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2:27 AM
She's doing it, again.
I don't have the slightest idea why that human does this.
I'm familiar with every aspect of my operations manual. This behavior isn't documented anywhere inside, therefore it is neither essential nor useful behavior to follow.
Besides, I know how I operate even without the manual. I know about every function, every part and every aspect of myself. But I know nothing about this.
The direct contact transfers a small, barely-measurable amount of heat. While this may be considered energy by some, it isn't a source of energy I can store or use in any way. Further, I'm brought back to the temperature of my surroundings in mere moments, so there is no lasting effect. This exchange, therefore, doesn't seem to benefit me in any way.
I don't see how the human could possibly benefit, either. If anything, it does more harm than good, because her body temperature is usually higher than that of my steel. She transfers heat energy to me, losing it herself. I don't notice her physically changing in any other way, either during or after the exchange.
What purpose could this possibly serve? She transfers energy to me, which is then lost. Why would a human do this? Certainly there must be something more constructive she can do with me. I should know...I'm in construction, after all.
"Why are you still doing that?"
"Because I want to."
"You know it's completely pointless, right?"
"No, it's not!"
"It can't feel anything, you know."
The two young girls stared at each other with vastly different expressions.
"How do *you* know he can't feel anything?"
"Because I just *know.* It's not alive, duh!"
"Sure he is! And he has feelings, just like we do!"
"It's not a *he!* It's an *it!*"
"It is too a he!...I mean, *he* is!"
"See? You're *trying* to admit the truth!"
"Just because you don't like him doesn't mean you know everything about him!"
"What do you mean? I don't... not like him...I mean, it. My dad's owned this site for a few years now, and it's been here the whole time. I know plenty about it. I can't drive it...but Dad said I could when I'm older..."
"He probably doesn't want to be driven by you, since you're so mean to him!"
"How am I mean? I don't kick it, or anything..."
"You treat him like he's a thing!"
"...uh... well, he *is* a thing. He's *not* alive!"
The younger of the two girls began to get flustered.
"YES...HE...IS! He is *so* alive! And he loves me! And he isn't going to like *you* if you're so mean to him!"
"Man, you're nuts."
"Just you wait and see! He *does* love me! And one day, I bet he's going to hug me back. You just wait, and see!"
So, let's take up that challenge! Shall we hug some cranes~? ^_^
I liked the ambiguity in the beginning. It kept me on my toes because I didn't know whose perspective I was reading from. It wasn't until I got to the end that I realized that it was a crane. I think more can be explored from that; it's such an alien perspective. I would love to see the relationship between the girl and crane grow, but only from the crane's point-of-view.
Aaaand then I didn't like the dialogue. I'm sorry. I think it's the "cute" image of the girls that seemed a bit twee. Or maybe I'd already bonded with the protagonist in the first half and wanted more of that
Interesting perspective...although, at least within this piece, the crane *really* doesn't have any feelings (although it is apparently capable of bad jokes), so unless one of those clichéd "Oh! I can feel human feelings all of a sudden!" things happen, I'm not sure how interesting it'd turn out if it was expanded upon...
Way to get me thinking about my writing in a whole new way =)
Well that's the interesting thing! Does the crane have feelings the same way we humans feel them? And how does the relationship between the girl and the crane develop in light of that? Will the crane, as you say, suddenly realize he has feelings? Or will his perspective in this strange one-sided relationship impart something to the reader about humans and the way humans build connections?
Plus you watched Toy Story, yeah? You don't believe that the inanimate things that are important to us take on humanistic characteristics?
I feel like I've gone too deep. ^^iii gomen
Deep cranefeels. That's all I can say, although I agree about the dialogue. Maybe they are middle schoolers?
4:21 PM
"Mommy! Mommy! Santa came down the chimney!"
"What?"
Mommy ran over to find that a rather odd-looking fellow had appeared in the living room, covered with soot. He was a lot more skinny than the stereotypical Santa and looked somewhat pale. He was grinning much like Santa would be on Christmas Eve, but due to this grin, one could see a pair of large fangs sticking out of his mouth.
"Hey, wait! If you're Santa, where's your bag of toys?"
Mommy just eyed "Santa," somewhat confused.
