1/014: The moron is just too clever for his own good. [Dated 3 days after the truce.]

[wheatdos]

[Here GLaDOS. Have another letter from "Larry." While it doesn't exactly say it was from Larry, the handwriting is the same, and the scribbles are still there. It was slipped under your door, just waiting to be read in a little grey envelope.

As for that lovable moron, you haven't heard of him since the end of the truce. It was almost as if he was avoiding you. There was one time where you caught a glimpse of him in a hallway, but he quickly walked off in the other direction upon spotting you there.]

Enjoyed myself last time we met up. I've come to a conklconclusion.
I have to see you. Meet me outside in the back, love.

[Something a little weird about that?]

Comments

[2/2]

[wheatdos]

[He just stands there awkwardly. And then he holds his head and has a tantrum.]

ARE YOU JOKING??! DOES THIS EVER BLOODY WORK??? AGHHH! This isn't fair!!! ARE YOU-- DID YOU FOLLOW ME????

[sawadeertoday]

[ She would narrow her eyes; clearly, the bomb was supposed to have killed her. She feels the strangest sensation. Anger, but raw. Unadulterated. As though he had truly wronged her, but not in the obvious sense of the word.

Regardless, that burning fury was most definitely fuelling her ability to walk up to him without falling, although she did stumble once. As soon as she would get close enough, she would grab at that dumb orange tie, wanting to give him a verbal and physical lashing he would never forget.

It was so much more powerful than the usual anger. She felt it pumping adrenaline through her veins; her logic would have told her not to approach when he could lash out, but she couldn't care less. ]

You STUPID MORON!

[wheatdos]

[He wasn't exactly sure what she was going to do. He took a few steps back, but his confusion kept him static. Oh god don't grab the tie. Pleasedontpleasedontdontdont--

She grabbed the tie.

He hurked, and was pulled forward, half bending to reach the height of however low she had tugged it. Still in a confusion, he tried to smooth talk his way out of this one, in a panicked jumble.]

W-wait a minute! I-

[sawadeertoday]

Wait for what, exactly? For you to kill me? I'm not waiting. [ she positively SNARLED, eyes alight with a terrible mix of emotion that even she didn't quite understand herself. If anything was worse than the calm verbal abuse, this was it. She was vicious-- a whirlwind of anger, her other hand closing into a fist.

You can try to talk yourself out of this, but there's a fist heading for your face. What are you gonna do, Wheatley? ]

[wheatdos]

Okay, waitwaitwait Ididtrytokillyoubutitdidn'twork!!So you've-you've got no reason to b-AHMMGHH!!!

[Fist to the face. He doesn't do much to stop it, and when she punches him, his glasses go flying off his face. He'd stumble and fall backwards, so you best let go of him.]

[sawadeertoday]

[ GLaDOS felt an insane rush of satisfaction overwhelm her as she felt her fist connect with his face, his glasses flying off. But that small victory doesn't last long when she stumbles forward, not thinking to let go of his tie until he had pulled her forward. She tried to right herself but to no avail, a stabbing pain in her back causing her to fall forward nonetheless, almost but not quite falling on him. ]

I hate you so much... You moron... You think that I shouldn't hurt you because YOU stupidly failed to kill me?! [ She would push herself up onto her knees, aiming another punch at his leg, the thing closest to her. ]

[wheatdos]

Yes? Maybe? Th-that'd be nice! Okay! Wait! Wait-- calm down love. J-just calm do-OW!! [He whimpers] C-CALM DOWN!... Pl-please??...

[He holds his leg, and uses his other leg to try to scoot himself away from her.]

[sawadeertoday]

[ It was starting to wear off, she could feel it in her bones. It was a terrifying brand of anger, but with it came a sense of betrayal that just didn't make sense. They had vowed to kill each other. So it was hardly betrayal that she should have felt as she stared at Wheatley, who was moving away with the most frightened look in his eyes. ]

What? So how do you want to rationalize this, exactly? [ Her voice is ragged. Tired. Her back hurts. She's breathing hard from her exertion after getting hurt; the adrenaline was wearing off along with the odd anger. Although she sounds a bit less scary. ]

[wheatdos]

I...r-rationalize??

[His voice cracked a little.]

What am--what?? I'm-- this is rational!

[He is still scooting away from her.]

[sawadeertoday]

Rational. Oh yes, because after attempting to kill me, you decide to believe that you don't deserve a single punch. [ Okay, so had roles been reversed, she wouldn't have liked it either, but then again, she likely would have fought back.

GLaDOS is rather grateful Wheatley hasn't thought of that. She feels thoughts start to accumulate again, where her storm of anger had just been.

At the same time, not many of these thoughts are welcomed. There's a bit of guilt, likely triggered by seeing another human so scared by her hand. There's still a sense of betrayal. She can't logically place it. ]]

[1/2]

[wheatdos]

[He finally scoots back far enough to collect his glasses back up. They were broken, so he doesn't put them on, instead... he drowsily places them into his pocket. He sniffs defiantly, and wipes his nose when she speaks.

It was at that moment where he saw the blue accumulate on his hand.

He was bleeding. Looking up at her, he groaned. It hurt. It hurt a lot.]

Oh, I'm sorry...Didn't know you were sooooo just. Wasn't a quality I... uh, well associated with you of all people.

[As if GLaDOS knew anything about justice. Is justice an infinite sentence in space? Justice is him killing her. Obviously. He's staring at up at her, still sitting on the ground. There's a frustration in his eyes. He hasn't forgiven her. He can't. Because in those yellow eyes he can still see her glowing optic right before.]

[2/2]

[wheatdos]

[And.. he's still relieved slightly that she's standing.

