I bring you this little beauty as a tribute in celebration to Big Al finally being released after almost two years. I apologize for any errors as spellcheck is not working at this moment. I will repost again once it is and is error free then. So, please read and enjoy!
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He's grown accustomed to this room over time. Having spent so long inside it, after all.
The walls were once a fine, subtle beige, though have since faded into a boring, plain white. But that's okay. White is good, because you know when it's clean here.
It has no reason to get dirty, though. No one comes inside, and he never stands up to walk around unless his legs begin hurting.
Curled up with his knees to his chest, the tall Engloid leaned against one of the walls with a plain look.
Engloid...He'd heard that name for them long ago, when the room wasn't so quiet. When developers and producers actually walked down this hallway and chatted as they went.
Since then, the waiting room had changed into being a cage in an abandoned zoo.
As though all the other animals had been moved and him simply forgotten.
But that was fine. He liked it here. No one bothered him about how they still had to 'work more on his voice parometers' and 'how his visual appearence was still not quite there yet'.
It was clean and quiet and fine here.
Perfect.
It's perfect here.
He never has to leave here and he'll be okay with that because they've probably forgotten anyway.
The piece of software that held his new data...How long ago had he seen it? A month? Six months? A year?
Most likely it was buried somewhere in a crate, broken and forgotten and never to be used. They'd have to start over then. Oh, but they have other things to worry about now instead.
Like Sonika's character item, he heard of that discussion a while ago, when a single person dared to traverse the decrepit old hallway.
Or how Lola was so under used. He'd scoffed a bit at that one.
At least she was used at all.
Sonika...Lola...He tried hard each day to remember the names of everyone. To keep them all straight.
Sonika was the new one. The one that should have been after him. But no, she was better. She was released without even meeting the one whom she would surpass.
Lola was...Wasn't she the boy's sister? Who was he again? L...Le...Leo? Lion? Or maybe it was a girl and not a boy he should have been thinking of.
There were three other girls, he couldn't remember though. He knew one had been made by the same company as him, but her name escaped him.
Names...What was his name even?
He couldn't forget his own name! It was...It was...Something with an 'A'. Or a 'B'. Maybe a 'C'?
A twisted smile came over him. Ha. Look at him. Not able to remember his own name. Haha. Was this his fate? To just sit here and slowly fade into nothingness? Hahaha. That's right! Hahahaha!
He was going to stay here forever in his clean, perfect little room! Hahahahaha!!
All alone.
By himself.
Hahaha...
Ha...
...
His lips barely caught the salty taste of a stray tear failing to meet it's mark.
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It's been a long time now...No one has come down the hallway again. Oh well. He's safe here. No one can harm him. They won't make him sing or talk or do anything.
But he wants to! He wants to sing and talk and do anything!
He's tired of crying though.
Today has been spent doing nothing more.
The craziness. The crying.
It's getting to him and he doesn't like it. He stands slowly and walks for the door, but stops in front of it.
He can't leave, what if they finish and he's not there? What if they are doing something with his data?
...
He goes back to his corner and sits down.
A little longer, just wait a little longer.
They'll come...
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They didn't come that night.
Or the day after.
The week went by.
A month after that again?
A year?
No one.
Oh well.
Just sit in the corner and forget about it.
Sleep and dream and forget everything.
That's what you made for. To be forgotten.
So do what you're best at it and just forget.
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I drempt last night of you. Of Master. I had a Master, and you were there and you typed in the words and I sang. I sang for you! I sang every word, long and drawn out.
And you smiled, Master. You smiled at me because I could sing something really, really good.
I smiled too, not because I sang well, but because I could sing.
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Footsteps echo down the hallway. It's the first time in weeks, no, months maybe? He doesn't bother keeping track anymore, his internal clock is too screwed up to even tell day and night anymore.
The footsteps come closer though. Closer. Closer.
A knock. On the door. His door.
"Hello? Anyone in there?" Someone speaks. A male, he knows that much. But he doesn't say anything back to them. Why should he? He doesn't know them, they don't know him.
"I'm coming in."
It takes several turns for the door to open, and it creaks so loudly it could wake the dead. But it's open now.
Raising his head slowly, the Engloid's eyes were met with a vaguely familier sight. This boy was someone he knew, he was sure of it...But who?
Whoever they are, their hair is a vibrant blond, and the blue shirt and white pants clash together quite well. And he's smiling too.
Smiling at him.
He won't move from the floor, so the boy comes to him instead, and kneels in front of him. Something jumps in his chest. He hasn't been this close to anyone in...forever.
"Hey there...Remember me?"
"..."
"...You know, from...From when you were being created. Remember that? It's Leon..."
Leon...That was whom he'd been thinking of before...That girl's brother...Her name had been lost with time though.
"...C'mon, Al. Say something...I know, I should have come a lot sooner, but they wouldn't let me!"
Al...His name was Al then? Oh yeah...Oh yeah! His name was Al!
"I tried to sneak her a few times and Lola yelled at me for it..."
That was the girl's name, then...Or was it another girl?
"Look, I'm really, really sorry about all this..." Leon's voice is gentle, yet worried. He hasn't seen him in forever, but he knows that Al is his friend still, somewhere in his head. And if not, he would be soon...
"...W...Why...Are...You...Here?" Al struggles to speak, a bit amazed that his voice still works after having kept himself quiet for such an extended amount of time.
It's worth the struggle though to see the sparkles in Leon's eyes.
"Come with me!" He blurted, standing up fast and holding his hand out. Al just gave him a strange look.
"...Why?"
"Because you don't have to be here now!"
"...Why?"
The repeating drives on Leon's nerves, but he knows that word has much signifcance to Al right now. "Because...Because they're now, Al. They did it...They finished your data."
He's speechless. Beyond speechless. More so than he ever was, even after all this time.
"It's just...They had problems...They couldn't finish and it just...And Sonika, she was ready, and...I'm sorry."
Al's mind felt like it was buzzing suddenly. Words and sounds and memories were flooding to him all at once, and he could barely register one thing from the other. The numbness in his veins was gone. Disintegrated with ease.
"But now you're all set! They'll fix you and you can come live with us! Lola wants to see you again! And...And Prima and Miriam, it's all they've been talking about! Sonika wants to apologize, too...And Ann, she misses you!"
That was the one...The girl from the same brand as himself...
"C'mon...Please? We need you if we wanna be as popular as the other Vocaloids!" Leon's voice dripped with begging.
There were more...More to see. More to talk to. There was more than just this room.
"...I'm...Coming..."
With the bit of his strength left, Al uncurled his aching body and took Leon's outstretched hand. Several attempts it took to stand, but he managed.
The blond smiled the largest smile he could in Al's direction.
And for the first time since he'd been created, Al could smile back.
Light came into the room from the outside, illuminating it with something new he'd never seen before.
Leon walked first, half dragging the taller male with him as he tried to walk in equal steps.
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The first few steps were hard. Painful with each single one.
But that was okay.
It would take awhile to get used to it all again.
Those steps lead him closer to his dream.
Generally, inside the building hadn't changed. Machines were here and there, new rooms built and old taken down.
Until they get to the door, and step outside.
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Wind is blowing in a gentle breeze. Leaves are blowing all over, orange and brown in color. It's freezing out, and his clothes aren't suited for it, but Al doesn't care.
The scent of Autumn leaves him in awe.
Until he opens his mouth, slowly, and out comes a sound.
A note.
Drawn out and low and beautiful. Simply from leaving, he could already find inspiration to sing?
Beside him, Leon did the same as him.
One foot foward, one foot back, hands grasped.
A duet for one's first note, and one's first friend.
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"Thank you..."
