WEEK 2

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 2

[It is again early morning when the train docks next. This time, however, the dock is not as busy. There are few trains to be seen, and even fewer people. Only a man stands at the dock, teeth sharp in his smile, scelera a deep gold as he stares beneath his fedora.

"Unexpected," he said with a smile. A two-dimensional dog with the head of a scribbled black cloud hops by, ignoring him. "But not unwanted. Do make yourselves comfortable."

This new place is known as Victoria's Chasm, named after an Empress. No, not that one. Her Thrice-Renewed Majesty is quite comfortable on her Throne, and rulled for much longer than 99 days, thank you very much.

In the distance, black begins to erupt like tendrils. Lightning flashes through the clouds. This is the land of monsters; tread carefully. And do not despair, whatever you do.


There are fifteen strangers left in this place.]

Comments

Good...Dog??

[unwittingking]

[So, new place. Might be interesting to explore...but that could dog is kinda...what's the word for it-ah! Disturbing, to him.]

Are you sure you want to test that thing?

[He's giving that dog a hard side-eye.]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[Oh no, two dogs, however will he choose which one to pat? Except, oh, right, he's still annoyed at one for using him as a stool without bothering to get permission first. Sure, the apology helped, but that only does so much to soothe his bruised dignity and dislike of being touched.]

If the red signal bar is oozing a bit, it's surely just a coincidence.]

Of course not. Why do you think I gave them a proper greeting?

[unwittingking]

[He knows it was probably a stupid thing to do, but high stress situations just seem to always get him panicking, and he didn't want to risk RGB being more...difficult, while manning the gun alone.]

I guess that's fair, as long as you're careful.

Also, you're uh...leaking.

[He points to the red oozing out.]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[He sighs.]

Yes, I'm aware. I always am.

[unwittingking]

Alright. Just making sure that you're not like...bleeding or anything.

[We really don't need the TV bleeding from it's face.]

Do you need a rag or something to clean it up?

[technicolourdifficulties]

...

[Some magenta joins the red, which ebbs in flow. Yeah, about that...]

I'm surprised you managed to guess that in so short a time. But no, it will dissipate quickly enough. Attempting to wipe it away is an exercise in futility.

[unwittingking]

…wait, that stuff is actually blood? Shouldn't you be a bit more...concerned about it leaving your body?

[Or TV set, in this case?]

[technicolourdifficulties]

It is at least a close enough comparison to use the term. But to be honest, I don't think about it terribly often. This is how I've always been, so why would I?

[His tone definitely has the edge of someone who hates having to explain things directly making a valiant attempt at being patient. It's not as if King would have any way of knowing these things, after all.]

[unwittingking]

[King can understand that and appreciate it, but this concept is just kinda disturbing, in a way that he's not even used to. So he'd prefer to clear it up now rather than later.]

Because blood doesn't work like that. Blood is supposed to stay in your body, and is pretty much one of the main things most people need to stay alive.

That stuff is either something else, or...actually no, it has to be something else, because people don't bleed out of their face regularly like that, and if you really do then we need to get you some medical help.

1/2 CW: discussion of body horror, potential spoilers from here on out

[technicolourdifficulties]

[He gives a small, humorless laugh.]

And just what good would that do for me? Medicine requires flesh and bone to be effective, and those are two things I'm in rather short supply of.

2/2

[technicolourdifficulties]

[He sighs, resting his head in one hand. Yellow begins to drip from his screen as well; perhaps King has noticed that it is nearly omnipresent.]

...You must understand, I do not mean that I bleed a concoction of plasma and cells the way you or anyone else in our little group of captives. It is no less vital to my, or any other character's continued existence, but I can lose far more of it than you might simply because I do not rely on blood pressure to keep my non-existent heart pumping.

[unwittingking]

[No flesh or bone for medicine to work with...

Gross.]

Okay, yeah, that definitely makes me worry less. Good to know how you work, I guess.

[At least he knows what to do if RGB gets hurt? AKA nothing unless it's the TV.]

In hindsight, that does make sense, though you have to admit that the way you worded it was bound to confuse someone, or at least make them worried for a minute.

[You gotta mention the whole "Blood isn't super important to me" thing beforehand so they don't think you're constantly bleeding out!]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[Well, maybe get him to stop screaming. Getting run through or shot still hurts like the dickens, even if it's only deadly if aimed at his head.]

That was an error on my part, I'll admit. It's not a topic that comes up terribly often as many assume it is saliva and feel it would be impolite to mention, so I don't precisely have a practiced answer.

[unwittingking]

[oh rub some dirt on that hole through your chest yeah he'd probably try to do something to help with that]

It's fine, I honestly hadn't noticed until now, but...people really think you're just drooling constantly? Really?

[He'd be offended if he were RGB, and that's clear in his tone.]

[technicolourdifficulties]

Unfortunately.

[How RGB manages to pack so much tired resignation into that single word is a feat that could only have been achieved through a combination of tone and body language, and normally only seen in those who have worked customer service.]

[unwittingking]

[He pinches the area between his eyes, a little annoyed, though only about as much as RGB is. He assumed it was some sort of fluid leaking, but that just feels...worse, for some reason.]

Okay, you have my sympathies for that, considering how annoying it sounds.

[He can recognize that tone all too well.]

Is there any reason why your...blood comes out like that? Or is it something that just happens?

[technicolourdifficulties]

One can only go through so many handkerchiefs attempting to clean up before throwing in the towel.

[Because really, how else does one deal with gross bodily functions besides puns?]

But to be quite frank, I don't know. It could be an intentional part of my design just as easily as it could be happenstance, and I will likely never know which.

[unwittingking]

[…don't make him lose that sympathy He's just responding to that pun with an eye roll.]

Alright, whatever. It doesn't harm you and it just sort of happens. That's probably all I need to know about how it works, right?

[technicolourdifficulties]

That about sums it up, yes.

[Besides one other kinda important detail, but is Jeebs going to out himself without that conclusion being drawn by someone else first? No. No he is not.]

[unwittingking]

Alright. Glad that that could be cleared up.

[Well, King isn't going to be the one to ask about that detail, because as far as he's concerned that's none of his-]

I have to ask, what makes different colors leak? It was red at first, now it's yellow I think.

[…okay, maybe he's curious about one thing.]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[If yellow wasn't one of the colors leaking before, it most certainly was coming from his smile now.]

I'm sure you already have some idea. After all, you picked up on the fact that I'm bleeding without my saying so.

[unwittingking]

[He's not fully sure, mostly because of...well, any color that isn't red mostly, but he'll guess anyway.]

Is it connected to your emotions or something? Like red is anger, blue [cyan] is sadness, and pink [magenta] is sort of like embarrassment?

1/2

[technicolourdifficulties]

[That was... faster than expected.]

2/2

[technicolourdifficulties]

A bit off the mark, I'm afraid. Embarrassment is far too complex an emotion to be contained in a single colour.

[unwittingking]

[Huh. He’s two for two on these guesses!]

I was just thinking it might relate to you you blushing in embarrassment or something.

What does it look like when you’re embarrassed, then?