He doesn't realize it, but he's smiling at her a little bit.]

[sawadeertoday]

[ GLaDOS stares down at him, not exactly standing straight, as it sent jolts of pain down her back. She saw him bleed, an unusual blue, and there was still a slight satisfaction. He deserved this.

But why?

She knew the only thing as equally frustrating as giving him a cold answer would be silence, so she did, until suddenly...

He cracked a small smile at her.

It looked just as dopey as it did during... then.

GLaDOS felt an awkward feeling stirring, almost forgotten from that week, and if she was frowning before, it was gone now. Instead, there was the slightest bewildered look on her face and her arm twitched, stretching out a little before she pulled it back...

But she ended up extending it again, her hand open, waiting to try and help drag him up. ]

... Come on. [ What was she even doing? There was something in her that protested this with every fibre of its being, but there was also something in her that wasn't sure she liked seeing him like this. ]

[wheatdos]

[When she reaches for him, his smile fades, and he looks at her, confused. What is she doing? For a moment he thought she was going to hit him again, and he pulled back, closing his eyes preparing for it.

Though, he didn't feel the pain on his face... so he opens his eyes slowly...

She's holding out her hand. To him? He has to look around to make sure it was for him. He's hesitating. What is she going to do to him?]

I uh, not really sure where this is coming from. I'll be honest. Not sure at all. Considering you just punched me... g-got me pretty good. Still hurts. Yep-- definitely hurts. I mean... I... well...

[He almost reaches for her with his blood covered hand, but quickly switches hands to stand up. He doesn't actually put that much weight on her. She's so small anyway.]

[sawadeertoday]

[ GLaDOS grunts as she pulls him up; although he didn't put much weight, it was more how she was moving her pained back. Once he was up, she let go of him, having trouble meeting his confused gaze.

Why had she done that? ]

...

[ She doesn't know how to respond. She really doesn't. She never would have done that, back at the beginning. She would have watched him there, taunted him mercilessly until he headed the other way. So why... ]

Just go. [ she eventually managed, not able to meet his eyes. ]

[wheatdos]

[He stands up, staring at her blankly.

After a moment, he starts pointing behind him.]

I uh... maybe I should go...

[He's backing away from her... slowly...]

So, wait I can't quiiiiite tell and this is probably not the best question. Not the best timing, no... but uh... are you feeling... mildly peeved, orrrr abso-absolutely rageful? Because... if it's the first one, then... I-i can leave and not worry that-- that... you might kill me back.

[sawadeertoday]

... [ The question makes her truly wonder how she's feeling at the moment. It's a mix of awkwardness, disappointment and frustration, mostly directed at herself. So she just shakes her head. ]

You do know I'm still going to kill you, right. [ she would reply flatly, still not as biting as she wished it was. She was exhausted and she wasn't she could keep up all of this standing business for much longer. ]

[wheatdos]

[A pause. He thinks about that response, still clutching his nose.]

Riiiiiiigght....Oh, this is terrifying. Not exactly the answer I was looking for.

[He is backing up.]

No matter! I have a number of things up these sleeves anyway, love. A MILLION... which is, a large number. I have a lot of things. What do you have? Nothing probably.

[Can you hear it in his voice? There's a different tone. He sounds tired, like he doesn't actually want to be there, threatening her.]

[sawadeertoday]

[ It takes one to know one; GLaDOS can hear that tiredness in his voice, having a feeling that he didn't want to be doing this, because she's talking that way, too. ]

A million bad ideas? [ she would reply, attempting to force her voice to hit that careless sarcasm she usually employed. It didn't quite work. ] Oh, good. I can't wait to see them all fail.

[wheatdos]

I...Gnngh! Sh-Shutup!! Not listening! I can't hear you!!

[Even though her voice wasn't genuine, she hit a nerve. You've got some kind of upper hand GLaDOS, you can take it!]

[sawadeertoday]

[ She can tell she did. There's a tiny crucial pause where she clashes inside from an odd pity and her usual cruel glee, but she shakes the former off in an attempt to regain herself. ] Oh, how sad. The little moron's too heartbroken to admit all of his plans are going to fail.

[ Her voice hadn't quite gained its edge, but she was trying desperately to slip completely into her cold personality. Wasn't it the true one? ]

[wheatdos]

I-- I am NOT A MORON. Or..or heartbroken! I'm- neither of those things!And my-and my plans are not going to fail...!

[You totally didn't break his heart. He makes this really awkward face as he does a double take to wonder if she was at the bar. NO SHE WASN'T. SHE'S TEASING HIM.

He gets a little flustered. Oh wow, GLaDOS, you are hitting nerves all day aren't you? When she mentions him being heartbroken, he speaks a little loudly. ]

YOU... ARE BY FAR... THE WORST WOMAN. IN THIS CASTLE.

1/2

[sawadeertoday]

[ GLaDOS notices how flustered he gets, both a sense of pride that she still could do that and a sense of guilt for doing that swirling in her mind. It really didn't mix.

And being called the worst woman in the castle? She doesn't know whether to take that in stride or not, anymore. How honest he sounds when he says it doesn't help. So she might look a little hurt... ]

2/2

[sawadeertoday]

[ ... but she tries to cover it up with the usual calculating smile. ]

Oh, really? Am I now? I'm just saying the truth. I don't know how that makes me a horrible person.

[wheatdos]

You...you know... but you are!

[He stutters, unsure what to say. He's feeling really conflicted right now, and it causes him to just stare at her for a moment, and spazz out for a half second.

So. Many. Bad. Feelings.]

Are you-- are you trying to make me look like an idiot??! I'm not a moron! I'm not! Stop calling me that!