Analyst: A Meta Runner Story

Chapter 8: An Unexpected Turn

I was making my way out of the Speedrunners Arena, tired after a little while. I had to go out a different way than when I went in, because everyone wanted to watch the Professionals play against everyone. I was walking towards the back exit, when I saw a familiar woman with pinkish-purplish hair. At that moment, I knew it was Lucinia. She walked over to me, with a smile on her face.

"Hey," she said.

"H-Hey..." I said.

"How'd you like the show?"

"It was nice. You got a lot of skill."

"Thanks," Lucinia walked over to me. "How come you're acting so emo? You kinda remind me of our Team Captain."

I was a little confused. "What do you mean?"

"Look at yourself. Monochrome clothes, you look like you haven't slept in a week, your hair's all messed up... Here, I can help fix it if you want."

I quickly backed away from her. "WHOA! My hair's fine! I don't want anyone touching it!"

She laughed. "Alright, I get it. Personal space."

"Is there a reason you're talking to me again?" I asked.

"I've been hearing a lot of stories about you at TAS-Corp. About how you... Ended up like this."

I groaned. "Let me guess: You're here to call me defective too?!"

"What? No! Not at all. It's just... The man who gave you your Arm. Dr. Sheridan?"

"What about him?"

"He feels bad about it. And he wanted me to tell you, at least, if I ever saw you, that... He's sorry. He didn't mean to, well... You know."

I looked down. "Yeah... I know... And now thanks to him, everybody sees me as a freak."

Lucinia held my hand. "I don't."

I looked into her eyes, and she looked into mine.

"Don't let this drag you down. Other people only see you as a Defect because they see you from the outside. What I see is a guy who's smart, caring, and knows how to run things. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because if you look past what's on the outside, and get to know someone, they're not really what you expect them to be. Some people I know look really scary, but they're super nice. Then, there's my little sister. She may look nice, but she's an energetic ball of chaos. I still love her to bits though."

"So, looks don't matter?"

"Exactly. Call me old-fashioned, but there's a whole bunch of sayings like, "It's what's inside that counts. Looks can be deceiving. Don't judge a game by its cover." I could go on, but you get my point."

I smiled a bit.

Lucinia put her hand on my shoulder. "You look a lot better when you smile."

"I thought you said looks don't matter."

She laughed. "Touche. So..." She pulls out a controller. "Wanna go a few rounds with me?"

"Actually, I need to get home."

"Alright, seems fair. It's been a long night for all of us, so I'm thinking I'll probably head back home myself."

Lucinia shook my hand.

"Remember what I said, okay?"

"I will."

Lucinia smiled. "See you around."