#robotsteele

      “   …   i  know,   “    it’s a soft  murmur  on  her  lips   as  slowly,   she draws out of herself   :     formerly,   her  arms  were  hugging  her  own  form  tight,   head  dipped,    long,   winding  locks of   lavender hair  falling  over  her  shoulders.     it was  the   warm ,  metal  hand  touching  her  shoulder  that  seemed  to  time and time   again  remind   jane  that  she  didn’t  have to  do  it  alone.    eventually,    she  looks up   and  her  eyes  find  his  so  - robotic  -  yet  -  human  face,     the  ghost  of a  smile  quirking  her  lips  upward.   a  moment  later,   jane’s  hand  rests  atop  the  one  on  her  shoulder.     “  thank you,   cliff. “

  “  i …   i’m  sorry,   cliff. “    larry  sighed  heavily,     arms  wrapping  around  himself,   eyes  closing  for a  moment.    “  i’m  sorry.      i’m  just a   little  bit stressed out.    i  promise,    it’s fine.    everything’s  fine. “

@robotsteele.

“We have got to stop meeting like this, Chum.” He mutters, leaning over Cliff as he delicately removes Cliff’s damaged leg at the knee joint. “I don’t like having to pick my friends up off the floor in pieces to put them back together again. The Metal Men worry me enough as it is..”

   “  ...     what is it? “    doe eyes  look  up  at   cliff   in  sincerity when he approaches :  the first moment  they’d had alone  since  dr.  harrison  had been  eradicated,   since they’d finally been  reunited  after  all  these  years.   no  more  shenanigans,   no more  distractions,    no more  cult leaders  or  butterfly-collecting  freaks  or  stoned  dadaists.     just  the   two   of  them.        jane  smiles  a  little  bit,    reaching  to  touch  his  hand,     skin   against  light  metal.    “  i missed you when it was just  danny and me, “   she decides to speak first. 

     “ i’ve never really  felt  like this  before. “    larry  sighs  heavily,   leaning against  the  sink  in  the bathroom  and  looking  at himself  tiredly  in  the  mirror.     radioactive  bones  showed  through  translucent  skin   from  where  larry  had  taken  off his  shirt :   he  seemed  much  slimmer  and  much  more  exhausted  than  normal.   turning  around  to   look  at the  other  where  cliff  was reclined  on their  bed,  book   in hand,   through  the  open  door,    larry  shrugged  and  ran  a  hand  through  his  disheveled  blond  hair.  “ i think i’m spending  too  much  time  asleep  …     my  grip  on  reality  is just not that strong anymore.    maybe i ought to tell  keeg  to  hand  me the  reins   for a  couple  weeks … “

  “ don’t you realize at this point,    mr.  steele,    that it’s very rude to interrupt a man  while he’s  working? “    smooth lilt  passes from a face without lips,  seemingly  filling the room with harmonious  sound,   unsettling  and  echoing.   gloved hands  work to  pin a  butterfly in place with the others on the endlessly stretching wall,   the poor creature  struggling pathetically  against his  manipulating  fingers.     “ i do hope you’re not planning on staying for dinner.     i’ve got company.  “ 

“Charming as always, Robotman. Try not to be too brash, will you?”