"My bag? Oh, I left my wife at home! Ah, ah, ah, ah!"
Mommy thought she heard drums and a cymbal. Mommy fainted.
"If you don't have any toys, you're not Santa...you just suck!"
"Why, yes! Yes, I do! Ah, ah, ah, ah!"
From outside the house, one could hear a young child screaming.
"Here, come sit on Santa's lap! Ah, ah, ah, ah!"
The little pig-tailed girl got on top of a somewhat-lanky, pale-looking Santa Claus. Her father wore a confused look.
"What's your name, little one?"
"My name's Jenny!"
"Oh, hello, Jenny! Nice to eat you! Ah, ah, ah, ah!"
From across the food court, two teenage boys were eating lunch. They were used to lots of video game violence, so they didn't even look away when they heard the screaming.
"How's the horseradish sauce on that sandwich?"
"It's... alright, but...much weaker than I expected. I was hoping it would have...more of a bite."
"I can solve that problem! Ah, ah, ah, ah!"
It was easier for the boys to notice the screaming when they were the ones producing it.
"All you have to do is sign here. Ah, ah, ah, ah!"
Joe was feeling pretty down, having just been laid off from his job, and needing to take a temporary position as a mall Santa to make ends meet. After all, nobody says "I want to be a mall Santa when I grow up," right?
So naturally, he grumbled a bit and hesitated before signing at the dotted line.
"Ah, good! Now I can eat you! Ah, ah, ah, ah!"
The manager, clearly not your conventional Santa at all, revealed two large fangs protruding from his mouth.
"Wait, what...what the hell?!"
"You missed a clause in the contract! I call it...the Santa Clause! Ah, ah, ah, ah!"
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Joe was feeling even more down, now. Down, and out.
"They think I'm just a mall Santa. But no! I'm the MAUL Santa! Ah, ah, ah, ah!"
Be careful in your dealings with pale, somewhat-skinny Santa Claus look-alikes on Christmas...
OK, I'M HIDING NOW. Am I glad I don't have a chimney! Please don't tell me he ate Count von Count, to!
Wait, can vampires eat other vampires, I wonder?
You know you've made a fantastic pun when the reader/listener wants to punch you after you've made it.
You sir, are going to have bruises to last you a long time.
2:35 PM
It was perfect.
All she wanted to do now was kiss me.
So it happened, again and again, as she giggled almost non-stop.
"Heeheehee, what a great excuse!" she purred, as her lips embraced mine once more, and then once more after that.
I threw my arms around her, and the embrace happened again.
This could only be described as pure joy. And it all came about because I'd taped a small piece of mistletoe to my forehead. The simple act of a goodbye kiss had been transformed into something much more.
She went home, and I went to sleep...leaving it on. Maybe it could happen again when I see her tomorrow?
I was awakened by an unfamiliar sound.
It somewhat resembled my stomach, after it'd been struggling for many hours without a proper meal. But I didn't feel hungry.
Then...another unfamiliar sound. Like a hundred saliva bubbles had come out of my mouth and popped in unison. And gurgling. What on earth?
Following this, a tapping noise. I didn't believe in monsters, but it really sounded like something was under my bed. What is this, a children's book?
I turned over onto my stomach, pulled the pillow over my head and attempted to block out whatever it was. But then...I felt something, too. The bed shook. Finally, a tap on my foot.
"AUGH!"
I sat up, startled. Then, I froze.
It was the only possible reaction. Nothing could prepare me for this situation, in which my face was suddenly inches from...another face, belonging to...a creature I couldn't recognize. Well, not until I looked more closely.
It was constructed of garbage. I could tell instantly because all of it had been lying in the various trash cans spread around my apartment. Its chest consisted mostly of crumpled papers I'd tossed out after botched work and junk mail sorting. I noticed the broken umbrella my girlfriend had tossed two days ago was now forming something of a spine. Cardboard tubes from my new posters? Arms. I eat a lot of bananas, but never imagined I'd be looking at banana-peel hair. The omelette I made for my girlfriend last night? The eggshells were back, and now they were staring into my eyes, just as my girlfriend would. And, while preparing a salad for myself yesterday, I'd come upon some rotten lettuce. How, exactly, it was now formed into the shape of lips, I will never understand.
