounded better than 'kissing up', "but I was thinking along the lines of... well, my father's company... you could help out with factory check-ups, system failures...? And not just for themselves either - he has a lot of contacts with a lot of otherpeople and businesses and companies... I'm sure they're just begging to have someone like you around. You might just become his number 01 employee."
As he said it he realised that still was far from Utopia and went on in a more neutral voice; "I know that still doesn't make you completely free but... at least you'll be safe from the creepy nerds," he said with a small grin, imagining the look on the scientists faces when they'd be dryly informed that Hoshi wasn't theirs anymore.
"Besides," he went on with a warm smile and a wink, "I'll be sure my lil' sis' won't be working too hard."

Aemilio was right when he thought that it wasn't really what she was hoping for, but she was made to help humans. So Hoshi had a bit of a mixed expression between excited and a little disappointed. She had hoped to have a somewhat normal human live or at least be capable of spending time with her big brother. But if it got her some freedom it would be worth it, right?
"Will I have a bit of a say in things like some free time?" she asked him a little hessitant, "Will I have some rights? Like a normal human?"
If that wouldn't be the case her only advantage would be that she wouldn't have the fear of getting deleted. Well that and the possibility of seeing Aemilio more often.

"Hey you..." Aemilio said, halting and taking her hand, looking her in the eye with a warm, confident smile and telling her in a certain voice, "you're my little sister right? I promise you, you'll be treated like a princess. Even if I have to come there myself and slap them until they automatically start throwing rose peddles whenever you show up."
He was overeggagerating there but he did intend to make sure Hoshi was going to be treated like a human being - better if possible. He gave her a hug and smiled at her again; "now put on a smile, it suits you."

Letting out an excited yelp Hoshi jumped up and down hugging Aemilio back a little too tight, but not so tight that it would suggest that she was stronger then she should be. Giving him a kiss on the cheek, having very real hope that she would be free from the 'white coats' some time soon.
"You are the best big brother EVER!" she said still hugging him a huge smile, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Letting out a laugh at Hoshi's happiness - her childlike cheerfulness had that effect on him more often - then realised they were in public and after the hug and the kiss suggested: "how about you show me your place?"

"Okay" Hoshi answered, letting go of Aemilio. All but skipping the last part to her apartment, not standing still in the elevator either, getting a few weird looks for that. Once they had reached her apartment most of her hyperness had passed, but there was still a big smile on her face as she opened the door letting Aemilio go in first. Closing the door behind him and leaving her shoes by the door before joining him in the living room/kitchen which she only used to seem more human. Suddenly feeling a little selfconscious though uncertain why.
"I'm still busy making it more cozy," she said before he could say anything, "I've been busy with the bedroom so far..."
The living room was rather bare, it had been fully furnished and there was a painting on the wall and there where vases with different kinds of flowers on nearly every flat serves except for those in the kitchen. But it was still clear that she hadn't lived there for all too long yet.
Walking over to a door she opened it and showed that it let to her bedroom that did look like she had spend some more time decorating it. Though it might not really be something you would expect from a high school senior. There where posters on the walls with pictures of beautifull sceneries, some more vases, though not as much as in the living room. There where a few stuffed animals sitting on the bed and about five different BBJ dolls sitting next to each other on her dresser. But there was also a clearly very hightech computer sitting on a desk in a corner, one strange wire lay unplugged next to the mouse.
"So what do you think?" she asked a little nerves about his opinion, she hadn't had a say in the furnishing but she had done all the decorating herself, "The couch can be turned into a spare bed so you could sleep over some time...?"