Paradoxcicle

Overflow

"I thought we'd moved past that," Xiv scowled, glancing momentarily at Gillion's reaction. He was just looking back at Charlie. What was that look- pity? How insulting.

"Oh, and moving past it would be so easy for you, wouldn't it? There's plenty I'd fucking love to just move on from, but unlucky me, I'm a person with problems I have to deal with. All those problems that you would find so easy," Charlie spat back.

"Are you like, drunk, man?" Backflipo winced at him.

"I don't care if he's drunk, just so long as you drop it. This is a meaningless argument to have, Charlie," Xiv looked at him disapprovingly.

"Of course it's meaningless to you. You saved the world, I bet all of my stupid problems are trivial to you."

A field, a river, a god.

It's not fucking trivial.

"I know I don't tend to give the impression that I care, but all we've been doing for a while is trying to help you. You can't tell us this is just your problem when we all want to get back home too!" Xiv started raising their volume.

"Every single time!" Charlie shouted back, "every time, it's one of you, you're there to shove it in my face- saving me from him," he pointed aggressively to Backflipo, whose code flickered a little in response, "saving Grizz too- you're constantly beating me over the head with how fucking useless I am! I can't save anyone, can I!?"

"Whoa, save Grizz? What happened?" Backflipo held him up on that sentence.

"What do you think?" Charlie scowled, "the same thing that happens to everyone I think I can protect. Something almost killed him and I was nowhere nearby."

Charlie took a breath. If the rest of the characters in the entryway had heard the shouting, which they most certainly had, they were staying out of it. Even Ranboo hadn't come to check what was happening.

Every character filling this house is just a reminder of your own inadequacies. If you can't even do as much as your own characters maybe you are just worthless.

"What are you thinking about, Charlie?"

He was almost surprised to hear Gillion's voice. The fish man had been quiet so far, Charlie had barely even looked his way. It was so strange whenever he heard his characters calling him by his own name. They were never supposed to address their player.

They were never supposed to be here, in his life. Never supposed to be helping him. Never supposed to be telling him what to do. Never supposed to be saving people and showing Charlie just how easy it was for them. Because it was so easy, so why hadn't he just done it? Why didn't you do it, Charlie?

Fucking Christ, it really was an insult. The fins, and the gills. Gillion could've done it without breaking a sweat. He would've fought that river. So why didn't Charlie?

What are you thinking about, Charlie?

Why didn't he just save her?

Charlie's expression turned resentful as he faced Gillion.

"I wish I'd never made you," he snarled.

He watched for a second as Gillion's eyes widened and then he turned away, heading out of the room. He didn't want to be around these things any longer.

"No need to fight, Goobleck here :D"

Charlie threw his empty yogurt at the face of the Goobleck on his kitchen counter as he left, "I'm going upstairs so nobody try to fucking talk to me."

There was hesitation, and then somebody's footsteps following him. Typical. For saying they were his characters they sure were shit at following his orders.