no.0003 (whodunnit)

[glasgowgrin]

[action a;]
[There are no explosions today. Just an upset Rail walking slowly across the Plane with a dark look on his face, grabbing anyone he comes within arms' reach of and glowering at them through his bangs, the stitches on his face stretching as he grits his teeth and snarls out words, his voice an unsuccessful attempt to sound nonchalant and friendly because of the incredible rage behind it. He looks like he might even start swinging the broken Victorian-style street lamp he's carrying around.]

I don't really get it... but tell me. Do you not get any warnings around here before you get laid out on a lab table? That's real uncourteous of them, isn't it?

[action b;]
[Rage and confusion at waking up on a lab table not calmed but smoldering more quietly inside him, Rail is now sitting in the kitchen with the lamp on his lamp, picking at the broken glass absentmindedly as he stares into space. But after a few seconds, he gets to his feet, just as distracted, and begins walking as if he intends to leave. He's still fiddling with the glass when his finger slips and he stabs himself with a sharp edge.]

-- Ow!

[The surprise and the pain -- and the surprise at the pain -- causes him to gasp and lose his grip on the lamp, letting it fall to the floor with a deafening shattering sound. But Rail just ignores the even-more-broken lamp and stares at the blood on his finger with something like fright in his eyes.]

... It hurt?

Comments

[inhumanity]

[Christopher was going to speak to Rail. He was going to, perhaps, find some way to chide him about playing with broken glass. If you can't feel it, you don't know when you've hurt yourself. Just because you're numb to pain doesn't mean you can't take damage.

And then he hears an ow. Christopher stops, stares, watches blood that's black and shining instead of red seep out from Rail's finger. And he knows that's wrong. He has seen Rail bleed before.

Christopher steps over and holds Rail's hand.] We mustn't forget to put a disinfectant in it before wrapping it up. Just because your immune system is better than humans, that's no reason to compromise yourself to infection.

[glasgowgrin]

... Chris.

[He tilts his head back slowly, letting the back of it hit Christopher's arm gently. His eyes are wide with worry and a little bit of excitement because he can feel the warmth of Chris' hand on his and the way his hair catches on the fabric of his friend's shirt and tugs on his scalp.]

Why is my blood black?

[What did they do to him?]

[inhumanity]

You know scientists. They aren't very forthcoming with reasons. [He holds Rail and becomes calm because he has to be. Because someone has to be. That's how it works: one of them anchors the other, and so on. Christopher strokes Rail's hair and gives a thoughtful hum, before he smiles with a mouth wide with teeth.] But I'll make them be.

[glasgowgrin]

[He narrows his eyes and turns his hand to grip Christopher's back. He pushes at the ground with his feet, leaning back further, closer into Christopher until he can clearly feel where their bodies are pressing into each other. With his free hand, he catches the one in his hair.]

Don't... even if they answer, it won't matter. Does this... happen?

[inhumanity]

[Christopher knows what Rail is doing. He changes his grip so he can hold Rail a little closer, so Rail can feel a little more of Christopher's presence.]

That's an odd question, Rail. Anything that happens certainly does happen. As for whether or not it happens to others, well—I've met a few others here who bleed that way.

[glasgowgrin]

It's gross. It feels like one of those horror movie things.

... I woke up with the lamp, too. Do you know what's going on?

[inhumanity]

[Christopher inspects it a moment.] Why, it's about right for when I was first made. They want you to get to know the time of my early childhood better.

[glasgowgrin]

It's broken, though.

What's that supposed to mean? If they're going to mess with you, I'll kill them.

[inhumanity]

Don't you think I'd get to them first? [He smiles with an edge of bloodlust and pats Rail on the head.]

[glasgowgrin]

You can't. If your'e gonna do it, we're both gonna do it.

[inhumanity]

[Christopher decides as if on impulse.] No backing out now! [Rail he's gonna try to pick you up you're getting carried there.]

[glasgowgrin]

[! He's picked up! His hands fly up to grasp Christopher's shirt but he's only tense for a second, only a little afraid of what pain he'll feel if he fell to the ground more than alarmed by the sudden action.]

Will it work?

[inhumanity]

Rail, I'm hurt. You're doubting me? You don't have faith? Obviously, I have no idea whether or not it could work, but you still shouldn't doubt your own dear friends. Friendship is like an evergreen. If you don't believe in its eternity, it will wither and die.

[glasgowgrin]

...

[He looks away. Frowns.] Because. You left.

[desertdaggers]

[that's a distinct change.]

I don't think they're much in the way for courtesy.

…did something happen to you? [Too, he leaves out, because he doesn't think that'd make it any better.]

[glasgowgrin]

Happened to me?

[He sneers.]

How the hell'm I supposed to know? I just woke up... and they were there.

[desertdaggers]

So that's how it was?

Who?

[glasgowgrin]

Scientists. [He spits out the word angrily. Isn't that an answer enough? What else do you want from him!?]

Is this the first time?

[desertdaggers]

Ah.

The first time for what? That something like this has happened?

[glasgowgrin]

Yeah. I mean, they said experiments on that brochure. Is it a normal thing?

[desertdaggers]

It sounded as though the experiments rather irregular… But perhaps not this severe.

[glasgowgrin]

"Severe"?

[He frowns, hands clenching into fists at his sides, and narrows his eyes to glower even more.]

I don't remember any of it. What do you mean, "severe"?

[desertdaggers]

[He shifts his weight back, chin lifting, taken aback.]

Well… the fact that you simply don't remember what happened is enough to make me worry, but when it's happening to others as well…

[glasgowgrin]

Other people, huh?

They don't remember anything either?

[desertdaggers]

[he shakes his head.] Not a thing. Which makes it hard to work out who's responsible.

[glasgowgrin]

Who else other than those scientists can it be?

... I'll blow them up.

[desertdaggers]

They'd have the best access to all of us…

… [He hesitates, thinking it over. It's worth trying to make sure it doesn't happen, at least…] Make sure you don't blow up anything we'd need with them.

[glasgowgrin]

Anything we need? What would we even need from people like them??

[desertdaggers]

Well, that's more… what I mean is, make sure things don't fall apart before we're somewhere safe.

[glasgowgrin]

... Why would anything fall apart?

[desertdaggers]

Without someone checking it, then perhaps… But maybe I'm worrying too much. Maybe it would keep on if no one was here.

[glasgowgrin]

Nothing good comes out when you get scientists involved. We might as well get rid of them.

[desertdaggers]

Hmm… I'd wonder what they did first, but…

You have previous experience, then?