random writing practices

random story 2 - where my motivation goes to die 😔

..Tick..

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..Tick..

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..Tick..

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..Tick..

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The steady, rhythmic ticking of a mounted clock on the wall constantly filled the ears of the diligently working Cherry, who had her laptop ahead of her as she typed away at what looked to be a program of sorts, the contents unknown to anybody aside from Cherry herself. As she glanced up from the screen and took a quick look at the clock to check the time, she suddenly realized that she forgot one vital piece of the program she was working on: the antivirus installation. "Shit...Almost forgot that. Can't risk my ass being doxed over a stupid beta program...", Cherry mumbled, looking back down at her screen and installing the antivirus into the program, closing her laptop shortly after.

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The program in question that she was making? It was the prototype for the programming of the Loop Machine, which was still a prototype machine at the time she was creating this program. She was doing this in the comforts of what would soon become the main meeting room of the TCA Corporation Building, leaning back in what would soon be the chair belonging to the admin by the name of 'Scarlet'. As she let out a sigh of what sounded to be a mix of exhaustion and relief, a familiar face slunk into the room, leaning on top of the chair Cherry was sitting in, a smug yet soft look on their face. "So...overtime work on that ol' machine of yours, ay Moon?", the person said, obviously poking fun at Cherry. "Oh, quiet down. You've been nothing but trouble lately, y'know." Cherry retorted, her gaze serious but softening at the sight of who was behind her. The person leaning on the chair she was in was the co-founder of the corporation, going by the alias of 'StrawberrySun', Cherry's coworker and sibling. "What can I say? I'm pretty much made for it." StrawberrySun spoke, pushing herself off of the chair and crouching beside Cherry, her gaze drifting over to the prototyped Loop Machine. She got up, walking over to it and running her hand over the sleek metal exterior of the machine, her hand stopping over the activation button. "So...Moon, when do ya think you'll actually put this thing to use?" she questioned, her other hand against her hip. Cherry got up from the chair, walking over and stopping next to StrawberrySun, her gaze lingering on the machine. "I...don't know. I just hope it won't blow up in my face once I get the thing working, heh." Cherry muttered in response, a soft chuckle escaping her lips before her expression went stoic once more. "But...I think it's pretty much primed and ready to go, since its code was just implemented by me...although I advise NOT turning it on just yet, Sun. I don't exactly recall you being very careful with my things."

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StrawberrySun merely shrugged in response, lifting her other hand off of the Loop Machine. "Aight...don't blame me if the thing blows up. I didn't tamper with nothin' on the machine. Yet." Cherry sighed, running a hand through her hair before straightening up and walking toward the exit of the room. "Yeah, I'll be damned if you manage not to cause it to self-combust. That'll be a fucking miracle in my eyes, Sun." she sarcastically remarked, grabbing the handle to the door leading out of the room. She turned back toward StrawberrySun, gesturing for her to follow. "C'mon Sun, I'm goin' out to buy us some drinks. You coming?" StrawberrySun snapped out of her thoughts, walking over to Cherry with a relaxed look on her face. "As if I'd miss seein' ya get blackout drunk, Moon!" The two then shared a short laugh, as Cherry opened the door and the two left, leaving the room, and Loop Machine, in darkness for the time being.

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[TIME: ETA 2:48:35 AM.]

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The door to the room creaked open, it being softly shut after someone stepped into the room, their gaze set on the Loop Machine. As they approached, they pulled their hood down, revealing themself to be StrawberrySun, a more stoic and unreadable expression on her face as she turned on the Loop Machine, tampering with the settings in the darkness. She was mumbling some incomprehensible things underneath her breath as she worked, the faint light of the settings of the Loop Machine dimly illuminating her face as she slowly tampered with the machine and prepared it for activation. Just as she was about to kick on the machine for real, Cherry walked in, a flashlight in hand as she had followed StrawberrySun all the way to the TCA Corporation Building, a look of annoyance and disappointment on her face. "Sun...what the hell are you doing here so late? And...tampering with the Loop Machine too?!? The hell's gotten into you?!" she remarked, lowering the flashlight and clipping it onto her belt. StrawberrySun merely gave her an unamused look, lifting her hands from the console screen of the Loop Machine. "Ain't it obvious, Moon? I'm doin' what your ass hasn't; turning this ol' thing on myself." Cherry looked almost appalled by StrawberrySun's remark, the mere thought of what she was doing being enough to send concern speeding through her veins. "Sun. Back away from the Loop Machine...please. It's not ready yet! I don't want this thing causing major issues so soon!" Cherry shouted, stepping toward StrawberrySun with a look of worry in her eyes. StrawberrySun didn't listen...no, she did something much worse.

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With a sudden press of the activation button, the Loop Machine sparked to life, the entire room immediately getting engulfed in a flashbang of light and electricity. Cherry instinctively covered her eyes with her sleeve, stumbling back a bit. When everything cleared out and her ears stopped ringing, Cherry lowered her arm, but the sight ahead of her...was something she hardly believed to see. Where StrawberrySun was standing...was a faint, flickering rift, her sibling nowhere in sight, with nothing more but her jacket on the ground, slightly burnt on the edges. Cherry walked over to the Loop Machine, glancing at the console screen for a moment before grabbing StrawberrySun's jacket, holding it close to her chest and cursing under her breath. How the hell was she supposed to explain this to the new hires she employed a few days ago? No...she doesn't have to tell them about StrawberrySun. She doesn't have to tell them the origin of the Loop Machine. There was a time and place for that all to be explained...but for now...TCA Corporation needed a fresh set of ideals, and CherryMoon had all the ideas for how and what to do.

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[END]