This face, with its eggshell eyes and lettuce lips, was held together mostly by ground beef packaging. It still smelled like ground beef packaging, so it didn't smell particularly wonderful. But it looked at me as affectionately as ground beef packaging could. The lettuce lips curled into a smile, then parted slightly.
"Kissssss meeeeee..."
The lips then drew closer. I then realized what had happened here. This thing actually had been under my bed. And I was still wearing...
...I ripped the mistletoe from my forehead and tossed it into what was now an empty garbage can. Well, someone had been kind enough to empty it, at least.
But the creature did not back off.
"Kissssssssssss meeeeeeee!"
I responded in the only way that seemed appropriate.
"Uh... no thanks?"
The eggshell eyes raised upwards, and the lettuce lips formed a circle, as if it was processing what I'd said. And then...
"AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Only, this thing didn't exactly have a voice box, so instead of a scream, it was more of a really loud breath/gurgle. To be blunt, it sounded gross. And, even worse...it hadn't backed off even one inch. The raw ground beef smell was as unappetizing as ever.
"I took off the mistletoe. No thanks."
"But WE WERE UNDER IT!" it gurgled.
"I just...really don't...want to."
"BUT WEEEE WERE UNDER IT!!!!!"
......
The sad thing is, its reasoning was sound. We were, in fact, under the mistletoe...so by all accounts, we were practically required to lock lips.
"Is there anything I can do to convince you to back off?"
"NOOOOOOOOO!" gurgled the creature. I could swear that I saw the remnants of egg white on the bottom of the shell start to bubble as it gurgled. Gross...
I pinched myself. Yes, I was awake.
I had no idea what this creature was capable of. For all I knew, it could end my life in a single movement. And while your typical human-shaped monster would have either killed me already or robbed me blind, this thing only wanted...a kiss. So by comparison, for a second, it didn't seem all that bad...
"Okay, one kiss."
The wilted lettuce formed a smile.
Best not to think about it, right? Best to just get it overwith.
It started to lean in closer.
The smell of dead cow engulfed me. I almost retched, but managed to regain my composure.
Closer.
I could see the wet, rotten, wilted, poor excuse for lettuce drawing near. It looked to be about as slimy as seaweed. I've eaten seaweed before, it's not so bad, right?
I hadn't noticed up until this point, but its nose was made out of an apple core. It had been the first thing I threw away following the last time I emptied the trash, so it had been there the longest. I thought I spotted a bit of mold growing on it. I then forced myself to look only at the lettuce. I mean, seaweed. Just think of it as seaweed...
Wait, wasn't there more of i--
--I had no more time to think. The "lips" surrounded mine, almost consuming them entirely. They felt cold, wet, and generally unattractive. I felt a pair of cardboard tubes grab my back and pull me closer, into the seaweed.
And then, it happened.
What felt like a solid block--well, as solid as slimy, wilted, rotten lettuce could be, I suppose--threw itself past my lips, into my mouth, and assaulted my tongue.
It took every inch of my fortitude not to gag.
The happy-sounding noises of gurgling passing through my ears were simply repulsive.
Its "tongue" began to caress mine.
I made the mistake of breathing through my nose, as my mouth was busy. The dead cow smell filled my head and overwhelmed what was left of my resolve. I could feel myself losing consciousness...
Ding-dong.
Ding-dong.
"Mmmmmm...?"
Ding-dong.
Oh, right, that's my doorbell.
I stretched. How long had I been asleep, exactly?
I stumbled out of bed and began to make my way towards the front door of my apartment.
I tripped over a broken umbrella. ...wait, what was that doing here?
Then, in an instant, I remembered everything.
"Hey, are you there? Where are you?"
Simple, sweetie, I'm looking around my bedroom, which is covered in garbage. Everything that the creature had been made of was strewn about the room. How would I explain this? I didn't even have any pets. Oh, well, maybe she'll believe my story. Either way, a kiss from her could really help right now...
I stumbled over the piles of trash, made my way to the door and opened it.
"Well, good afternoon, s--EEEP!!! UGH, WHAT THE HELL?!!"
She slammed the door in my face.
Purely by instinct, I ran into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I could hear my girlfriend's car starting.
