[CONSOLE] video; BACKDATED to 8 JUNE

[gistful]

[When Anton turns on the video he looks a little ruffled. His tie is gone, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, and there's blood on his vest, for the observant. His expression is flat but with an edge of exasperation, and behind him ... Behind him is Skulduggery and Erskine. They're bound together with a five-foot length of chain, Erskine with a manacle on his wrist and Skulduggery with a manacle around his neck-bones.

[Skulduggery is missing his hat, and his suit is tattered. Erskine's in obviously clean clothes, but he's missing a jacket, he's limping slightly, his arm is in a sling and he has a spray-bottle. And they're arguing. Loudly. Anton's voice is raised to be heard over them and, perhaps notably, he keeps his hands out of view of the camera.]

Let it be publicly known that these two reprobates are grounded.

[He jerks his head at them without looking around.]

If anyone sees them on the streets while Erskine, that's the ridiculously pretty one, is not wearing a dog-collar, please punch them both and return them to the Midnight Hotel. If anyone finds them not in the company of each other, please, again, punch them and return them to the Midnight Hotel.

Rest assured that the damages they caused will be repaired at their expense and any loss of revenue reimbursed. We'll be by in the next few days to arrange this.

[Pause.]

Ah. Yes. Skulduggery, that's the idiot who's forgotten his skin, has lost his hat privileges. No hats for Skulduggery. Thank you.

[This broadcast is also available as action, for those staying at the Midnight Hotel.]

Comments

[CONSOLE] video;

[skeletonenigma]

[Behind Anton in the same video post, audible and visible to anyone viewing Anton's announcement, Skulduggery and Ravel are arguing. And by 'arguing', what we mean is that Ravel has just squirted Skulduggery with the squirt bottle, and Skulduggery is a tad miffed.]

That was unnecessary. I haven't done anything.

[His voice is flat. Very flat.]

[edgeoftheknife]

[Meanwhile Ravel's voice is just the opposite, tending toward the manic. He's holding the squirt bottle up like a loaded gun.]

Like hell you haven't. You just... stay over there. And stop staring at me.

[skeletonenigma]

You've never had a problem with my staring at you before. [Still exceedingly flat.] Should I expect an attack from you every time my back isn't fully turned?

video;

[ruinsprofessor]

[What did they do. Raine gets her bemused staring out of the way before she opens a response, though.]

Shall I assume you'd prefer Erskine heal the slow way?

[Doesn't look life-threatening, though there's blood. And if they're grounded obviously they're meant to learn something from it.]

video;

[gistful]

Quite. Barring the actual loss of limbs, they have lessons to learn and need scars to remind them.

[Anton's tone is just a touch steely, but not without potential for amusement. It's just very deeply hidden right now.]

video;

[ruinsprofessor]

Understood.

[She can't entirely disagree, and as much as her instinct is to help, she's still a little on the fence about Erskine.]

If you're sure this is wise...

I'll make sure they get back to you, should it be necessary.

[Big goals for a squishy wizard, but she's entirely serious.]

[denyamenti]

[ Thank you Anton, Bakura needed a good laugh today. ]

Are you having trouble keeping your pets in line, djadjut?

[gistful]

[np, np.]

I'm only waiting for one of them to strangle themselves on their leash.

[Action]

[redlightgreenlight]

[Valdis is highly amused by this exchange]

I've seen people train cats with spray bottles, but never a skeleton. [She looks at Erskine, pointedly ignoring Skulduggery for the moment.] Is it working?

[Action]

[edgeoftheknife]

[Erskine's frowning at first, though palling around with Valdis--since she's actually of a mind to do so--helps lighten the mood.]

Not as well as you might hope. At least he's unlikely to mess the carpet.

[video]

[pushtheboundaries]

[...well, this is entertaining]

Do I want to know the story behind all this?

[video]

[gistful]

They were childish idiots. Is there more to be said?

(CONSOLE) Video

[stonebird]

What has happened?!

(CONSOLE) Video

[gistful]

They got into a fight. And broke a street. Nothing of which to be concerned unless you wanted an excuse to punch either one of them outside of the Hotel.

[video]

[unetrustworthy]

[Okay, even Midii cracked a smile at that one.]

Why hat privileges?

[video]

[gistful]

Because Skulduggery has love affairs with his hats outside of his marriage to his car.

action birb :U

[akito]

[ Bird is just doing his daily visit to the Hotel, checking up on things here while Akito is stuck inside. Everything seems to be in order here! At least to his little birdy mind. He chirps a 'hello' to the Hotel's alpha human before flitting off to see what the loud commotion is about.

There is a magic bottle with water! How fun! And a whole new perch with so many different places to sit on!

Bird swoops in to inspect the perch and the bottle. Though he pauses to rub his beak clean on one of his brand new perches. How lovely! Chirp chirp. Pi-peep! ]

Hello! Konnichiwa!

[ hello, konnichiwa, erskine. You can't ignore this cheerful, brightly coloured creature who doesn't seem to realize that Skulduggery is not, in fact, an inanimate bird perch. But that's his fault for being a skeleton.

And not wearing an identifying hat. ]

[skeletonenigma]

[Ah. It's Akito's little bird. Excellent. Just what Skulduggery needed, a small animal coming in to land on his -

- with a strangled yelp, he jerks backward from seemingly nothing, and not-quite gently shoves the bird toward Ravel with a small tunnel of air.]

[whitelotustile]

May I suggest kitchen duty? It's a good way to learn how to cooperate with one another.

[video]

[edgeoftheknife]

Oy, don't go giving Anton ideas! I already clean the bloody Hotel as it is.

Besides, we cooperate well enough. When we don't hate each other.

[gistful]

It is certainly on the list, to be sure. Or at the very least shopping duty. Under a chaperon, perhaps.

[wolfstrike]

Yikes.

[And that's all he'll say on that. Take note, do not to get on Anton's bad side.]

[gistful]

Quite.

[Probably a wise precaution.]

Action

[irishthor]

I don't think he's that pretty.

[Cue one amused-sounding voice from nearby, revealing to be belonging to Mr. Cormac, leaning against a wall, munching an apple.]

Action :D

[edgeoftheknife]

[Ravel turns, his expression still slightly aghast from learning that this was all broadcast over the network only moments previous. Thank you, Anton.

And then Ravel smirks.]

Curses, my harem of smug, vaguely annoying Irishmen will never be complete now. Woe is me.