Work Text:
“I need to borrow your laptop,” said AuDy.
Aria looked up. AuDy blinked down at her, their face as impassive as ever. They gestured at her laptop, where it was lying abandoned on the coffee table where she had been ignoring her homework in favour of scrolling through tiktok. She’d managed to hit a real niche in the algorithm where it was just showing her braiding tutorials and synthesiser mods and so she hadn’t wanted to swipe out of it.
Aria frowned. “Don’t you usually borrow Cass’?”
“Their laptop has been compromised,” said AuDy.
AuDy, either due to the isolated nature of their upbringing or their brain being on a different frequency because of the amount of nightshifts they took in a row, often used a different word choice than Aria would have chosen. She hoped Cass hadn’t been compromised. The press hounded them enough even before they’d discovered that the former European royal had moved in with a former Disney channel star.
“Compromised?” said Aria. “Compromised how?”
“Their laptop was hacked,” said AuDy, their voice pretty neutral for something that Aria felt should be at like, defcon four.
She couldn’t believe Cass hadn’t told her. Maybe they were embarrassed. Sometimes they could get all weird about something they considered to be the “normal regular human experience” that they were going through for the first time, like losing at pinball or ordering at a drive thru.
“Their laptop was hacked? When did they get hacked?”
“Last week,” said AuDy.
“Last week?”
“Yes,” said AuDy. “I would prefer to use one without such issues. I need to complete a paper.”
“Don’t we all,” said Aria.
AuDy blinked at her.
“Yeah, sure, you can borrow mine,” said Aria. “Gives me an excuse not to use it.”
“I will return it when the paper is completed,” said AuDy. “I expect to be done by midnight.”
“Yeah, sure,” said Aria. “Man, I can’t believe Cass got hacked. I wonder how it happened, I mean, I thought Orth put like a million security programs and firewalls on their stuff.”
AuDy shrugged, a single up-and-down motion of their shoulders. Well, they weren’t a curious kind of guy, after all. She’d just have to get to the bottom of this herself: by asking Cass when they got back from the library.
“You got hacked!” said Aria.
Cass paused where they’d been hanging up their coat by the door. “Uh.”
“Like, your laptop got hacked? AuDy said they couldn’t use your laptop,” said Aria.
“My- It wasn’t my laptop,” said Cass. “It was just my spotify. I don’t really know if that counts.”
Aria frowned. “They hacked your spotify?”
Cass sighed. ”I think it happened after I left it logged in when I was covering Mako’s shift at the coffee shop, some customer must have like, grabbed my details and they’ve been fucking with my algorithm.”
“They- What?” said Aria. “I thought it was like, a serious thing.”
“It is serious,” said Cass. “I had everything just right, absolutely perfect, and then they come in and listen to industrial Russian rap for twenty straight hours. My spotify wrapped this year is going to be ruined.”
“Wait, that’s it?” said Aria.
“What’s it?” asked Mako.
“Cass’ spotify got hacked,” said Aria. “Wait, are you eating my tortilla chips?”
“No,” said Mako, very definitely eating another blue tortilla chip.
“Mako, those were for mine and Jacqui’s date night! I had to go to like five places to find those,” said Aria.
“Sorry,” said Mako, handing her the bag. “I only had a couple.”
Aria looked into the bag. It was half full, but most chip packets came that way so he was probably telling the truth.
Mako held up his hands. “Sorry! I bet Laser Ted can hook you up with like a whole box you want?”
“I only want the one bag,” said Aria. “Maybe Laser Ted can help Cass with their hacker.”
Cass wrinkled their nose. “I don’t want him near my laptop- Uh, no offense Mako.”
“Some taken,” said Mako. “I think you should leave it though. I think the hacker guy’s pretty funny.”
“You would,” said Cass.
“Anyone would,” said Mako. “They made a playlist of only parody songs and looped it for like fifty hours.”
“My poor spotify wrapped,” said Cass, their expression forlorn.
Mako laughed, putting his arm around Cass’ shoulders. “Come on, think of all the new songs they’ve exposed you to! Plus, you don’t even need the wrapped, I know you keep a spreadsheet.”
“I like to see their graphics,” said Cass.
“I’ll make you graphics,” said Mako. “I’ll do two even, one for you and one for your mystery friend.”
“Do not make one for them,” said Cass. “As soon as I find out who it is, I’m going to have Orth ban their IP.”
“If you find them,” said Mako. He paused. “What are you going to make for dinner? I cooked last night.”
“You reheated spaghettios,” said Cass.
“To heat is to cook,” said Mako.
“It absolutely is not,” said Cass. They paused. “I’m making stuffed capsicums.”
----
Mako paused on his way through the kitchen. Cass’ laptop was open, as usual, music playing from its tinny speakers and the kitchen bench cluttered with whatever they’d been in the middle of cooking. He glanced behind him - Cass was in the bathroom, he probably had a minute.
Step one, Cass’ password: AuDy’s birthday, backwards.
Step two, open spotify: already open, since Cass was still using it to play music no matter what he did.
Step three, create playlist: GOTCHA AGAIN
Step four, add songs: Who Are You, The Joker, I Love To Laugh, XOXO (Kisses & Hugs)
Step five, exit back to login screen: so funny that Cass thought that would stop literally anyone they lived with since they all knew Cass’ password
Step six, get snack: Aria had bought some off-brand red licorice and hid it at the back of her shelf in the pantry but, hey, she wasn’t going to miss a few pieces.
His mission complete, he just made it out of the kitchen by the time Cass was stepping back into the room. Mako leaned on the wall outside the kitchen, waiting. The instrumental track they’d been listening to faded out, and The Who faded in, followed by a clattering noise of Cass dropping whatever they’d been holding in surprise.
“I will find you,” Cass said, pointing at their laptop. “I’m going to figure you out.”
Mako laughed, whistling along to the song as he headed back to his room.