TEXT

[shiniestmeatbicycle]

[Krieg doesn't really know how to communicate with anyone - and ordinarily, that suits him just fine. After the swear-in, however, things are so quiet, too quiet...even he, far gone as he is, can tell that something is wrong. He needs an ally.

And so he turns to the comm system, struggling and twitching to bring across his point. To him, communicating is already like speaking a language he doesn't understand any longer...but now, he's doing it without even the whispers of an interpreter.

He still doesn't quite have the hang of video, so instead he goes with text.]

SMOKE AND PURPLE BURNING BROKE THE SKY BROKE THE DAM OPEN BROKE HIM OPEN QUIET TOO QUIET NOW IF EGGPLANTS HAD LUNGS THEY WOULDN'T EVEN SCREAM SPINAL TAPS AND DRIPPY BAGS HES BURIED UNDER THE TEARDUCTS CAN THE HOUSE SHOW ME MERCY TALK ABOUT THE GOSSIP AROUND THE WATERCOOLER THE NEXT DAY ABSENT ABSENT BAD MARKS FOR TARDINESS SONNY JUST WAIT UNTIL YOUR PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE OOOOOOH YOU ARE IN TROUBLE WAIT UNTIL YOUR MOTHER GETS HOME YOUR MOTHER WITH NEVER GET HOME SHE WILL NEVER GET HOME THAT HURTS DOESNT IT IT REALLY SMARTS SOMEWHERE IN THE RIBS AND THE SKULL THE SKULL CAME APART AND LOOSED THE BLOOD UNPINNED UNLEASHED MADE IT GO AWAY BULLETS AND GUNSHOTS REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY THINGS WERE SO DIFFERENT YOU COULD BUY A HARMONICA FOR A FEMUR AND IT DIDN'T EVEN MISS LIKE A HYPERION GUN IM A HYPERION GUN HAVE TO SHOOT A LOT BEFORE I CAN HIT RIGHT JUST KEEP SHOOTING KRIEG JUST KEEP SHOOTING UNTIL THEY KNOW SOMEONE WILL KNOW ALL THE COLORS OF THE WIND AND THE RAIN AND THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE REDS AND REDS AND REDS AND SILVERS AND TUBES AND SLAG HES BURIED BURIED BURIED LOUD BUT QUIET MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT GO GREEN LIGHT GREEN LIGHT CATCH A RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE MAN THE TURRET SPLIT THE TORSO SPILL THE SPLEEN AND THE VOICE PLEASE SPILL THE VOICE KEEP SHOOTING KRIEG LIKE A HYPERION GUN KEEP SHOOTING





NEED


HELP


NEED


ME


BACK

Comments

video

[glitterateur]

[You know what's really alarming? This. Mabel's only got a basic grasp of speaking psycho (it's 99% volume!) but she's got to make some kind of an attempt at asking what's wrong.]

Um! Krieg?! Are-- ARE THE VOICE BONES CONNECTED TO THE BRAIN BONES? DO YOU NEED TO PUNCH A DOCTOR?

Video

[shiniestmeatbicycle]

[Thank goodness for Mabel. She's definitely been practicing, and Krieg processes the question in an instant. Even more alarming than the text, potentially, is the (comparatively) diminished volume he speaks with aloud.

The camera is kind of awkwardly framed, slightly crooked.]

THE GHOST OF THE DOCTOR THREW THE SPINE INTO THE FIRE. BLADES THROUGH THE FLESH. THE PARAKEET WON'T SING.

Video

[glitterateur]

[She's going to take that as a no to the doctor thing. That's cool! Mabel personally really hates getting shots! But there's something up and from a few context clues it sounds like it might be something up with his nice brain voice.]

TINY BRAIN CRICKET KIDNAPPED BY SCARY KICKING NINJAS?

text;

[textualhealing]

You are a goddamn poet.

Text

[shiniestmeatbicycle]

WHEN ROOFTOPS SHIMMER WITH YELLOW NOBODY WINS

[textualhealing]

That's deep. Real deep.

Video

[redplainsrider]

[All things considered, that's some fine texting from someone like him. That or auto correct was a blessing for him. But, still, this doesn't seem like the usual ramblings she's heard him spew.]

...Howdy, Krieg.

You ain't still sore about the swear-in, are ya?

Video

[shiniestmeatbicycle]

[On video, it's easy to see that there's something wrong with his body language. He's markedly hunched over, almost withdrawn...and his voice is still loud, but not as loud as normal.

He doesn't look angry at the sight of Red, though.]

BREAK THE SILENCE. PHOTOGRAPHS ARE FLICKERING BY. FLIPBOOKS HURT MY HEAD WITHOUT A SOUNDTRACK.

