Epics of Noche 3, Limbo

EON CH 25

MR MUSICAL'S MELANCHOLY.

1776, JUNE 9th, FRIDAY 6:00pm.

Mr. Musical was cleaning the check-in counter of his hotel when the TV caught his eye. The famous scorpion-tailed, pink-haired reporter was standing before three famous individuals.

"Hola Raptorman, Milkman, y Melody!"

He froze upon hearing that last name. Since she worked with Raptorman few people didn't know about Melody – she was famous. However, thinking about his creator still caused him to lock up. His metal hand clenched the rag as he frowned.

Shaylin helped in his creation and often visited to upgrade his software. Including updating his mind to mirror that of a human brain. So despite being a robot, he was more than capable of feeling emotions – which made moments like this difficult.

"With DeathTech having invaded over half of the humane world, are tu worried they may come for MoveCity next?" Venny asked.

Mr. Musical looked up in time to catch Melody's eye twitching. Raptorman spoke, but the robot didn't listen. He was too busy watching his creator's expression. She frowned as the audience cheered when the mayor-king finished his speech.

Melody appeared the same, a bit taller to be sure, but she still looked like an old-timey cartoon character. Gray skin with solid black eyes that looked like a pie with a slice missing. He once asked what caused her dad to take such a weird genetic mutation and she gave him the cold shoulder for the rest of the day.

That memory lead his mind back to others, back to the first time he opened his eyes. How at the end of the day Shaylin went home and he was left alone with Melody.

"I'll start by giving you simple tasks," she said. "Taking out the trash, folding the laundry, and other chores I don't want to do."

Back then, Mr. Musical was eager to please but also curious to learn.

"Why don't you want to do them?"

"Because I don't want to!" She snapped. "You're a robot, I made you to do the stuff I don't want to do. Not to ask questions."

He blinked, then nodded. That's how most of his early days went. Melody gave him easy chores and he completed them. She would get angry when he asked questions but like a small child, he had so many of them. That was ok though – being around her made him feel happy and he liked feeling useful.

However, as he improved Melody seemed to get more irritated. She gave him more complicated tasks and he completed those increasing efficiency too. As time went on the gray-skinned girl tended to avoid him and it made his world a little colder.

Mr. Musical didn't like the feeling, so he tried harder. Yet despite his efforts, she only seemed to avoid him more and more. It was as if the better he got the more she disliked him. However, that couldn't be true, she made him for this very reason. Why would she punish him for it?

"Maybe I'm not doing good enough," he often thought. "Maybe if I improved faster she would be proud of me."

Then one day, Melody's uncle died. The chaos of MoveCity claimed him with a collapsing building. Mr. Musical didn't find out until late in the evening. By the time he came home, Melody was missing. He searched the entire house, the neighborhood, and all the spots he could think of... But his creator was gone.

It was years before he saw her again. In that time, Mr. Musical used the knowledge and skills he gained to construct his own building. One that wouldn't collapse and bring tragedy to his life again. His hotel slowly rose in fame when it became the only building to remain intact for more than a year.

Not much later, Shaylin came back into his life. After she had helped create him, she had taken a job at a factory. She then paid off her father's medical bills and went to college for robotics. Shaylin graduated at the top of her class by creating her own cybernetic left eye.

As they chatted she revealed her current goal was to open up a business. Mr. Musical offered to help invest in her dream and together they formed a partnership. In return, Shaylin promised to advertise his hotel to people who are new arrivals to the Create continent.

Together they had formed Shaylin's shop of junk and had been close ever since. Eventually, Mr. Musical informed her of how Melody abandoned him. She didn't react well to it and promised to be there for him and everything, but it wasn't the same.

He wanted to talk to Melody. Understand why she left him. Yet he could never muster up the courage despite knowing where she was at.

The robot sighed as he finished polishing his desk. On the tv, the interview was over and the pink-haired reporter was talking about something else now. His eyes lingered on the channel and he picked up the remote. With a click, the TV turned off and Mr. Musical was left alone with his thoughts.