the sound of insanity -- 001 Title; The Sound of Insanity Author; Jei Rating; PG-13 for now. Will likely go up later. Warnings; Profanity. Blood. Summary; Kinda my idea on how Farfarello joined Schwarz. Notes; Chapter 01. Because there's too much for just one post.
001;
When I look around, I don't see human beings. I see machines. Gears and circuits, most of which are poorly wired. Many of these machines are in desperate need of repair. They're no longer functioning as well as they should. Vital parts, your so-called civility, are breaking down. The electric current of rationality is becoming less stable.
Society is on the verge of collapse. There are too many machines and nobody knows how to properly repair them. They can patch up leaks, keep them going for another.. what? A day? A year?
Doesn't matter, the result is the same. Eventually, they will break down and only the primary functions remain. The basic instinct of all humans lingering beneath the veil of conscious thought.
Kill or be killed.
+ + + + +
"Farfarello. Can you hear me?"
He opened his eyes slowly, squinting against the light.
"He's alive, at least. Somebody get some damn towels over here."
He saw figures, not much more than silhouettes, and heard voices. Familiar voices, but he couldn't quite remember the names or faces to whom they belonged. His mind felt sticky and slow.
He felt himself being lifted and his vision cleared just for a moment. A man he didn't recognize lay dead at his feet, his face twisted in an unusual mix of fear and rage. Nobody seemed to notice him at all.
He looked down at himself and realized he was hurt. By the amount of blood, he supposed it was pretty bad, though he didn't really feel much past a distinct sensation of nausea boiling in his stomache.
His vision began to blur as the ground beneath him started to spin. As the light faded back to black, he heard someone yelling for others to grab him.
Across the room, a man in a simple white business suit stood and watched the goings-on. His demeanor was difficult to read, neither amused nor disgusted, pleased or disappointed. He pushed his glasses up and turned his back to the scene.
"Mr. Crawford, I beg you not judge too quickly."
An old man emerged from the group huddled around the injured Farfarello, his steps uneven and slow as he made his way supported on a thin, jagged cane. A disarming smile was settled upon his aged face, noticeable even beneath the unkempt moustache.
"You said you had something I may be interested in," Crawford said, not turning to look at the old man. "I have never understood why you take so much pleasure in wasting my time, Edgar."
The man flinched as if expecting a beating.
"But he's still alive. Those wounds would kill a man like you or I. You must see why I thought he would be valuable to you," Edgar said. Crawford chuckled, though there was no humour in the gesture.
He said, "Instead of assessing the value of others, perhaps you should look into your own usefulness."
Crawford turned, a gun in hand and aimmed directly between Edgar's eyes, now wide with terror. A cruel smile played over his lips as he pulled the trigger.
Edgar pinched his eyes shut, waiting for the bang, the flash of pain and the terrible relief only death could bring him. As soft footsteps filled his ears, he opened one eye to see Crawford walking away.
It was not mercy. Edgar knew this all too well. He still owed a debt, and Crawford was not known for letting go of a favour.
The old man hobbled back to Farfarello, nothing more than a bloodied heap on the ground. As he grew closer, his assistants moved out of the way and watched in silence as Edgar swung his cane.
& just because that was kind of depressing, I feel inclined to point out this fun fact: I had my mp3 player on shuffle while writing this. A few choice music tracks which helped write this includes..
Sunshine, Lollipops, & Rainbows - Leslie Gore Performance Art - Liam Lynch Discovery Channel - Bloodhound Gang
I dare anyone to try & write a serious Schwarz based fic while listening to that (especially that last one.. since it was while I was trying to write dialogue for Crawford & I was like "ohman, Crawford would be a terrible porn star.")