Re: The Gradual Massacre (GBS2G4) [Round 3: Las Orbitas]
10-02-2010, 11:12 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by MalkyTop.
Algernon fumbled with the book until it fell on the floor again and picked it up. Then he dropped it again once he was hit with a blast of resolve.
"I, er, I," he said as the elf left. Unfortunately, resolve wasn't too useful when it was mixed with bewilderment and a heavy, tired feeling. "Uh, you're not...the...boss of...me...?"
It was too late. The woman was now too far away to hear that amazing comeback Algernon had spouted out haltingly. He was a little glad she didn't hear it. She probably would have come back to mock him. Although he wasn't sure why he thought she'd do that. Maybe...she just...seemed like the type to do that?
He looked at the doorway she had been standing in moments before. The metal was cooling down now and had stopped dripping to the floor.
"Who was that?" Arnold finally asked.
"I...er...I think...didn't you know?" Algernon replied, still dazed.
"No, not really."
"She's...that battle...she's...in...it....?"
"Is she?"
Algernon looked down at the book again and picked it up. He turned it over in his hands, as if seeing a book for the first time in his life. Then he dropped it again as he fumbled to open it.
"...Do you need help...?" Arnold asked as the dark-haired man put his face in his hands.
"I can't concentrate. Why can't I concentrate? What's wrong with me?" he shouted, wishing that damn worm wasn't in the way so he could pull his hair out.
"Look," the knight said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever's going on, it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself--"
"No, you look!" Algernon pushed the consoling hand away and, surprisingly, managed to stand up. He wobbled a little before steadying and pointing an accusing finger at the knight. "I may not know what's going on here," he continued shakily. "But I do know that you aren't supposed to be here. I, I don't know, you died or something, but you're not supposed to be here."
Arnold raised his arms defensively. "You don't know what you're saying. I--"
"Shut up! You're a, a figment of my imagination or something!"
Arnold stared at him with shock and pity and sadness. Algernon shut his eyes and turned away so that he wouldn't have to see it. The cop started to say something, but he interrupted. "I don't want to be insane! I'm not going to pretend I'm talking to a dead person! Go away!"
"But--"
"I said go away!" Algernon repeated, lashing out and punching at Arnold.
His punch connected with air.
Algernon stumbled and manged to catch himself on the wall. He stayed there, leaning on his outstretched arms, gasping and staring at the ground. It felt like a hefty cloud had finally lifted from his head. While he finally felt that he could think clearly and walk without falling over once in a while, he also was able to draw some conclusions that he didn't like.
A person. A whole person. He didn't know he could do that. He wished he didn't. That must have wiped away...what? Six months? A year, even?
He stood up straight again. He paced. He kicked the wall in anger. He grasped the stupid worm on his head and pulled. He stopped once the worm dug its teeth further into his skull. He wiped his eyes, kicked the wall again with less luster, glanced at his arm and finally looked back at the book again.
He picked it up. He flipped through it. And flipped through it again.
Algernon tossed the book down and rubbed his forehead. 'Kill that damn self-made golem.' Like he could do that. Like he'd even be willing to do that. If that woman wanted to kill the Countess so much, she could do it herself. He had more important things to think about. Such as surviving.
And...he was sure the Controller mentioned engineers and this whole space thingy to go down in a spectacular burst of flame. There had to be something he could do to stop that. He couldn't ignore the fact that everybody here would burn to a crisp in about an hour and instead participate in this battle the way the Controller wanted him to (or maybe he wanted him to lie down and cry, that sick bastard).
As Algernon turned to walk out of the building, however, his eye caught the book on the floor again. He bit his lip nervously and his fingers twitched before he gave in and stuffed the book into his backpack.
I mean, he still wasn't going to kill anybody, but...a book could be useful. Somehow. Maybe.
Algernon fumbled with the book until it fell on the floor again and picked it up. Then he dropped it again once he was hit with a blast of resolve.
"I, er, I," he said as the elf left. Unfortunately, resolve wasn't too useful when it was mixed with bewilderment and a heavy, tired feeling. "Uh, you're not...the...boss of...me...?"
It was too late. The woman was now too far away to hear that amazing comeback Algernon had spouted out haltingly. He was a little glad she didn't hear it. She probably would have come back to mock him. Although he wasn't sure why he thought she'd do that. Maybe...she just...seemed like the type to do that?
He looked at the doorway she had been standing in moments before. The metal was cooling down now and had stopped dripping to the floor.
"Who was that?" Arnold finally asked.
"I...er...I think...didn't you know?" Algernon replied, still dazed.
"No, not really."
"She's...that battle...she's...in...it....?"
"Is she?"
Algernon looked down at the book again and picked it up. He turned it over in his hands, as if seeing a book for the first time in his life. Then he dropped it again as he fumbled to open it.
"...Do you need help...?" Arnold asked as the dark-haired man put his face in his hands.
"I can't concentrate. Why can't I concentrate? What's wrong with me?" he shouted, wishing that damn worm wasn't in the way so he could pull his hair out.
"Look," the knight said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever's going on, it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself--"
"No, you look!" Algernon pushed the consoling hand away and, surprisingly, managed to stand up. He wobbled a little before steadying and pointing an accusing finger at the knight. "I may not know what's going on here," he continued shakily. "But I do know that you aren't supposed to be here. I, I don't know, you died or something, but you're not supposed to be here."
Arnold raised his arms defensively. "You don't know what you're saying. I--"
"Shut up! You're a, a figment of my imagination or something!"
Arnold stared at him with shock and pity and sadness. Algernon shut his eyes and turned away so that he wouldn't have to see it. The cop started to say something, but he interrupted. "I don't want to be insane! I'm not going to pretend I'm talking to a dead person! Go away!"
"But--"
"I said go away!" Algernon repeated, lashing out and punching at Arnold.
His punch connected with air.
Algernon stumbled and manged to catch himself on the wall. He stayed there, leaning on his outstretched arms, gasping and staring at the ground. It felt like a hefty cloud had finally lifted from his head. While he finally felt that he could think clearly and walk without falling over once in a while, he also was able to draw some conclusions that he didn't like.
A person. A whole person. He didn't know he could do that. He wished he didn't. That must have wiped away...what? Six months? A year, even?
He stood up straight again. He paced. He kicked the wall in anger. He grasped the stupid worm on his head and pulled. He stopped once the worm dug its teeth further into his skull. He wiped his eyes, kicked the wall again with less luster, glanced at his arm and finally looked back at the book again.
He picked it up. He flipped through it. And flipped through it again.
Algernon tossed the book down and rubbed his forehead. 'Kill that damn self-made golem.' Like he could do that. Like he'd even be willing to do that. If that woman wanted to kill the Countess so much, she could do it herself. He had more important things to think about. Such as surviving.
And...he was sure the Controller mentioned engineers and this whole space thingy to go down in a spectacular burst of flame. There had to be something he could do to stop that. He couldn't ignore the fact that everybody here would burn to a crisp in about an hour and instead participate in this battle the way the Controller wanted him to (or maybe he wanted him to lie down and cry, that sick bastard).
As Algernon turned to walk out of the building, however, his eye caught the book on the floor again. He bit his lip nervously and his fingers twitched before he gave in and stuffed the book into his backpack.
I mean, he still wasn't going to kill anybody, but...a book could be useful. Somehow. Maybe.