(Untitled)

[have_your_lives]

[Well, someone's just found out that Crawford has gone home. Given that he's been a little unstable ever since he was hit by the time bazooka, he's taking this even more wonderfully than he would normally.]

[Unfiltered, because Schuldig is all out of fucks to give]

He's gone. [This cryptic announcement is followed by the least sane laughter you'

Comments

What a thing to come back to after a hiatus! XD

[glowing_science]

[Ema is, in a word, terrified. She's not even making an effort to hide it--not that it would have done any good, since Schuldig makes it a hobby to pick into her mind at the least opportune times.

Right now, she's simply standing nearby, frozen, watching his every move with wide eyes. She's seen him angry and thought that was frightening enough.

This is worse.]

EMA HAS THE BEST HUSBAND.

[have_your_lives]

[Schuldig bares his teeth at her.] What's wrong, little girl? [Never mind that Ema is older than he is.]

OH MAN, DOES SHE EVER.

[glowing_science]

[Ema physically shrinks back with a yelp.]

W-what happened?

[have_your_lives]

You're a scientist, aren't you? Command of Schwarz has defaulted to me. Work it out.

[glowing_science]

...Crawford's gone?

[It's the only logical conclusion.]

What... exactly are you going to do? ['Burn it to the ground' could be metaphorical, right?]

[have_your_lives]

Whatever I damn well please. [Does this smile look metaphorical?]

[glowing_science]

[No. No, it does not.]

You...

You can't just go on a killing spree, or whatever it is you're going to do. And... if you rail against the people who run this town, you'll end up dead.

[have_your_lives]

Yes I can. That's what not having Crawford here to stop me means. And I want to make sure they know exactly how much they ought to regret it.

Why does death frighten anyone here anymore?

[glowing_science]

Because there's no guarantee that the waking-up-the-next-morning will continue indefinitely! One of these days, people could end up dying for good!

[have_your_lives]

Hah. That's never scared me either.

[glowing_science]

That's because you're insane!

[The words are out before Ema even realizes she's thought of them. Almost instantly, she gasps and covers her mouth with her hands, staring at him in anticipation of retribution.]

[have_your_lives]

[And with good reason. Schuldig is on her like a cat, a hand grabbing her ponytail and yanking her head back to look up at him with it.] Oh no I'm not, Ema. I'm completely sane. [He uses his other hand to drag a thumb, almost gently, over the curve of her cheek.] I know that because I've seen telepaths who go insane. The ones that start thinking they're actually whoever their minds happen to be listening in on. Or the ones who have to be locked in padded rooms and tied down so they don't throw themselves against the walls until they break every bone in their bodies. Or the ones who leave their bodies behind and never come back to them; sometimes they'd just be tossed into their graves alive, because they weren't worth the price of a bullet, and they'd quietly suffocate in the ground. Do I look like one of those telepaths, Ema? [He emphasizes every word with vicious jerks on her ponytail, yanking her head back and forth.] Do you know how sane I have to be not to be one of them?

[glowing_science]

[Ema cries out in pain and in fear. She doesn't want to hear this. She didn't ask Keane probing questions because she doesn't want to know this.

Her first instinct is to try and pull away, but that proves impossible with the way he's holding her by her hair and pulling on it. If anything, her pulling back just makes the hair-pulling hurt worse, so Ema doesn't put up much of a fight.

She does, however, cover her ears (although it's not enough to block him out) and squeeze her eyes shut. When she answers, she's practically screaming.]

No, you don't!

[Then, more quietly:]

Please let me go...

[have_your_lives]

[And Schuldig does release her, although at the moment, in his current mood, even he probably couldn't say why. He's completely at the mercy of his whims, of whatever passing emotion happens to color his reactions...but it's possible that he's let her go because he fully meant to scare her, but may have revealed more than he entirely intended to in doing so.

Or maybe he's just got no more use for her at the moment. Either way, though, he seems to have calmed down enough that the threat level can be downgraded from 'Imminent' to merely 'Likely'.]

You hold tight to that thought, liebchen. [It's one he's been clinging to all his life. And right now, he kind of needs someone else to reiterate it.]

[glowing_science]

[Ema stumbles back a little when he lets go of her. Thankfully, the wall behind her catches her before she can fall.]

What, that you're sane? That you didn't end up losing it? That you got out

[Ema tries not to think of Keane, knowing it'll just set him off again, but she can't help but remember the determination she saw in the boy. What happened between then and now?]

I-I'll remember.

[have_your_lives]

He died. That's what happened. Now don't ever even think that question again.

[Schuldig abruptly stalks out of the room. Whatever whim he's currently in the grip of apparently wants him out of here.]