forum Glitches // OxO // Closed

Started November 27, 2019 by @ElderGod-Icefire

tune

"Hey, I know from experience that mental health is a priority." He gestured to himself sarcastically, "It's bad enough that the company I was supposed to inherit is conducting cruel experiments on you, but I hope you know I'm not like them." Jude thought about what Nyx had gone through, living in near solitude his whole life. He tugged at his sleeve nervously and sighed. "I want to help you, I need you to let me help you, in any way."

Nyx shrugged slightly. "They're a big company. Nobody's going to stop them. Especially not when there's military potential and funding involved." He rn a finger along the edge of the pod. "And especially not when they can do anything they want, and I can't say no." His mouth twisted into something bitter.

Jude scoffed and shook his head, "Look, I'll figure something out." He tiredly looked up to Nyx's face and at the pained emotion he displayed. "I want to get you out of here, Nyx. But I'm only going to do this if you'll put your faith in me, and help me help you." Jude exhaled, looking down, "I'm asking if you'll say yes."

Nyx blinked slowly, and finally shrugged. It's a trick. It has to be a trick. He doubted than anyone could or would actually help him. "Why did you even open the pod up in the first place?" He asked, raising his eyebrows a little.

Jude glanced back at the smooth metal chamber that had previously held Nyx in.
"It's kind of embarrassing," he laughed, "It looked really alien. Like something out of Star Trek or something. I didn't really know what I was doing, I just thought It'd be something I could draw, or engineer further."

Nyx watched him for a long moment. "Oh." Was his only response for a while. Then he said, slowly, "So you opened it up thinking it would be something cool, and then you think I'm beautiful because I've lost so many body parts and had them replaced. And now you say that you want to help?" He arched an eyebrow.

Jude scoffed, "Look, I didn't know what I was looking at before I opened it, you're twisting my words." He looked at his watch. Shit, I only have a few more minutes. Jude tucked a strand of his messy hair behind his ear and tried to convey to Nyx that he was sincere in what he was saying. "You are nothing like I've ever seen, the circumstances of your body parts are kind of irrelevant, but what's important right now, is the fact that I'm kinda risking my ass being here, and trying to convince you that I'm being honest."

Nyx crossed his arms, a sharp click sounding through the room as he did so. He winced slightly, and dropped his arms again, wondering what was wrong with him now. "Even if you are being honest, you could still fail, and maybe I don't want to risk that. Maybe I don't want to get my hopes up again that someone will help me, only to be disappointed."

Jude had had enough, he exhaled sharply as stood up, dragging the chair to his side. He took a long breath and closed his eyes for a beat before looking back to Nyx.
"I'm going to leave now." He said, "I'm going to get a job here, and I want you to think about what you want to do. I'll come back tomorrow, and if you decide it's what you want, I won't help you. I won't say anything and I'll never come to this room again." Jude stuffed his cold hands into his pockets and looked at Nyx, wondering what he might say.

Nyx nodded a little. He lay back down in the pod and plugged himself in. "You need to close the pod before you leave." he said simply, eyes flicking up to the ceiling and tracing the lines and edges that he found there. "If you don't close it, there will be trouble." he didn't know what sort of trouble; just that there would be.

Jude moved towards the pod and rested his hand on the outside.
"Just…think about what you want. I'll be here tomorrow." He said before closing the lid.

(Yeah I totally can :) )

"There won't be any thinking going on. I'll shut down once the pod is closed." Nyx replied with a slight shrug. His left eye was definitely glowing now, a result of being plugged in. As the pod closed, he closed his eyes. Shut down begun. A few minutes later, words flashed through his mind. Shut down complete.

Jude watched as Nyx laid down and said those final words to him, as the metal top of the pod closed and the room was quiet. His hands rested there and his gaze lingered on his warped reflection staring back at him. He knew what Nyx had communicated to him; his hopelessness was the result of the years of abuse, and Jude felt like he, too was trapped between the choices of right and wrong. Would leaving Nyx here be just as cruel as the experiments they did on him? Or was his final wishes of solitude the least he could give him? Jude sighed tiredly and began walking to the door. He looked back to the pod once more, turned, and strode into the empty halls.

Nyx lay still and silent, shut down. He merely breathed.

Jude's father was waiting impatiently for his son to arrive, seated at his desk. Papers lay in front of him, his computer opened up and waiting for a command.

Jude walked down a series of well-lit hallways, his pace quickened and direct. Finally, he'd reached his father's office, a lone room with glass walls overseeing the main lobby and meeting rooms below. He knocked on the chestnut door, firmly, and reminded himself to act confidently, as if nothing were the matter, and to stand up straight.

"Come in." His father called, shuffling the papers on his desk into a neat pile and looking at the door. When Jude came in, he gave a tight smile. "Ah, Julian. Done with your tour already? And what do you think of the facilities here? They aren't our only facilities, of course, but they are the largest."

(what's their relationship like? And what's the dad's first name?)

"Afternoon, Dad." He greeted, walking into his office and sitting one of the two cracked leather chairs in front of his fathers' desk. Mahogany, of course. Jude noticed, running a quick finger across the varnished edge.
"Yeah, the guy, Dave or Dylan or something, showed me all the.." He paused, mumbling, looking for an example of where he'd been, "-Nooks and crannies of this place. Pretty sweet setup, I gotta say."

Aaron nodded. "Alright. So. The big question. You going to be willing to work here, take on the mantle someday?" he asked, linking his fingers together on top of the desk and looking at Jude carefully.

Jude swallowed, and almost let his eyebrows furrow together, but chose a neutral smile in hopes to show some interest. "Uh, well-" He began, "I'm going to say yes, to working here, at this facility if that's okay." A quiet, nervous laugh escaped from him, What am I getting myself into? He asked himself.
"I'll be working in robotics, and I'd like my own lab, on the ground floor, cause you know– heights." He shrugged comically. "I kinda wanna be left alone, but…" Jude sighed, "I accept your offer, work here."

Aaron blinked, a little surprised that Julian had caved in so easily. "Ah. I see. Do you have a lab in mind already?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and studying Jude carefully. He wasn't quite sure what to say. "Or would you like one assigned?" he looked at his computer, typing out a command. "There are a few empty or nearly empty ones that might work."