Post by thomas on Nov 22, 2009 15:46:46 GMT -5
The cold North African night. Not much unlike Orkney but impossibly dryer, thought Thorvald. He was getting tired of the sand.
Wrapped in a blanket and wrapped in night, he crept out of the mosque and approached the blue giant still knelt outside. The repairs had been finished and Thorvald had even shined the armor (an all day job), so that it now gleemed azure under the moon.
He climbed into the cockpit, his hands shaking. He wanted a drink; desperately, he wanted a drink, but intuitively, he knew he had to do this sober. He powered up the Blue Destiny's console.
"'Evening, lass. I hope I did nae wake ye."
No answer. So far, so good.
"Now, listen. We're going to be leaving tomorrow at first light. We kin nae sit here the rest of the war, d'ye understand?"
Still silence.
"It's fine if you don' want to talk but please, I hope ye're listenin'. Because, lass, this is bloody important--we're surrounded by Zeon forces on all side. Probably, we'll have to fight our way out. I need ye' to be on my side for this, darling. We kin nae have anymore o' this, do you see?"
Thorvald took a deep breath.
"Now, lass, I don't pretend to know what you are or understand ye in the slightest. But, I kin promise you: I'll try. I'll do my damnedest to understand. I don't know what's a-hurting ye but I'll do my damnedest to figure it out and with God as my witness, I'll make it stop. I'm not a complicated man--you've figured that out. When I say I'm going to do something, lass, I do it. I do it. And if ye trust me, I promise--you've got to believe me, lass, I promise you--I'll figure out what's hurting you. I'll set you free soon as I know how."
Still no answer.
"Christ, but I hope you hear me. I don't want to kill ye. And I know, somewhere, deep down in me heart, that you don' want to die--it's just that's the only way you see that you can be free of the pain. Well, lass, I'm offering you an alternative. If you trust me--if you work with me--if you help me get through this goddamned war--I'll save you. Maybe you don't believe me. I can't offer you any proof except--the combined forces of the Earth Federation, the Duchy of Zeon, and the harsh African landscape have not yet been able to kill me. If there's a man tough enough to save you, it's me. It's me."
Thorvald smiled:
"Here, an anecdote for ye: when I was still a lad, just a wee lad, maybe twelve, I fancied a girl at the high school in me neighborhood. She was seventeen and my friends said I was crazy but I tell you, I was determined. We got out of class ten minutes earlier than the high schoolers did and so I'd sprint over to the gate outside the campus and wait for her. I'd follow her home, trying to talk to her and flirt with her--she lived four blocks from the school so I had four blocks to talk to her. I did this for three months, every day, and when that wasn't working, I started getting up extra early so I could walk her to school too. My mates made fun o' me but did I care? No. And you know what? After four months, she agreed to go out on a date with me. And then we went on another and another and another and then--"
Here, Thorvald drew himself up triumphantly.
"We had sex! At twelve! She was seventeen! I still brag about it, to this day. In fact, I'm kind of bragging about it right now. But my point is, I'm nae going to give up on you. I'm going to save you. I'm going to figure something out--all you've got to do is trust me, lass. That's all. I don't much care about the Federation or the Zeeks. It's all survival for me, now. And you, lass--I'll fight for you, if you give me a chance."
Thorvald took a deep breath.
"That's all. I'm going to get me some sleep before we head out in the morning. Maybe, when you feel like talking, you could, y'know, tell me yer name."
With this, he shut down the mobile suit, climbed out, and went back to the mosque.
Wrapped in a blanket and wrapped in night, he crept out of the mosque and approached the blue giant still knelt outside. The repairs had been finished and Thorvald had even shined the armor (an all day job), so that it now gleemed azure under the moon.
He climbed into the cockpit, his hands shaking. He wanted a drink; desperately, he wanted a drink, but intuitively, he knew he had to do this sober. He powered up the Blue Destiny's console.
"'Evening, lass. I hope I did nae wake ye."
No answer. So far, so good.
"Now, listen. We're going to be leaving tomorrow at first light. We kin nae sit here the rest of the war, d'ye understand?"
Still silence.
"It's fine if you don' want to talk but please, I hope ye're listenin'. Because, lass, this is bloody important--we're surrounded by Zeon forces on all side. Probably, we'll have to fight our way out. I need ye' to be on my side for this, darling. We kin nae have anymore o' this, do you see?"
Thorvald took a deep breath.
"Now, lass, I don't pretend to know what you are or understand ye in the slightest. But, I kin promise you: I'll try. I'll do my damnedest to understand. I don't know what's a-hurting ye but I'll do my damnedest to figure it out and with God as my witness, I'll make it stop. I'm not a complicated man--you've figured that out. When I say I'm going to do something, lass, I do it. I do it. And if ye trust me, I promise--you've got to believe me, lass, I promise you--I'll figure out what's hurting you. I'll set you free soon as I know how."
Still no answer.
"Christ, but I hope you hear me. I don't want to kill ye. And I know, somewhere, deep down in me heart, that you don' want to die--it's just that's the only way you see that you can be free of the pain. Well, lass, I'm offering you an alternative. If you trust me--if you work with me--if you help me get through this goddamned war--I'll save you. Maybe you don't believe me. I can't offer you any proof except--the combined forces of the Earth Federation, the Duchy of Zeon, and the harsh African landscape have not yet been able to kill me. If there's a man tough enough to save you, it's me. It's me."
Thorvald smiled:
"Here, an anecdote for ye: when I was still a lad, just a wee lad, maybe twelve, I fancied a girl at the high school in me neighborhood. She was seventeen and my friends said I was crazy but I tell you, I was determined. We got out of class ten minutes earlier than the high schoolers did and so I'd sprint over to the gate outside the campus and wait for her. I'd follow her home, trying to talk to her and flirt with her--she lived four blocks from the school so I had four blocks to talk to her. I did this for three months, every day, and when that wasn't working, I started getting up extra early so I could walk her to school too. My mates made fun o' me but did I care? No. And you know what? After four months, she agreed to go out on a date with me. And then we went on another and another and another and then--"
Here, Thorvald drew himself up triumphantly.
"We had sex! At twelve! She was seventeen! I still brag about it, to this day. In fact, I'm kind of bragging about it right now. But my point is, I'm nae going to give up on you. I'm going to save you. I'm going to figure something out--all you've got to do is trust me, lass. That's all. I don't much care about the Federation or the Zeeks. It's all survival for me, now. And you, lass--I'll fight for you, if you give me a chance."
Thorvald took a deep breath.
"That's all. I'm going to get me some sleep before we head out in the morning. Maybe, when you feel like talking, you could, y'know, tell me yer name."
With this, he shut down the mobile suit, climbed out, and went back to the mosque.