"Mh…yeah, my dad doesn't think so." Jude mumbled, "And besides, it'd never going to happen, so…" He shrugged. It was an extremely hard process to turn some amateur screenplay into the real thing, even with his father's connections. Jude sighed, "I mean..it's a pipe dream. I couldn't actually do it."
"Why not?" Nyx asked slowly, raising an eyebrow and looking at him inquisitively. "What's stopping you?" His blue eyes were curious and…to be honest, rather innocent. Maybe a lot. He didn't know much about how the world worked, and he would have been the first to admit that.
"Well, for starters, I haven't been to film school, which is pretty essential for the TV and movie industry. They teach you all kinds of stuff there so you're qualified to work when you graduate." Jude sighed, his cheek and slight stubble brushing against the soft blanket. All his ideas were for himself, and his daydream of making a movie. "It's a very long process; trying to get people to really see your vision. And besides, my parents wouldn't approve, I don't have a support system." He shrugged, thinking of all the friends he'd lost in the past year without meaning to.
Nyx cocked his head a little. "So?" he blinked slowly, watching Jude still and trying to puzzle out all the connections he was missing. "Why do you need their approval for your life? You don't have to be limited by them. I…can't ever be anything, but you could be anything you want to be." he glanced at his arms and legs as he spoke, at the metal and wires, then at Jude again.
"Well, it's all about trust. Credibility. They need to know that you know what you're talking about and can do your job." He nodded slowly, twisting a strand of blond hair, "I need their approval because they have the resources to execute my vision." It was a process he knew he should have started a long time ago but had been sidetracked by his father's expectations and his former addiction.
"..And don't say that about yourself." Jude said, turning to him, "You will be something. You already are, too. You're Nyx, and I'm Jude, and I'm gonna get you outta here, so you can live a normal life." He shrugged, as if it were the most casual thing in the world.
Nyx thought for a long moment. He let out a soft, huffing laugh at Jude's last words. "I can't live a normal life." he replied, shaking his head. "Not looking like this." he ran a hand through his hair. "And…why do you need their resources?" he asked, studying Jude and trying to understand.
"Well, to make a movie…you need a lot of help. You need cameramen, directors, actors, lawyers, costume makers, makeup artists, prop artists, producers to fund stuff…and just, so many more things that'll cost money, and people's effort to create something that…will be successful." Jude sighed, reminding himself of just how far he was from creating something like that. He turned to Nyx.
"You can, and you will. I told you that I was gonna help you. I'll 3D print a shit ton of prosthetic, or even lab-grown skin, you won't even be able to tell. I'll make a new eye to fit your current optic recognition software and..uh—" Jude shrugged and gestured with his hands, "Whatever else that comes to mind."
Nyx frowned a little. "Then… shouldn't you begin as soon as possible? Not wait for approval from your parents?" He asked. He shrugged. "Still. I'd always have to be careful about the metal. It would set off metal detectors. I could never fly, they would think I was wired with bombs."
"I have started…more or less. Just a few mindless drafts scattered here and there on my laptop. I just know that it will never happen, though I'd like it to." Jude said. This dream of his had haunted him since childhood, and it would take a miracle fo his idea to be accepted and developed into the real thing. What wouldn't take a miracle, though, was getting Nyx out into the world.
"Okay, so some things..you'd have to avoid, find another way of travelling! Think of all the things you could do! All the places you could go, all the people you could meet, all the art and music and beauty you could see for yourself. It's worth it, I promise you that." Jude said.
"Then…get a draft finished." Nyx replied slowly. "Polish it up, and…send it in, or whatever." He shrugged wordlessly. "And yeah, maybe that would be nice, but…I don't have anyone to experience it with. I can't remember hardly anything from when I was younger, and…" He ran a hand through his hair.
"I dunno, I know I'll finish them, but…just some other time," Jude said, "I mean…I could? Show you some things. Once we get you all dolled up, maybe we'll head out on the town; give you a taste of the city. Just to get you adjusted. But you don't…have to be with someone. I learned a little while ago that for some things, it's good to just, be alone sometimes. But don't worry, I'm not just gonna throw you out onto the street all by your lonesome. I'll show you the works." Jude smiled, still toying with a strand of hair.
"No, I meant…" Nyx shook his head a little. He honestly didn't know what he had meant by that. He did want someone to be with him, but he didn't know in what way he meant. And besides, it's not like he could ever really grow close to someone. Eventually, someday, they would notice something off about him, then figure out what he was, and it would all be over.
"It's cool," Jude shrugged, "You don't have to figure out everything right now, we've got quite a bit of time on our hands. Everything will work itself out– you'll see." That was the truth. Jude believed that they could really pull this off. It would take some time, but it was possible, and there were people out there who would accept him as just a regular person. "We can figure it out, together." He smiled.
