animus_network | 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.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Blood spikes? What are you talking about?

I mean exactly what I said. Spikes, made of this girl's own blood, stickin' outta her back like it's the most normal thing in the world. Ever heard of that happenin' before?

Can't say I have.

Okay, well, how 'bout someone's blood wrigglin' out of a cut like a big tentacle? Because that's what's happenin' to me. Once is a coincidence, twice is a pattern. There's somethin' real odd goin' on.

[At least he figured out a way to control it and it's not wreaking havoc on the immediate vicinity. Still, it's unnerving.]

[...What?]

Is it dripping blood? Like a fresh cut?

[He's never heard of such thing, but it sounds a whole lot like some creepy dark magic.]

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.

Ahah, I met her, too. Poor thing. ✩

[ Before he makes his move, he needs to find out just a little bit more... ]

Yeah. Thankfully, I got her calmed down and the spikes went back in. She's doin' alright now, but I'm still pissed they'd bring a kid that young to-- to this place.

[Give him a moment. It's a sensitive subject.]

You saw her too? Did ya find out anythin' useful?

I've seen worse! [ Like the experiments he performed on Shiro to turn her into the Wretched Egg. Totally worth it. ]

Not really. Only that more Deadmen are being made every day. I couldn't have asked for anything more. ✩

...Dead men? What's that got to do with all this? She's not gonna die, is she?!

[Wait, if that kills her, and Red's blood is doing weird things too...]

And-- and what's gonna happen to me?

Well, that depends, really. A stupid, dead brat once said, 'The show must go on.' Maybe we'll have a whole new Carnival Corpse! ✩

[ A laugh on the other side. ]

Deadmen are people with Branches of Sin - the power to control their blood. You're one of us, now.

[Carnival Corpse? Well, if that doesn't sound pleasant. Deadmen, Branches of Sin... it's all very ominous.]

Us? You're one of these Deadmen too-- wait, are you behind this?! Did you do all this?!

[Damn, this is bad. Whoever's on the other side, they don't exactly sound sane or comforting. Can these terminals give away his location? Red doesn't know, but at least he's outfitted for a fight.]

Red~

[Well, well, if that isn't the puppy Shiro befriended. Too bad this is not Shiro...]

Are you happy about your new abilities~?

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002 Rings (voice, probable action)

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[ audio ] Sorry this is late! orz

[ audio ] it's okay! :3

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