Glass Dolls

Crazy Train - 3

"It was that day, August 20th, 2202, that Velvette succeeded in providing evidence to prove that her Theory of Multiversal Refraction was correct."

From Leonne Anima Velvette, A Documentary.

Level of Refraction: -72 degrees.

"So, who the hell was that?!" Mold yells, pacing around the car that has been squeezed into the tight garage.

"Girl, chill." The Author smooths his hair back over her shoulders. "I don't know who or what that was, but you're the one always whining about how you're bored. I'd think that something like this would be exactly what you were looking for. Or are you just contrarian, huh?"

"Forgive me for not wanting to get wrapped up in your battles." Mold rolls her whole head along with her eyes. "Or did you not notice those syringes they were shooting at you? With great accuracy, I might add. You'd be a damn pincushion if I wasn't there to save your ass."

"One: This isn't my battle. I've said, I have no idea who these people are. Trust me darling, I may have made a great many enemies, but I keep track of who they are."

"Y'know-"

"Two: I'm the goddamn Author. I don't care if there's a good shot on that train, even if they hit me then nothing is going to happen. I'm omnipotent."

"What about the things that humans can't bear? You invincible against those, girlfriend?"

"...That's a different subject entirely. That thing was clearly manmade, anyway." He sighs. "I guess that's what I get for giving into your nagging. You're never getting anything else about my glorious self out of me again."

"Oh, lay off!"

Mold throws herself onto the car's hood, stretching out across the dented up metal. She lets out a deep, shaky sigh. It was a little fun, sure, however fun can be found in other, less ominous places. The Author slides the garage door up again, taking a few steps out onto the driveway in the new town.

"Seriously though, what's up?" He says, without looking back at the reclining trickster god. "Sure, a surprise attack from an unknown enemy is gonna be startling, but I got the impression that we were both more into rolling with the punches than preventing them. At the very least, it's not like you to be this jittery."

"...I know, I know. This should be exactly what I'm looking for." Mold mumbles as she gets up, walking out onto the driveway with Ego. "There's just... There is something fundamentally terrifying about that train. I don't know if you can sense it, but... it reminds me of Níðhöggr, I guess."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I played around with that dragon a few times, trying to get it to stop gnawing on Yggdrasil's roots. But it won't budge. I wouldn't necessarily call it evil, cursed though it may be. In the end it's just a beast with a goal. Though that goal means causing great pain. But that thing... I think that whoever is piloting it wants to sink their fangs into you, Ego. And once do... I don't know what they'll do."

"Awww, so you do care about me!" The git leans down, sticking out his bottom lip and making puppy dog eyes at Mold.

"As your elder, I'm giving you some sound advice. Since, y'know, I actually have anything that can be called experience with how the world works."

"Yeah, okay granny." Ego straightens up with a sneer.

"Listen, can we just get this guy's body to his mom already? I want to get out of this realm already. We got an automobile, we can go joyriding somewhere else."