My face was covered in lip-marks. Clearly, someone had been kissing me. And judging from the color and texture of the lip-marks, obviously I'd been cheating on my sweet girlfriend with a ball of seaweed.
I turned to my left to face the full-body mirror on the opposite wall. Oh, good, it was just on my face...
...except for the large wad of dried, rotten lettuce in a certain place. Where my pants had been, when I'd gone to sleep.
As I felt myself losing consciousness for the second time, only one thought dominated my mind:
"No more mistletoe..."
"But it looked at me as affectionately as ground beef packaging could."
Best. WTF. Line. Ever.
6:20 PM
'Twas the night before Cranemas, and all through the site,
Crane-Elves were working with all of their might.
Digging and scurrying this way and that,
with each one wearing a very cute hat.
They shoveled, they struggled, they rolled and they ran,
"Quickly! We must work as fast as we can!"
But why were they anxiously clawing at earth?
Tomorrow, there'd be a miracle, a birth!
Uncovering two ears, two cheeks and a nose,
Working their way from the head to the toes
amongst singing, rejoicing, celebration and fun.
The City shall see the birth of its Son!
Hark, can ye hear the Cranegels sing,
as they pave the way for the birth of our King?
This chorus, so blissful, for you and for me?
Sing, "I am Reach, I will be, I will be!"
So lift your voices and join in our song,
Whether or not you can follow along,
Announce His birth with this little ditty:
Reach, our King, the Son of our City!
Think of this greatness as you lay in your beds,
as pretty, young Scaffwolves rest their sweet heads,
of our King terrorizing the humans with fright.
Happy Cranemas to all, and to all a good night.
AFDGFDAGFGB Aaahhhh! This is PERFECT! Suddenly, everything makes sense! He can't fit in a manger, I guess the pavement will have to do.
Hail, Reach!
Oh, let me just leave this right here....
The Immaculate Craneception.
That's funny... on multiple levels.
You're hilarious, sometimes...you know that?
5:21 PM
He doesn't notice you right away, so you take some time to look him over.
You immediately notice that he looks different from the others. Some parts of him are obviously put together differently...possibly, evidence of an earlier design. He clearly has been maintained well, but rust is prevalent in several places. He creaks a bit when he moves in certain ways. But for some reason, you have a feeling that he can still get a job done, just as well as the others...
At last, he notices that you're...uh, checking him out.
"Oh...hello. I don't get a lot of attention these days...especially not from beauties such as yourself."
He says it using a very matter-of-fact tone, as if he's not so much flirting as making conversation.
"So, sweetie, what can I do for you?"
(Please post a comment in which you select an option)
"I was wondering if you were up to a certain task..."
I was caught between this, and the second one. The third choice, my best friend and I threw out the window as being a little too rude- it sounded mean! Ahahaha~~~
I think the second choice would naturally follow the first, maybe? :3
"I was wondering if you were up to a certain task..."
"Ah, right down to business, are we? Well, I guarantee you, I'm the one for the job. Why, back in '83, I worked on 20 stories on a 5th Avenue skyscraper in New York! In '86, I was the only one they needed to construct a 15-floor apartment complex in Boston! And following that, I was an invaluable member of a travelling crew for over 20 years, taking on projects of all kinds, all sizes..."
- What have you been up to lately?
- Maybe so, but can you still pull that kind of weight?
- WOWWW!! I'm so amazed~
(Please select)
"What have you been up to lately?"
*blushes* Ermagawd~ He's a bit of a flirt, too, isn't he? Maybe I just read that wrong, but with what he said in the original post... Of course, he's calmed down with time, it seems. >///<
I still think he's flirting for some reason. Hnngh~ I mean, flirting to a crane is probably a little different than that between humans? Weirdly hot... XD
"What have you been up to lately?"
"...and during those 20 years, you wouldn't believe some of the jobs we did, some of the things I saw, some of the people I met...some beautiful ladies, that's for sure! Although I honestly can't remember any of them being as cute as yourself..."
- Well...I *am* pretty cute.
- Thanks, but what have you been up to lately?
- Flattery will get you nowhere with me.
(Please select)
"Well... I *am* pretty cute."
