(A/N: still sick and with nothing better to do, tried hard on this one but I'm just too dumb to understand Hemingway even I stuck to it during this chapter, I think it's an improvement over the last one)
Malkuth was moving faster than expected, something about that told me she was in a hurry.
For what, who knows.
The hallways passed in a flash and people avoided us, even if it didn't seem like it, the path was emptier than usual.
She was also trying her hardest to ignore my attempts at small talk. So much for having a nice way to pass time, even if she thought this was important, there was no need to act so rudely about it.
And it would be enjoyable if she hadn't said something vague to drag me off, but we walked for quite a while and far lower than I should be allowed to come. My eyes wandered over this... factory, and I got the feeling that I shouldn't be here.
Malkuth turned around and stared at me for a moment, this dreary place made the situation feel even more unusual than the corporation itself, there was something about it that just felt wrong.
There are also the stains, even if they were hard to spot at first at the far back, I could see something resembling a trash compactor if a little smaller... almost like it wasn't made for trash specifically.
I pulled those thoughts back and regarded Malkuth again, seeing as she was struggling to start the conversation I decided to kick-start this show, "Is there anything, in particular, you want to talk with me?" My question was met with a couple of seconds of silence.
She finally spoke, "You were the one that had made the changes in the rules, while I don't agree with them for... various reasons, it would only be fair for you to take the credit." I don't think you called me and brought me this far below just to tell me that Malkuth.
"Miss Malkuth... no, Malkuth, is there something you want to get off your chest? I'm no psychologist, but I will at least promise to listen without judging you." That was the most honest I could put into words alone, and it seemed to do the trick, since her mechanical body slumped slightly.
She quickly rummaged her notepad and then looked back up at me, "Why put so much effort into those that can't keep up? I myself can't see the reason to try so hard for those that won't try as hard for you, if the position were switched they'd leave you to get eaten alive by abnormalities." I thought about that one for a moment.
She may not like the answer I have, "Two reasons, people suffer all the time and will always blame the world or others, but I know that none of that will ever get them back up, so I try to put a path for them to take... and second because I'm a fool." The last part of my answer gave Malkuth pause and gripped her notepad and gave me a slight glare.
"A fool? After all, you accomplished in such as short time, and you call yourself a fool? What does that make me?" I blinked at her words, she was angry but what caught my attention was how even if the question was about me, she put herself at the forefront.
Is Malkuth self-centered? Her reaction to honest praise and her constant actions trying to reach ridiculous standards... hell, the mere fact that Angela took my side seemed to hit her like a truck.
Maybe I should get this back on track, "Not in that way, I'm not stupid at least half of the people that 'idolize' me in this building see me more as a meat shield than a person, but that never mattered to me, I do what I do because I want to." Malkuth mulled over my words and glanced at her notepad again but in confusion.
"I... don't get it, everyone takes action to aspire towards something, what you describe doesn't make sense." her confusion was evident, doing anything without looking for a reward was abstract to her.
Shrugging my shoulder, I looked at the metallic ceiling and sighed, "Since this whole thing seems to be more about you, let me ask you something, why do you seek those results so badly? This isn't some kind of race to see who's better, the only one that gets to decide your worth is you, after all." My words short-circuited her for a moment.
That reaction was unexpected, it almost seemed like she was remembering something, "Then how do I prove myself to others? The expectations that they have of me are high, and I-" I shook my head at her.
"Malkuth, you are talking as if you are entitled to that attention but let's be real here, this isn't about what they expect of you, but of what you expect of them." Time to lay all the cards on the table, trying to be subtle isn't working and she at every turn talks about the expectations of others have on her. I don't judge her for this, but there is something wrong with the questions she is asking.
"Don't tell me you deluded yourself into believing your way could be the only one?"
Sadly, Angela seemed to have a good grasp on Malkuth's way of thinking, which is actually kind of a problem too now that I think about it, still Malkuth is deluding herself that much is true.
Malkuth was now in the back-foot, no longer leading the conversation, "Of course not! As the Head of the Control Team, the best is only expected of me!" She was half-shouting, but I'm not about to back off now that I'm so deep into the issue.
"Who told you that other than yourself? You are painting an image of yourself that DOESN'T exist. Here is my answer to your last question: Accept your flaws and everything else that has built your character, from there and stick to it, then the rest will follow." I drove home the last part with a stomp on the floor halting whatever Malkuth was going to say back at me, leaving her in a state of shock.
After a minute of silence, I spoke again, "I'll see you during work hours, until then please think about this conversation carefully." I turned around and walked away, the rest is up to her really... that's the kind of self-revelation she needs.
Now I can only hope...
I kept walking through the 'factory' for a while until I came face to face with two small box bots, straight up identically to one another except one is wearing a small bow at the top of what I'm assuming is her head, at least having half the size of Malkuth.
The one with the bow approached me very... haughtily, but she didn't seem hostile, "I have always voiced out my thoughts about the upper Sephirah, but to hear it from someone else is refreshing. Maybe you are worth what everyone says from you." With those words, she turned around and walked away.
The male one didn't leave, however, "I apologize for that, don't let her demeanor fool you, she is quite happy that someone shares her thoughts." This one now made more sense.
I gave him a raised brow, "I don't know about 'sharing thoughts' but I guess letting her ride that high horse isn't going to do any harm." She did kind of have this childish feel to her.
He gave me a polite tilt of his body, which I will take as a nod, "It's nice to meet the latest talk of the clerks, we are Tiphereth." We? Because, of course, that's a thing.
He introduced himself, it is only fair I do the same, "Trigger, apparently the new sensation around these parts." The last part was said with flair to take my mind off from my conversation with Malkuth.
Tiphereth M... I'm creative, looked at me, "You are just how they describe you, I do have one question if you have time." He requested my time as if he wasn't my superior.
Which I had to point out, "Pretty sure you are my boss, but it's impressive to see you being polite about it, shoot." I gave him the go-ahead, and his expression became a little plainer.
"Do you really think having a strong character is enough to gather people around you?" So Tiphereth's... Tipheretheses? Whatever, they most likely heard my talk with Malkuth.
I gave him a firm nod, "Every leader was followed by their character, whether it was faked or not doesn't matter. If you create an appealing image of yourself, others will follow." Also known as charisma.
He gave a small smile that was almost melancholic, "Yeah... just like she did." Wait wha-
Tiphereth F came back running and dragged him away, "Tiphereth we have work to do, we can meet him later if he reaches the lower floors!" I stared at their retreating form, feeling... very unsatisfied.
Like something really important just slipped my fingers, "More to the notepad, more to worry about... same old I guess." After that, I started my walk back to the Control Team floor, all the while worrying about what the future may hold for this facility.