Time to Talk

"I'm not an edgelord." I say with the rote measure of someone who had to defend myself a thousand times.


 Twenty Six smirked at me, all necro-goth in her gear. "Sure." She replied skeptically. 


 "I'm not." I repeat.


 She doesn't believe me. 


 I roll my eyes and look away, "This isn't me being all angsty for nothing. I've got PTSD for sure."  "Uh-huh."


 She replies, "and you brood a lot."

I frown, "My life is dogshit, I'm missing a goddamn arm. Come on, you're going to tease me?  Do you thi.."


 And she interrupted me, "Did you 'not ask for this?'"

I just growled and suddenly developed a keen interest into the vague clouds outside my window. She adds as she leans forward, "You literally carry a katana."

I snap, "Yeah but I actually barely know how to use it, so take that! Hah!"

She sits on the chair. She's helping me cope, I know that's what she's doing. Sometimes you need to just have someone to talk to.

I've got a cup of ez-mac I've been working on. No idea how it got here.

She continues, apparently wanting to push more buttons.  Her accent is pretty thick. Boston, if I recall. "So uh. let me ask you."

"Here it comes." I say in an exhausted tone, but one that hopefully sounds permissive.

Despite being a prisoner here, she's treated me okay.

As I ponder if I have Stockholm Syndrome, she says "Rika."

I sigh. "Okay. which one?"

She idly says, "Both?", she's got her elbow on her knee, and that's holding her head up. She's acting pretty human for someone with...well I can only assume those are 'upgrades' I see on her.


 I just talk for a bit. "Rika. So the first one was just this proxy that was tormenting a guy I never met that was just called 'B'.  She decided to come get me for some reason. I did some stupid shit involving her."

She just looks at me.

I sigh, "is this about that ass comment?"

She smirks.

I shrug, "I was stupid, I was wanting to exert some sort of control over myself. I chose to pretend it was sexual for some reason. It was shit behavior to do, I get that."

I add before she goes any further, "She apparently got 'redeemed' or whatever, then immediately pasted.

Twenty Six says wryly, "Those severance packages..."

I answer it in unison with her, "really focus on the sever"

She prompts me, "The second one?"

"Erika?" I raise my eyebrows, "She terrified the shit out of me. She was really, REALLY freaking smart. She saw through my bullshit immediately, and played me for a sucker repeatedly. I couldn't help but think about how right she was. I mean, just because you're on 'the other side' doesn't mean you can't be right."

"So no sexual attraction then?" She follows up.

"She was utterly beautiful." I answer.  "Blue eyes, which is weird, probably contacts now that I think about it."

"Because she was black."

I nod and pause, "Is this where you tell me you know her?"

Twenty Six laughed a little, "I'm not that predictable, am I?  DId you fuck her?"

I blink.

"Did I fuck the proxy?"

"No. No I did not. She would've killed me."

"But you wanted to."  Now she's razzing me again.

I shrug, "Admittedly she was beautiful, and...well..." I manage a weak laugh, "Boobs are fun."

Twenty Six says wryly, "I know they are."

I wave my hand dismissively, "But no. I realized for the most part, I'm asexual. I never had much of a want, you know?"

She doesn't say anything.

"No real want to look for anyone either."

She doesn't say anything.

I just look at her.

The necrogoth finally responds, "But you /have/ fucked."

I roll my eyes. "Yes, Once. Why the h-"

She cuts me off, "I'm curious! I'm stuck up here in this frankenstein tower twentyfour seven"

I raise an eyebrow and start to make the joke, but she shuts me down with a look.

I add, "This doesn't end with you propositioning me."

She laughs, "It doesn't /now/."

"Probably for the best." I admit.

There's some silence, so she goes for the throat again.

"Did you make her c--"

Now I interrupt her with an annoyed shout, "Oh come on!  Really?"

She laughs, "Alright alright."

I realize she's still playing me, and honed in on a sore spot. I point at her, "I'll get out of here someday, and you'll regret playing games with me."

She tilts her head, "What's keeping you here?"

I look about as surprised as she does. "Big wheely thing, part metal, part squishie, cut my arm off. Talks like Dracula or something?"

Twenty Six shows some teeth as she smiles, "The moment you get out of her sight, she forgets you existed."

Holy Crap.

I can leave.