Like Starlight - The Spine

Chapter Two ~~ The Spine Convinces Sophie to Face History

 When she's done the cloth is stained to the color of cardboard. She throws it into the pile of laundry waiting to be done. Feet tapping across the concrete floor as she moves towards the steel sink she'd installed beside one of the shelves.

"Thank you, Sophie."

She turns the water on, a small smile on her face as she pumps soap into one of her hands.

"Yeah, don't mention it."

She turns the water off, wiping her hands on her pant legs. Before looking back up at the incredibly realistic eyes of the automaton staying with her.

"We could go back to the old manor tonight if you want?"

"Why not this morning?"

Her heart jumps slightly as she heads towards the door.

"Long story."

"I can listen."

The Spine follows after her, walking back into the house. The floor creaking underneath their weight. Not as terrible as the floor of the old manor, far from it, and the wood didn't bow beneath her weight. But it still reminded her of last night.

"We're selling the property and anything inside of it to Becile Industries. I'm sure you remember the Becile family to some degree, considering your history. But uh... things went downhill around the time things with my family went downhill."

The two walk back to the kitchen, Spine following slightly behind. But somehow whenever she looked back, he was right by her side.

"So the old feud is back between your families?"

"Well... yes and no?" She says, confused in her own right. She pushes some of her falling hair behind her ear as she preps the coffee pot to brew.

"I'm the main cause of the feud, my father collaborates with Becile industries frequently from the articles I've read online. My mother is good friends with them, I think she moved into their mansion when she left dad. But me and the youngest Becile.... Let's just say we've got history."

He nods as you wait for the coffee pot to brew. Looking around your apartment. You wanted to ask him a thousand questions, bombard him asking them. But you decided against it, instead sticking with the simplest of the thousand questions running through your head.

"Do you like to read?"

He turns towards you.

"Yes."

She can't help but smile about that, a huge grin spreading across her face.

"I've got a bunch of books all over the house. You can go looking through them if you want."

He nods, before pausing again.

"What's wrong?"

"It's strange not having my guitar."

She looked him over, he couldn't slump, but he definitely looked disheartened. Maybe it survived, somehow, in the rain and the cold and the hot weather... and she couldn't just let it stay for Becile.

"We'll go now then."

She grabs a to-go cup out of a cabinet. Filling it with sugar and black coffee. She'd need to be awake if she was going to do this. She grabs her keys off of cool island countertop. Taking the metallic hand of the robot.

She opens the front door, feeling as The Spine shifts behind her, she closes the door. Locking the deadbolt and walking to the car. Letting go of his hand as they both slid into the car. Driving silently yet again. She didn't know if he could tell she felt a little awkward just being silent. But when he spoke up she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.