Nyx shrugged a little, but gave him a small, shy smile. "I…are you sure?" He asked softly, studying Jude. He was scared that maybe Jude would take it back at some point, or it would be a lie, meant to test him because he was just an experiment, not a person at all, and it terrified him that he might get this taste of something normal and real and it could be taken away.
"Quite." Jude laughed, staring at Nyx's eyes for a little too long. No one will ever have such eyes. He thought, no one in the whole universe will have this particular shade of electric blue, with one pale line streaking through the left. Jude swallowed, looking away shyly but still smiling at the thought of Nyx's unforgettable individuality; what made him so fascinating.
Nyx smiled again, a bigger one this time. "Okay. Thank you." he said. His smile was just a touch lopsided on one side, in an endearing, unique manner. He wrapped the edge of the blanket tighter around his body, even though the only part that really felt it was his torso, neck, and the right side of his face.
"You're welcome, don't worry about it," Jude replied, fidgeting with his sleeve.
"Oh- and I feel like I should ask you; the guys who are coming over later are old buddies of mine, and they won't tell anybody about what they're doin' here. It's completely under the table. I won't tell them anything, but they're gonna be rewiring your pod to this room once they've got it down." He said, gesturing absentmindedly. "Is that okay?"
Nyx blinked slowly, then nodded a little. "Yeah. That's…that's fine." he replied, running a hand through his dark hair as he studied Jude. He couldn't help but wonder what he was feeling when he looked at Jude. He really wasn't sure. He didn't know what he was feeling. He wished he did, but he didn't.
"Okay," Jude chuckled timidly, "We still have an hour, what do you want to know about?"
Jude couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement; anticipation for whatever would come next, and how Nyx would react because all he wanted to do was learn and get to know him for who he was and how he was feeling. It's not weird, he's just interesting. He reminded himself.
Nyx moved to sit crisscross, looking at Jude happily. "I don't know. Uhm…everything. Tell me…" he ran a hand through his hair again, excitement lighting up his face. "You pick." he decided, looking at Jude with his eyes almost glowing with that same happy, almost innocent excitement.
Jude smiled, admiring Nyx's childlike wonder, and trying to remember the last time he'd been that excited for something. The first time I saw Nyx. His mind told him. "I think I should show you some piano." Jude smirked and reached over to the laptop, having a feeling that Nyx might enjoy it.
Nyx raised his eyebrows inquisitively, but didn't say anything, just watched as Jude typed in the term in the search bar, watching as Jude navigated the computer. He was still smiling happily, just glad for any knowledge that Jude could or would give him. He wanted to go outside again at some point, look up at the sky. He wanted to see the stars. He wanted to see the moon and the night sky.
Jude had an idea and paused before hitting enter. He stood up, forgetting about their tent of a blanket, immediately transforming into a tall ghost. He laughed while struggling, but managed to escape from the soft clutches of it.
"I have an idea!" Jude exclaimed, dashing to the door, holding his computer like a football, "Come on! Oh– and bring the blanket, would you?" He asked, grinning.
Nyx blinked, but got up, picking up the blanket in one hand and following him with another happy smile. "Alright." he replied softly, catching up with Jude after a moment. His blue eyes were bright and happy.
Jude pushed past the door, jumping into the open, his converse scraping on the rough pavement and the warm and hazy evening darkness welcoming them two. He placed the laptop to the side and took the blanket from Nyx, hurriedly spreading it out on the ground. "Come on," He laughed, motioning to his makeshift picnic blanket that he'd sat on, already searching on the laptop for something particular.
Nyx blinked, and sat down beside him. He looked up at the sky happily, looking up at the stars that were already poking out as the sun went down. He smiled contentedly, stretching a little and looking up at the sky with big, curious eyes. The eyes of someone who just wanted to see everything he could. A childlike sort of wonder.
Jude turned to face Nyx looking up at the sky, wanting to catch his reaction to the first song he'd play. "This is by Claude Debussy; called Clair de Lune; which means; moonlight." He smiled faintly as he pressed play and listened as music erupted from the computer.
(i have this on repeat 24/7 its so nice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTfeMhyyy5o )
Nyx blinked, and glanced at the computer. His eyes widened a little as he listened to it, another smile spreading across his face. "It's beautiful." he said softly, eyes softening. He closed them, leaning his head to one side a little as he listened to the music. The first he had ever heard, that he knew of anyway.
(ooh I've heard it before)
Jude smiled softly at Nyx, thankful that his eyes were closed.
"It's the first song I properly learned how to play on the piano," Jude said, thinking about all the lessons throughout his childhood. "There are thousands of songs like this." He nodded, "Some longer, shorter, faster, slower, some more beautiful than others, some so beautiful, that you can't help but dance to."
Nyx nodded a little, still listening. "I…I don't think I can dance." he replied slowly, another smile flickering across his face. "But…" he wanted to hear other songs. He wanted to listen and see and touch and experience everything he possibly could.