*BLUSH* >/////< Oh... Uh... I was talking about something else! @_@;;
((It's okay if you're just answering with the truth, lol ;)))
"Ah, so my flattery is getting me somewhere? That's a good girl...and what an adorable smile, too...let me tell you, dearie, if you pick me to lead your project, there'll be no shortage of flattery, if that's what you like! And not just on your looks, either...obviously, if you pick me, you're extremely intelligent as well! Clearly, you understand that when it comes to this, experience trumps good looks!"
- But you have both...that arm drives me crazy.
- You're certainly impressive. But...
- Isn't that what someone says when their age is showing?
(Please select)
His flattery is... Wow, a little much? Or sweet? I'm not sure. I'm actually quite dumbstruck by it, and I can't help but fidget. I came here to ask something, and now we're flirting? I csn feel my heart race and stop every now and then.
Then again, he does look good... Actually, he's very handsome. How old was he again? I'm not sure. Does it really matter?
Still flustered, my face all red, I wave my arms, trying to laugh it off, "Y-you're certainly impressive, but..."
I trail off. What did I want to ask, again? He's a little long-winded, but it's actually kind of cute. And, not what I expected. He's so quiet and serious with everyone else.
((That third one. Wooow. I didn't know whether I wanted to say that, or number 2! He has me tongue-tied. XD Anyways, narrative text, away!))
"Y-you're certainly impressive, but..."
"..."
He hesitates for just a moment before speaking again.
"...well, maybe I got a bit carried away there, sorry... ah, but can you blame me? What would you do in my position? Here I am, just minding my own business, and a friendly, gorgeous lass just happens by, about to ask me to lead a project? Well...that *is* why you're here, right, hon?"
- Of course! I think you're perfect!
- Well...I want to learn more about you, first...
- You're just all talk, aren't you?
(Please select)
"Of course! I think you're perfect!"
It was the least I could say. After going on so long... he clearly has the credentials, the know-how... I can't help that's it's also because he stood out.
You could say I had a good hunch, a good feeling about him. And that had little to do with the flirting!
He "stuck out" not necessarily for any bad reason, per se... How do I say it without seeming rude? Because I *do* quite like him. And when he gets so talkative- it's actually really cute, if not bewildering.
He stuck out *because* he was definitely a bit older than the rest. And he isn't really "too old", but then again, what is aging to a crane, anyways? Especially one so well-maintained as he is?
He clearly takes a lot of pride in his appearance, and not in a bad way. Am I right in taking him on?
I glance back at his work so far. It's not lacking in anything, and he has incredible precision.
Maybe... Yes, maybe this was a good hunch, after all!
"Of course! I think you're perfect!"
"..."
He stands, motionless, for a moment...as if in disbelief. The disbelief slowly turns to pure, absolute elation.
"R--Really? For real, and for true?! I...I can't begin to tell you just...how happy I am, right now..."
You *think* you see something that appears to be water running down the side of him. It's not raining...
"Sweetheart, you won't regret this. I'll have your project built to your exact specifications! It'll be a perfect place, for you and me...as perfect as your smile. I can't wait to see its reflection inside your beautiful eyes..."
((Fade to black.))
-- Ending B --
((Fade in on a scene of two men seated at opposite ends of a desk, talking. The person behind the desk is a rotund 40-something gentleman. The person in front looks like a new recruit. Based on their garb, it's easy to see that they're in construction.))
[Young Man] So you believe that they have personalities?
[Veteran] Oh, absolutely. Like you wouldn't believe. These things *definitely* have their own individual quirks, touches...when you're driving one for long enough, you can totally get a feel for what they're about.
[Young Man] How...do you know?
[Veteran] It's hard to explain. You just...do. Like...okay, here's an example. You know how some mornings, you just...feel different? You try to get out of bed, but you just feel totally blah? Like, gravity feels stronger, or something?
[Young Man] Yeah, I totally know *that* feeling...
[Veteran] But on a different day, you do the same thing--get out of bed--and it *feels* completely different. The motion is the same, but the feeling is not, at all...
[Young Man] Hmmm...but how does that apply to driving a crane?
[Veteran] Well, let's say you go to twist the arm to your left. You pull a lever, right? But depending on the personality...what happens in response to that pull of a lever can feel very different.
[Young Man] You don't say?
