animus_network | 002 Rings (voice, probable action)

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002 Rings (voice, probable action)

[The Caninu man's sitting in Dahak, his robot, in front of one of the many terminals on Dorm Floor 2. Originally, Red had tried Dahak's radio but found that it didn't work at all. He didn't even get static; the thing just wouldn't turn on. The terminals were his only option for communication. It took a little while for Red to get the hang of them - that and waiting for them to come online - but at last he manages to get an audio entry through. The halls were quiet, thankfully, save for some red goo monster that Dahak had easily dispatched. Hopefully nothing worse than that would show up...]

Hey, anyone in this tower know anythin' about weird blood stuff? I saw this poor girl with blood spikes stickin' out her back yesterday, and tonight somethin' in my bed stabbed me and now my blood's movin' around. Is this normal for the tower or is somethin' real strange goin' on?

Oh, and if anyone knows where a guy can get some real clothes around here, I'd appreciate it.

[Now to wait and see who would respond... or track him down.]

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Yeah, it's a fresh cut, but it's not drippin'. I'm controllin' my own blood. If I could show ya, I would, but these stupid cameras ain't workin'.

[It's just about as creepy as you can imagine, Neal; it would also be useful except that it leaves blood on whatever it touches. Not surprising.]

You really got nothin' that could help?

[If only he could see Neal's face of horror.]

Short of a trip to the infirmary, I've got nothing.

It's not the cut that's the problem! It ain't bleedin' any more than I want it to; heck, I can even pull my blood back in if I want!

[It definitely sounds like Red's just as horrified. This is not something he's ever seen before.]

Ya really think the infirmary would have somethin' to make blood stop movin'?

I honestly have no idea.

What did you cut yourself on?

Not really a cut, first off. There was somethin' sharp in my bed, like a bit of glass, maybe. I tried to lie down and got it right in the small of my back. The weird part is that it sorta sunk in; I can't feel it anymore.

[He doesn't have a clue what it could be, but it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together.]

I have no idea what it could be, but whatever it was that got you is the source of this.

Look, it's not like you have an infinite amount of blood, right? You need to find a way to stop the bleeding for good.

None of it's goin' anywhere! Like I said, I can control it, so I'm not losin' any. Here, just for you, I'm gonna pull it back in.

[Hear that moving-liquid sound in the background? Yep, that's Red's vital fluids retreating into his body. Don't get too grossed out.]

I'd ask people about more stuff, but I didn't see what got me.

Yeah, but... it's still blood, you know? How do you know it's not dripping somewhere, a little at a time?

[Completely paranoid talking, naturally. He doesn't actually know what it looks like, but dark power is dark power.]

Do you know where you were initially hit? But then... I don't think that you can cauterize a wound that isn't there.

I'm pretty sure I'll be fine. Just a little cut on my back, and it ain't bleedin' unless I want it to. If you're that worried, you come and patch it up 'cause I can't reach it.

[Then maybe someone can stitch up his catsuit, too. Having a bloody hole in the back is going to be awkward.]

I'm not a doctor or anything, but I can probably take a look at it.

[It would give him a chance to see if he can detect anything magic about it at a glance, at least.]

Hopefully there's some sort of medical kit in the infirmary.

Alright. I'm gonna take the elevator down, so meet ya there in like half an hour.

[It'll take a while, sure, but that gives Red a little more time to practice with his creepy prehensile blood; hopefully nobody else in that elevator minds it. Eventually, he'll step out into the infirmary, retracting the tentacle and moving over to one of the beds. Time to wait for Neal.]

[And he arrives soon after, waving a bit awkwardly at Red before he starts to look for some sort of medical kit, finally finding a small medical kit. With just a few basic items in it, but it would be enough to sew up the leotard if nothing else.]

Sorry about that.

Hey, it's fine. Nice to see ya again, Neal. Before ya start treatin' me, watch this.

[It doesn't take any effort for Red to control his blood, extruding it from the cut on his back and forming it into a thin tentacle, which snakes forward over the dog-man's shoulder. For some reason, there's a circle of little blue hexagons floating around the base of it, but Red can't see that.]

See, that's what's happenin' now. Maybe if we can find whatever poked me in my back and take it out, this'll stop.

[He watches, a weird mixture of horror and disgust on his face. What the heck could that skill be? but he's right, it doesn't make him look like he's in danger of bleeding to death now that he's scene it. But that symbol on his back...

Now, it really does seem like it's some sort of magic.]

You've got something on your back when you make that tentacle. Some weird symbols show up around it.

[He's pointing to it, even though that's a bit silly.]

Never seen anything like it before. It's not any magic I've ever seen before.

Really? Lemme see--

[It's definitely not magic, if Neal can sense that. Red certainly can't. He tries to look over his shoulder, just barely managing to catch a glimpse of the floating shapes.]

Hey, you're right! Why the heck are those there?

[At least they're not doing any harm; in fact, they're pretty intangible. Red moves the tentacle around experimentally, watching the hexagons as he does so. They don't really seem to be changing either.]

[Unfortunately, he can't sense it. He's just going by experience, which isn't really helping him at all in this situation.]

This is really weird.

I don't think a medical kit is going to help.

Gee, I thought all medical kits had somethin' for curin' blood tentacles.

[The sarcasm is strong with this one. Red pulls the tentacle back in, and the hexagons vanish too.]

Just patch up the cut and the hole in the suit. Think that's all we can do.

[He rolls his eyes, but complies with sewing up the hole.]

Don't go making that blood-thing again, it'll probably tear open another hole.

Not plannin' on it.

[He cranes his head over his shoulder again, trying to spot where the hole was, but all that does is make his neck hurt.]

Ow. Hey, thanks, Neal. One more question, though; know where I can get some better clothes?

[He shakes his head.]

You know, I really don't know. I was given a couple of pairs of clothes, but where other people get them, I don't know.

[He thinks for a moment.]

You know, those administrator people have s suggestion box. I guess you could take a chance there.

...A suggestion box. You're jokin', right? Why in the heck would they have a suggestion box in a place like this?!

[Red just sighs, adding it to his list of unsolved mysteries. He'll give it a shot, anyway.]

Where do I find it?

[And he explains its location with as much neutrality as he can.]

It's a sick joke, what they're playing.

Yeah, they got a real cruel sense of humor. I'll try it.

[He hops down from the table, rubbing the back of the suit and nodding approvingly.]

Thanks again. If ya find anyone who knows what's goin' on with this... blood thing, lemme know.

[He nods.]

I'll see what I can find out. If you anything before me, lemme know, okay?

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002 Rings (voice, probable action)

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