Re: Video

[redplainsrider]

[Lack of anger is definitely good. And she can tell by the body language SOMETHING is up, but she's not a great judge of the body language of gigantic psychopaths anymore than she is the vocal language.]

Darn, I'm sorry, hombre, but . . . er . . . is the other voice there? Reckon he might be able to tell me what yer all in a tizzy about better.

[Audio]

[hands4healing]

[Winry's never heard...read...anything like this post. Unless she'd been around this world during the 50-60s and the Beat Poet movement. Which she hadn't. And Beat Poets wouldn't even make it to her world for another...fifty-plus years? So she's confused by the post, except for a few words. HELP being one of them.]

Are you all right? Do you need someone to help you...ah...?

[Help you what, that's definitely the question.]

[Audio]

[shiniestmeatbicycle]

[Audio calls with Krieg are always a risk. You never know when the guy's gonna blow out your eardrums.]

WAKE THE TORTOISE FROM WINTER HIBERNATION!

[Audio]

[hands4healing]

[OW. Ow ow ow.]

It's not winter!

video

[resipiscent]

[Riku sets it to video, because screaming has got to be easier than typing for Krieg. Most people probably don't understand what he's looking for, but this guy understands.]

Your friend is gone?

Video

[shiniestmeatbicycle]

[Sure enough, Riku is met with the sight of Krieg, staring into the camera lens with desperation in his one visible eye.]

WHISPERS DROWNED IN THE BLOOD AND THE SCREAMING.

video

[resipiscent]

[That can't be good, right?]

Screaming... you mean the swear-in, right? He disappeared the other night?

voice;

[lackey]

Somebody's havin' a bad trip...

Voice

[shiniestmeatbicycle]

AIRPORT SECURITY IS MURDER THESE DAYS! NO LOTION ON THE PLANE!

[logicunlocked]

[ York's simply amused by the transmission when it comes over the network but his AI Delta's curiosity is piqued. So York lets D compose a text and send it, sitting back and observing the exchange in a relaxed position. ]

Unfortunately, no one knows of any way to return to our homes, other than to be sent back without warning, similar to the manner that we have been brought here in the first place. I am curious—do you wish to return home to fulfill the duties others have assigned you with, or for some other reason?

[shiniestmeatbicycle]

[The words that Krieg understands from this diatribe, unfortunately, can be put together into 'homes...warning...first...assigned.' He reads the post over and over again, but his warped brain just can't process any more of it - so he responds with confusion, hoping to clarify.]

BOUNTIES DONT PAY THE SILENCE AWAY WHISTLING IN THE NIGHT ISNT KEEPING MY SLEEP FROM ME

[Video]

[crapbearer]

Okay, so -- [ Max checks the tag. ] Krieg.

Need you back? You need to go home?

[ Max's gaze is concerned and focused. He's got a good track record of breaking weird communication barriers, but maybe this will be the exception. ]

[Video]

[shiniestmeatbicycle]

[The figure that appears on the screen is...big. Big, and masked, and crooked because he has no idea how to frame a shot.

His voice is very, very loud, but there's something desperate in it.]

THE MOON SPITS FLAMES ONTO THE BLOODY WASTELAND! FLAMES WON'T WAKE THE SLEEPING BEAR.

voice;

[bestever]

The fuck? [and a long beat, before church sounds a little less certain, a little more curious.] Whatchu need help with? I don't think I know any Silvers or Greens, but there aren't any Reds around for you to worry about, if that's the problem.

Voice

[shiniestmeatbicycle]

TEETH CLOSE AROUND THE VIBES. SHOW THE SOUND?

[Not any better in voice. In fact, much louder in voice.]

video

[memorybomb]

[Well, this is interesting. The man she met earlier in the month... apparently capable of shouting over text, and in need of help, too. She normally doesn't care about helping people, but when has it ever hurt to try and get on a telepath's good side? Even if said telepathy is a touch limited.

Still, there are certain parts of that that have her wondering. Need me back... so then he's missing? Or some part of him is. And then there's that mentioning of a voice. The one that communicated with her, maybe? It's hard to say, or even try to interpret with all that nonsense in between, but she can certainly try.

Pakunoda takes a minute to clear her throat before turning on the video function.]

WORDS LIKE TO SCREAM BUT TINY BIRD VOICE IN THE MINE SHAFT!? [She has no idea if what she just said will work or even makes sense, but that's what he seems to understand. So hopefully it will at least make some kind of sense to Krieg.]

Video

[shiniestmeatbicycle]

[When the video clicks on, the diminished volume and body language all but confirm her suspicions.

He gets right up close to the camera lens, desperation in his eye.]

TINY BIRD CRUSHED UNDER THE COAL! FUMES CHOKED THE CANARY!