((another story parallel to others on this forum. i think it's easy to figure out which.))
There I am, at The End. I stand at the edge of a plank. Below me swirl the energies.
---You want power?---
Want?--I don't want anything. I just want to be left alone; that's all I've ever wanted.
---Answer me, insolent one!---
I want one thing--one thing alone.
---Power! You want power!---
Silence, please. Please, I'm trying to think. I know what I want. I just have to remember.
---You will have power, weak one. Do not toy with me.---
Power?...if thoughts could whimper.
A stray stream of energy whipped up against my back, tearing off my cloak. I snapped forward, my back arched, and slowly blood purled down the rivets of my spine. Another stream came and drove into my shoulder. My heart wrenched. I screamed.
Like some fragile marionette, my limbs went limp, and I collapsed. Corrosive energies tore away my clothes and bits of my flesh with. I couldn't see a thing, couldn't cry--couldn't do anything except draw into myself. Involuntarily, I convulsed, and 7 tears emerged in my flesh from where the lacerations seared. From the tears, energies shot out, making mobius strips encircling me and re-entering. Pain prevents further descrpition.
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"Fractal!"
...djs can rearrange beats...
"Fractal!"
...arranger anger eat ate debate...
"Wake up, Fractal!"
...deranger beat-dangler...
"That does it, Boy! Get up, get up!"
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Smegin' 'ell: REALITY. What sick prick-- ...stop that thought, Wool. Don't talk to yourself. For cryin' outloud, snap out of it.
I splashed some water on my face and thought about the time when I was eager to wake up. I remembered the days when you couldn't PAY me to sleep. That was before...
...before what? -- I tried to pour myself a morning drink, but knocked the bottle over. I ignored the dispersing contents and just got a fresh bottle from the shelf.
As I sipped my way back to normal -- stopped shaking -- chased phosphenes from my retina, I reaquainted myself with my surroundings.
"Greetings, honorable table!"--well, not exactly like that. More like, I tried to remember where the Hell I was. Even though I could only be in one place, the same lonely place I awoke each morning, I never failed to trick myself into forgetting.
BEEP BEEP.
Visitors.
BEEP BEEP.
How do I stop the beeping again?
BEEP BEEP.
Oh, now that's getting a bit annoying!
BEEP BEEP.
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I was almost to the door, when it opened. Deathscar stood there grinning.
"Oh no, not you," I managed.
"Oh, hey, Wooly. I didn't expect you to be here."
"What the winged hip-thruster do you mean you didn't expect me? You mean, you..."
"Is your mom around?"
"For crying out loud, Death."
"Ah, anyways, gotta run. What time's the party tonight?"
Party?
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BEEP BEEP.
O you're frickin' dead, Death!
"Sup slut." It was Armslave.
"Likewise, milch-muffin."
"Same-o-same-o," he said instinctively. and then, as if suddenly realizing why the proverbial heck he had found reason to bug me: "Check it out, dude, I got this *theory*."
"Yeah, ok, I know. If you say 'Cupcake' within 10 milliseconds of killing Prophet Man Mord it spawns a castle made entirely out of sugar."
"No no no no no, dude, listen to me."
"...?"
"Though that is true, though, I swear. And if you eat the entire castle--"
"Arm...I'm not in the mood."
"Eheh. Anyway, here's the theory: I think Phoenixius is a superhero."
"Look at the time. And -- what's this? -- the door. O ****, Arm, I found the door. You've been looking all over for this..."
"I'm serious, bro. Just think hard enough. Notice how Phoe is never around just shooting the ****, but always appears when we need her. And certain other people seem to -disappear- before she arrives. Clark Kent much?"
"Hi, Arm. Bye, Arm." I shut the door behind him and heard stiffled muttering.
BEEP BEEP.
Ok, 30 seconds, Arm.
"By the way, Wool, I need plan 73-C tonight."
"Mmhmm."
"She has to notice me, dude."
I nodded. "I never liked 73-C, you know. It's just not the right kind of notice."
"Hey, ethics, shut the Hell up. The ends justify the means, you drunk cheese."
True enough...True enough.
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This is the part where I explain what the unhallowed **** is going on and why I seem to think random bits of dialog can give you any insight into "a day in the life of" et-the-hussy-loving-cetera.
It seems (sorry, I'm still waking up) I'm throwing a party today. Furthermore, I am going to call in some favors to make sure Armslave gets noticed by the girl of his dreams. These favors are AT LEAST, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
Plan 73-C:
In the event that "the client" deems the current object of his affection (henceforth: ELIZA) to be susceptible to jealousy, jaundice, or any other form of envy beginning with letter 'J', 73-A and 73-B become epistimilogically invalid due obvious interest conflicts.
Thus, it becomes necessary to incite ELIZA by adorning the client with various trophies of virility, sex appeal, and what Sea World calls "The Man Dolphin". This shall be done in turn, by:
- Enlarge
- Essence of the Behemoth
- Essence of Jealousy
- and, AT LEAST two beautiful accompanyments to "the engagement".
Finally, not the least of my concerns, Death was hounding after my mother.
I decided to reward my -- not to mention comprehensive -- recap with a drink.