Robotic Heart

Ivan Kronski was a thin, lanky man with a crop of mousy colored hair that had since lost all of its dark luster that it had once held in his childhood from working exclusively within the laboratories of his home. His skin had also lost all color it may have once had due to being in the dark by computer light or working exclusively by the fluorescent bulbs above. His assistant, Reni Myers, was a cute little thing, with short hair in a pixie cut and friendly brown eyes. At least they usually were friendly.

Now, as Reni leered disdainfully at the thing that Ivan was busy working on her eyes had lost their gentle nature. The very thing that had driven the man's health into decline as he spent nearly all of his time on it instead of pausing to take a break every now and again stood motionless before her. The object in question was in human shape and very lifelike, if one were to glimpse it passing them on the street they would not be able to discern that it was merely a lab project but merely a human with unique choice in hair coloring. Long unnatural white hair tumbled down the robot's back, bangs brushing her cheeks and in the way of her closed eyes. If one were to touch the skin of his robot it would feel fleshy, but the flesh of the robot held no warmth, even when the object was turned on - and it was often turned on. At the moment it was off, many wires attached to its back spilling down and around the thing's frame and on the floor to the machines they plugged the robot into.

"Reni?" Reni's head jerked up, eyes alight once again as she smiled at Ivan who reappeared around several stacks of filing cabinets. The areas he worked in were never well organized, filing cabinets and tables often littered the area askew and messily placed as if Ivan would rather have them in the area he needed them in as quickly as possible so that he may get to work sooner. Reni, at the start of her working career under Ivan, had often taken it upon herself to neaten up the area, push things against walls that should be and into corners and generally make things easier to find and for objects to take up less space then where they were placed now. By the time that she would come back the next day it would all be in disarray once again so she had long given up trying.

"There you are!" Her grin widened as she strode up to him, hands clasping a silver tray full of quickly made but still healthy snacks upon it and a glass of iced tea. "Mr. Grenish tells me you haven't eaten at all today!"

A brisk wave of Ivan's hand in response told Reni all she needed to know before he even spoke, eyes roving the white haired robot up and down seemingly searching for something. Reni detested the fact that he was paying more attention to the robot already when she was there and attempting to hold a real conversation with him. "Just place it on the table over there, I'll eat in a bit."

Reni spared a curt glance to the table in question, noting the lack of any open space to place the tray. Books, loose papers, folders filled to the brim with print outs, information, blue prints and other such things were scattered over nearly every inch of the table top. Here and there she could spot the occasional tool, a screwdriver there a measuring tape here and several nuts and bolts buried beneath the papers and books. Her gaze turned back to him disapprovingly, though Ivan didn't notice it. "But then you'll just keep putting it off until you collapse from exhaustion again!"

"That's not true." Another curt reply. Ivan didn't even spare her a glance this time as he fiddled with the clothes he had adorned on the robot almost lovingly. Reni's eyes narrowed as he straightened the fur trimmed jacket the robot wore over the dress Ivan had picked for it to wear.

"Of course it is," she jerked her head to another abandoned tray with food still atop it. Flies buzzed around it at their own leisure. "Just eat something, Ivan!"

He was merely trying to shut her up, Reni knew it, but Ivan reached out, grabbed a piece of toast with jam smeared over it and took an overly large bite. The entire time Ivan chewed the food and swallowed he stared Reni down as if daring her to demand more of him. With a huff Reni all but slammed the tray down over the overflowing table beside her before spinning around on her heel and storming away, ignoring the tea that had spilled.