Cosmo's oneshots / drabbles

Whumptober day 15 - childhood trauma

MePhone was focusing really hard. His eyes squeezed shut and his hands clenched into fists as he took a moment to do what was told.

Another tree. He was asking for a lot of trees, but as he opened his eyes, well it could hardly really be called as much.

Cobs, who was standing beside him just let out a small hum. Disappointed, as he scribbled something down on a clipboard.

MePhone glanced at the mans expression, and then the clipboard, before blurting out;

"I- I can do it again, I um-- I'll do better." He scrambled to adjust. He didn't like it when Cobs was unhappy with him. Sure, he was already trying his hardest, but he could definitely try harder!

Anything to make him happy.

But today, he wasn't given the chance.

"No, no." He waved a dismissive hand. "We're done for today." Cobs just sighed, looking down at the robot, his expression completely indifferent.

One of many days that just didn't seem to yield any good results. A lessening opinion from both sides. Both directed at the robot.

He wasn't incompetent. He could do this. He was just... Still getting the hang of things! So what, the tree he tried to generate today was just some small, weak looking sapling, why did that matter? It shouldn't. It was still technically a tree! It... It would grow eventually.

At least he could generate his night lights just fine. At least the dark of his room wasn't so suffocating as he was resigned for the night.

Another day, another test. Another few things, none of which being a tree this time, not giving him the chance to try again properly. Maybe that was on purpose, but by the end of it, he was too worn out to really think about it.

A cycle. Days like this. Days doing other things. All just small, menial tasks to keep him busy, it felt like. He didn't know what it was all building up to. Cobs never gave him any clear answers. It was clear as time went on, he wasn't exactly happy in the robot's company, either.

The disappointment only felt like it was growing. Festering into something more, and MePhone hated himself for it. He was the one not doing enough. He was still not trying hard enough, even if it was the hardest. It just sucked. But he went along with it. Anything to make Cobs happy.

A moment after getting yelled at. The small spaceship stored safely away in his room because he just didn't have the courage to try and show it to the man again. He hated when Cobs yelled.

"You know I didn't mean it, right?" He'd always say, trying to de-escalate the situation. To keep the robot subservient, and unafraid. The emotional emulator was such a fickle thing.

"Yeah." MePhone would always reply, but as it kept happening, he always just seemed sadder. This wouldn't work forever.

Another day of generating things, and by the end of it, MePhone felt proud of himself for once.

"I did good, right?" He finally glanced over to Cobs, a small smile on his own face, before it dropped completely. Cobs was looking forward at the things, his expression completely indifferent. Just another hum.

"Yes, well you're... Certainly getting somewhere." Was all the man said.

He didn't like these tasks. He didn't like any of this, but he did it, because it was all he ever knew. Past the drawing in his free time, the occasional screentime, everything else revolved around his tasks. He was getting somewhere, but what did that even mean? Was it good? Why couldn't Cobs just be proud of him like he used to be? What changed?

A free day. Walking around, even though he knew he shouldn't be. A closet. A fateful encounter. He was getting somewhere alright, but it didn't seem too good. A few things clicked in his mind. Mostly fear. That he wasn't doing enough to make the man who created him proud anymore. That he could end up broken and alone in a closet, too. He couldn't let that happen. He was so tired of knowing nothing else but this. So tired of not being enough despite trying his hardest.

So he left. Hoping whatever he found out in the world would be better than this. It had to be. Even when leaving, some part of him wondered what Cobs would think if he saw the spaceship now. If that would've even been enough, but that didn't matter now. He didn't want it to matter.