ataraxion | 003 (Video) ; I'm a word that no one ever wants to say...

Entry tags:

003 (Video) ; I'm a word that no one ever wants to say...

[Hello, Tranquility. Here's Topher, recently exorcised and looking... Well, let's be real here. Topher looks like he got hit by a truck. His hair's messier than usual, he's ashen-faced, and there's a bandage around his left hand, which you can only just barely see because his hands are tucked tightly under his arms, like he's trying to pull himself into the smallest possible space.]

Is it over yet?

[He swallows.] ...Are they gone?

[For a moment, he looks like he might say something else, but there's just a long silence where nothing happens and he flips the communicator off with an aggravated and exhausted sigh. This has not been the best few weeks of his life and he's had a lot of terrible few weeks.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[You really should, but oh well. Topher will get over it.]

Yeah. Who knows? Maybe you've got good advice for the recently possessed. [Even his sense of humor is a little dry and fatalistic right now.]

It depends on the possession. We'll have to see. Ah, here we go. [Rummaging noises!!! He's also got to go get... you know, his disguise, so he's not immediately freaking Topher out.]

I'll come 'round as soon as possible, and then we'll see what I can do for you.

[And when he does come around he'll totally not know... Topher's... name... and be very awkward about announcing his presence, because how do you do that without knowing someone's name??]

[Luckily, Topher's just lucky enough to be checking outside the door to make sure nothing is lurking around at the time he shows up. And then there is a moment between skeleton and nerd. A very intense, heated moment that would... Probably be a lot more heated if Topher weren't staring like he's just found the void that stares into him.

...O... kay.]

Please tell me I've either developed x-ray vision or this is just the first stage of the inevitable insanity.

[Yeah... Skulduggery's hat doesn't do much to hide the whole skeleton thing. Neither does the suit. (He kind of figured that out when everyone immediately knew he was a skeleton the second they saw him.)

He tilts his head.] Sorry, no. Probably should have mentioned, er. Being a skeleton. I forget to do that, sometimes. [Here look he's holding out a thermos-y kind of cup... glass... thing just take it.] Here's your tea.

[Clearly, you need to ask Space Santa for a mask, Skulduggery. It would solve EVERYTHING.]

Is it bad that I'm actually not as bothered by this as I probably should be? [He takes the thermos and opens the door a little further.] Might be the shock.

[He's got to wait until he has a brilliant idea back home for a mask of some sort, but he's trying very hard to work through that.]

It might be, but then again, I think people on this ship are more prone to accepting the wildly unexpected. I found a chocolate bar, by the way. If you'd like that as well. I'm assuming space chocolate tastes about the same as Earth chocolate, at least.

[He actually manages a tiny smile.] You know your inappropriate, probably borderline-contraband items. Can't be all that bad. [Which is a yes, BTW.]

[Since he pretty much understands everything Topher's implying, he digs that out of his pocket and holds it out.] You'll have to let me know. I don't like chocolate. [It's a joke because he can't eat, get it?]

Would you like to talk about what happened, by the way? Sometimes it helps.

[He accepts the chocolate and flops on the nearest chair, comforted by the fact that... He has an entire container of salt beside him on a table, because the idea of holy water just makes him go, "eeeeh?"

And, really, he ought to keep his mouth shut, but if you can't talk to a friendly skeleton about your horrible life, who can you talk to?] Not much to say, really. I woke up in the grav-couches in the backseat of my own head.

[Exactly, who can you trust if not the guy who has no face? He's just gonna shut that door behind him because privacy, man. Sure, it might be less intimidating to be stuck in a room with a skeleton if the door was open, but do you really want to have your personal thoughts echoing all over the deck?

He doesn't move from near the door, though. It's not like he gets uncomfortable standing.] I can't imagine that was a very positive experience. [lol understatement, but he's trying to get you to talk topher, c'mon]

[Therapists would throw up their hands and weep at this one... But that's because he's a neurologist and trying to examine someone who knows every corner of the human brain is just a dumb move.]

Not very. [He fumbles with the wrapping for a second, momentarily distracted.] I faded in and out. All those years of studying the human brain and suddenly the idea of becoming intimating familiar with the dark recesses of my own doesn't sound so cool anymore.

[Skulduggery crosses his arms.] It never is 'cool'. And it's not exactly pleasant to be taken advantage of, either. I don't envy you on that part.

[Topher cringes.] And I've got more than my fair share of 'done me wrong' stories before this... They're of a.. Lees skeevy, less violating nature.

Does it help to know that they've been exorcised, or are well on their way to being completely dealt with? [Admittedly, the sorts of possession he's known of in his live involved things that completely took you over. You weren't aware enough to know what was happening. So, he's at a bit of a loss right now how to help. But he's trying!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

003 (Video) ; I'm a word that no one ever wants to say...

Re: [voice]

[voice] --> [action i guess???]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]