Tuesday, July 12, 2005

   Cream Filling: Origins (Chapter II)
[I must say, as much as I enjoy writing dialogue, writing clever, signature-style dialogue for different "groups" of people is probably the trickiest part to it. Buuuut, we'll see what happens . . .]


"So," Professor Sauru continued as she paced back across the front of the small lecture room, "the idea is that we don't think all people are bad, but enough are so that we can't trust everybody." A selection of hands rose from the desks opposite from her. "Yes, Marlene."
"I can understand where he's coming from," Marlene said. "I mean, I had two deadbolts on my front door before we moved . . . . . but is it really possible for anyone to distrust so many people so much of the time?" Prof. Sauru smirked.
"Any takers?" she asked. A hand came up in the back. "Let's hear it . . ."

"Clearly," Cream started, "Hobbes did not have very many friends." As he expected, he got a quick mirthful response from his classmates. "I mean sure, in a time when queens were being imprisoned and executed by their relatives I'd probably be kinda worried of some jacknut shivving me in the street too . . . but still, to actually sit down and write this big-assed thing about it? That's some serious life issues there . . ." The class had another good laugh as always from the remark.

"Alright Cream, so let me ask you this," Sauru said. "Do you not fear violent death?"
"No more than I have to," Cream answered back. Sauru smirked.
"So then tell me, why do you sit in the back of the class?" By now just about everyone in the room had turned around to the student in the spotlight.
"Is this an ethical question?" he asked.
"You want ethics, you take 303 with Professor Duonam. This is my class . . . unless you're just afraid that your answering of that question would lead to the end of your solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short life?" The noise in the room rose exponentially, goading the young man into answering.

"Alright then," he said with a smirk, "we'll say sitting here gives me a nice vantage point to learn everyone's fears so that I may blackmail everyone into allowing me to be the sovereign over all their rights." The class erupted once again . . .

"Okay," Professor Sauru said once the room had calmed down enough, "with that, I guess I'll say we're done for the day. And Whip . . ." Cream looked up, assuming she meant him, ". . .thanks for wasting all our time so cleverly and gloriously." Once the final round of laughter ceased, the professor ended her class. "So yeah, don't forget, essay proposals are due next Monday, don't take too long with 'em . . ."


"Well, you certainly had a hold of yourself today," Jimbo commented as he stepped out of the room with Cream.
"Felt like a good day, I dunno," he said back. "Apartment was empty pretty much all night, was able to fall asleep nice and quickly, I actually got over six hours of sleep . . . it was pretty nice." As they spoke, they made their way out of the crowded building's hallways and into the open air of the small campus.
"You're lucky. My idiot cat Pepé kept me up . . . but yeah, actually getting six hours of sleep . . ." Jimbo pondered. "I thought you were a Biology major, don't you have to study?" Cream cocked his eyebrow and looked the other student dead in the eye.
"Yup." After a very brief silence, Cream broke his composure and a wide grin cracked across his face - Jimbo did likewise. "What, I was drunk last night . . ."

The two of them were walking their way towards the student union building when Jimbo's cel phone rang.
"Oh, I bet that's the others," he said before flipping the bottom of the phone open. As Jimbo spoke with his friend, Cream just looked around at the scenery of the small college. "'Kay," Jimbo said once he finished his call, "Blade and the others are apparently waiting outside the pizza place in the SUB, so we can meet 'em there." Cream took a double-take quickly as they walked.
"Hold on, we?" he asked, "I was heading to the bus . . ."
"Oh, just come along for a bit, man . . ."
"Your powers of peer pressure will not work on me, boy!"
"So I'm a little rusty, sue me . . . now come on . . ."

Cream shook his head lightly and followed along.
"I don't think I can stick around for long anyway," he said, "if I actually wanna score some decent grades on my midterm on Friday and actually have a chance at keeping my scholarship, I'm gonna need to actually study a bit."
"Uh huh," Jimbo followed up, "but you know you won't tonight anyway."
". . . that's besides the point . . ."

The moment they entered the SUB, Jimbo's friends were in plain sight.
"Hey!" Candace called out as she ran towards the two men. "What took you bitchfaces?" Jimbo grinned and backed up as Candace leaped at him.
"Our legs, apparently," he answered, elliciting a groan from the others.

"So Cream," Jimbo said, "you've now met Candace." Cream, somewhat taken aback by the girl's energy, quickly greeted her as best he could. Looking back up, a line of several new faces stood before him. "So everyone, this is Cream, that guy from my Philosophy class . . . Cream, I'd like you to meet Blade, Leta, and Cerise." After another quick wave, Cream smiled once again.

"So," Leta said after a short awkward silence, "We hear you're a pretty interesting guy to listen to."
"Is that what this idiot's been telling you guys?" Cream asked back, bringing out more laughter from the others.
"Heh, yeah," Blade said, cutting in, "and from what I understand, Cerise has been looking forward to meetin' ya. Isn't that right, 'Reese?"
"Oh, shut up . . ." Cerise shot back.

"Anyway," Jimbo said, "we're goin' to the OB downstairs for drinks. You should come, man."
"I dunno, I told some people I'd do something with them tonight," Cream said, as he looked around at the hopeful faces all around him.
"Screw them," Blade said emphatically, "you can meet new and exciting people this way."
"Yeah," Candace added, "and they're old friends from high school too, I bet?" Cream nodded.
"What are you, psychic?" he jokingly asked.
"Damn straight! Candace Merina Estevez knows all and sees all!" More laughter ensued. "But yeah, if they're old friends then they'll understand." All around the young man, Jimbo's friends egged and encouraged.
"Oh, fine . . . . Jim', give me your phone for a sec . . ."

Cream quickly went outside and dialed the number for home.
"Hello?" Knight answered from the other end.
"Hey, it's me," Cream responded.
"What's up?"
"Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna be able to make it tonight, man."
"Oh? Why?"
"Some people here, need to talk to them, school-related."
"What the piss, man? You didn't say anything about this before."
"Well, it just sorta came up just now . . ."
"Well, how long could this take?"
" . . . yeah, don't expect me back before dinner or anything . . ."
"So what you're saying is that you're spending the whole night out with these other people from school instead of hanging out with us like you had planned?"
"No, wait . . ."
"Yeah, whatever . . . . ."

Before Cream could add anything more, Knight had already hung up. Feeling exceptionally guilty, he quietly went back into the SUB.
"Well, that sucked . . . but yeah, let's go."
"Aww . . . they'll be okay, I promise you!" Leta said assuringly. Cream just grinned oddly.
"Yeah . . . . . by the way, that's an interesting accent you have . . ."


[For the record, Hobbes is a dork. Eheh . . . so, who can spot the cameos?]
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