Experiments of Humanity

005

Unedited

Content Warning: language, violent depictions

I force the flap of my ear into my earlobe, moving it up and down. My ear beats as I move the wax around to itch the uncomfortable feeling away. I feel disgusting, and can smell my own body odor, but I don't have anything to clean myself with. I'm glad to have toothpaste, though that's running low.

Received 09:15

How are things going?

I stare at the message Nat sent me, then flip the phone closed without responding. I scrub with a wet washcloth at my neck and behind my ears, even though I don't have any soap. I desperately need to get to a store and buy some things, but I don't know where the nearest store would be. I wipe my armpits next, missing the deodorant I shared with Luse, then pull a mostly clean shirt over my head.

Jude is sitting on the couch when I walk into the living room, his feet kicked up on the coffee table and a laptop on his legs. The table already has empty cans strewn about the top and I hold in a sigh. The door to the hallway lets out a beep and unlocks, a large warm-toned man walking inside. He stares at me, looking just as surprised as I feel, and I look over at Jude who hasn't looked away from his computer.

"Fetu, this is my housekeeper. Housekeeper, this is Fetu," he waves his hand in the air and I let out a scowl at him, annoyed he won't even tell the man my name.

"Hi," I step towards Fetu, reaching out my hand, "I'm Lys."

His ginormous hand envelops mine, skin warm and calloused. "It's a pleasure." He has the slightest accent, and nods his head at me. "Is Lys short for something?"

"Um," I laugh uncomfortably, "Analysis. My father was a scientist. How about Fetu?"

"Fetuilelagi, which means 'god of the night.' My parents are Samoan." He gives me a small smile and I smile back, then smile a little harder, before laughing.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, god of the night," I nod at him.

"The pleasure is mine, daughter of the scientist," his laugh matches mine.

"Fetu, is there a reason you're here?" Jude cuts in, and I see he's turned around to scowl at me over the back of the couch. "Or are you simply going to flirt with my housekeeper?"

Fetu frowns at this, then looks at me for a moment in confusion. "Why would I be flirting with her? We just met."

Jude doesn't respond to him, just turns back around on the couch and begins typing at his computer angrily.

"Don't you remember? You have an appointment with me at the gym this morning," Fetu calls to him.

"Not going."

"If you don't go of your own volition I'll drag you there again."

I awkwardly listen to them argue, walking around the living room and picking up cans. I don't particularly want to get any closer to Jude while he's annoyed, however I also don't want to give him a reason to get annoyed at me for not cleaning.

"I don't want to go today. And leave those cans there, I'll get them later."

I freeze, looking at him with wide eyes, before gingerly setting the empty cans back down on the table his feet are resting on. He doesn't look at me but I can tell he wants me to go away. I look up at the Samoan on the other side of the room, unsure of how to handle this situation. He gives me a smirk, walking up to the back of the couch and grabbing Jude under his arms.

"Fetu, I swear if you don't let me down right now!" his legs flail in the air as he curses.

"If I don't let you down, what? What will you do?" Jude isn't small by any means, but the way Fetu handles him like he weighs nothing makes me chuckle.