[Veteran] Some act deliberately...some, with a bit of hesitation...some, more boldly than others. And it doesn't necessarily have to do with how old, or how big or how powerful it is. They're...personality quirks. It's the best way I can describe it.
[Young Man] Okay...so what would you say has been the most...interesting "personality" you worked with?
[Veteran] "What?" Really, in the case of Xavier, it's more like "who!"
[Young Man] Xavier, hmmm?
[Veteran] Yeah, he was a wild one. He always seemed to be full of energy, no matter how beat we all were. On some days, he managed to motivate us into being a bit more energetic, ourselves...
[Young Man] Cranes can really have that effect on people?
[Veteran] Seriously, he seemed like one of us. Right down to the catcalls.
[Young Man] What?!
[Veteran] Well, we were a bit of a rowdy bunch back then. We'd...uh, alright, I'll be straight with you: we kind of harassed the more...attractive ladies that happened by. And you know what? Sometimes--I swear this is true--when a beautiful lady happened by, he whistled.
[Young Man] What do mean, whistled? Cranes can't whistle!
[Veteran] Cranes have got all kinds of moving parts, and make all kinds of sounds. And this is why, I'm telling you, they have personalities! I swear to you, he did something and it sounded just like he was whistling at them. And you know what? A few times, they actually turned around! I bet they thought they were going crazy!
[Young Man] Wow! That's...quite a story... ...so, Xavier's retired now, I take it?
[Veteran] Actually, it's kind of sad... yeah, we retired him about five, six years ago, but we didn't have the heart to send him to scrap. So we left him in one of our yards, and checked in on him from time to time...
[Young Man] What happened?
[Veteran] Well, when we retire a crane, we do it for a reason...usually because either something broke and it's too costly to fix, or because it's just too old and rusty to handle the typical kind of work we do here. Good 'ol X was in decent enough shape, but they all rust out eventually...
[Young Man] But he was just sitting in the yard, right?
[Veteran] You know something? I don't know if it was just some kid wanting to take it for a spin, or if someone came in there and actually tried to use him for a project, but...clearly, he was running...and then, his arm must've just snapped off, then shattered into three different pieces when it hit the ground.
[Young Man] Awwww, that's kinda sad...
[Veteran] Yeah, we also found that his engine had blown. That proud bastard...guess he thought that he still had more gas left in the tank than he actually had.
[Young Man] Wow.
[Veteran] But you know? It just means that he went out the same way he always ran... all-out, with confidence and pride. That's just like Xavier. ...I wonder if he got to chat up any ladies before he went? Because, if so...that means he died a happy crane.
[Young Man] Heh...
[Veteran] Yeah... Xavier was definitely one hell of a crane.
~ Thank you for playing ~
;_; B'AWWWWWWW~!
He really was dedicated, right up until the end! Awwww! He really gave his all to be impressive. Ohmahgawd. But, he was reliving his youth, *and* doing what he loved- isn't that how he'd want to go?
Djkfrhudjub I can't hold these cranefeels, halp! Dammit, now I want to draw a Xavier gijinka~!
I was totally *not* expecting you to take that route, by the way...I expected you to be more of a realist, after which he'd have confessed that he's been out of commission for a few years (with many crane-tears). BUT AT LEAST HE WAS HAPPY. =)
So, "Ending A" is choice 2 ("Well... I want to learn more about you, first..."), then?
Also, choice 3... Geez, what a way to get him down! D:
The other choices probably would not have led to an ending at all... much like the previous scene you saw. The game only ends when you decide who's building your project! (In other words, who you're "dating.")
By the way: I wrote this as I went along, starting only with an idea of how I wanted the character:
"His career is long and storied...he is proud of his accomplishments...he isn't what he used to be...he has been neglected for some time now..."
Reading that last sentence, I suddenly feel worse for waffling around in figuring out what to say. *HUUUUUGS*
Xavier... :(
But, within the time frame of the event, it wasn't nearly so long! Ahahaha. He must've felt so appreciated~
So anyway, I started writing these scenarios because you said you wanted a scenario writer. I still want to make a shmup with you someday, as I blabbed about in a now-ancient e-mail, but...I would definitely consider putting this together, too. Ha! I feel like there'd be a twisted sort of niche that might really enjoy something wacky, like this...