AUGUST 3rd: RADIO

[skeletonenigma]

[It's been over twenty-four hours since Skulduggery was brought back to life, and it doesn't seem like that's going to fade any time soon. He should be worried, or possibly angry, or at the very least unhappy and unsettled. But, due to reasons Skulduggery's trying not to think about, he's cheerful.

Genuinely cheerful.]

Hello. This is Skulduggery Pleasant. Some of you may have noticed a distinct lack of well-dressed skeletons in Keeliai and possibly feared the worst, but I can assure you, I'm still here.

[His voice sounds different. Recognisable, especially by the accent, and still smooth - but it's less unnaturally smooth, and more like a voice belonging to someone who's just gotten over a bad cold.]

If anyone sees a young man in a cowboy hat and a long duster coat, long hair in a ponytail, carrying a shotgun - first of all, be careful, because he's much more powerful than he looks. Second of all, please let me know. I suspect he's new, and ever-so-slightly confused about where he is. Thank you.

Comments

action;

[ruinsprofessor]

[From somewhere behind him:]

Will you put that down for a moment?

[She's not precisely making grabby hands, but Raine definitely has the attitude of someone who desperately wants to run more tests.]

If you now consider the city suitably warned, there are still things I want to go over with you.

action;

[peacefullywreathed]

[Solomon may not be able to see anything, but that doesn't mean he can't sit back and observe in his own way, and laugh. Which he is.]

I seem to recall he's ticklish under his feet, if you'd like to test his skin sensitivity. Or nearly anywhere else when he's tired, if you'd like to test his exhaustion-level.

[He's totally helping.]

action;

[skeletonenigma]

[He's really not helping. Not in the slightest. Even through the obstinate cheer that won't go away, Skulduggery can find it in himself to regret going to Solomon first.]

Why on Earth would she need to test my skin sensitivity? That's silly. [To Raine:] You don't need to test my skin sensitivity, do you?

Solomon, I've changed my mind. Where are your shoes?

[Someone's a little sleep-deprived.]

action;

[ruinsprofessor]

I might, if only to ensure that everything is working as it should. There's no precedent for this-- an actual, physical resurrection--

[Raine huffs. Folds her arms.]

You are incapable of doing anything conventionally, aren't you.

[Muttering to herself, now:]

When I get my hands on that boy...

action;

[peacefullywreathed]

You're not getting my shoes. You'll walk in them wrong. They're used to my feet.

[So. Amused. And with a touch of indignation. Solomon is also very much not mentioning the fact that Skulduggery obviously didn't sleep the night before, because you don't try to tell Skulduggery Pleasant anything. You waited until he found out himself and then you laughed at him until he was convinced to never let it happen again.]

You know what they say about being healthy, wealthy and wise, Skulduggery. Don't fight the healer.

Radio;

[purered]

It sounds like you've recently gained some weight, Mr Pleasant.

Radio;

[skeletonenigma]

You're very perceptive, Mr von Reinherz.

Radio;

[purered]

I do try.

As for the young man, I've bumped into him. He seems to be scared, confused, in denial and heavily armed. Probably not the best combination.

Radio;

[skeletonenigma]

He also has magic. I'm not sure what kind, but whatever it is, it's powerful. He won't hesitate to use that, but he does at least try to avoid killing innocent people. We need to find him.

Radio;

[purered]

We're agreed on that. I'm patrolling the Water District right now. Should we coordinate something?

radio;

[denyamenti]

[ The cheerfulness is suspect. ]

Did you find a way to get drunk, khaikheben?

radio;

[skeletonenigma]

Unfortunately, yes.

[No, wait.]

Or fortunately, depending on your perspective. Let's say 'fortunately'. Fortunately, yes.

Re: radio;

[denyamenti]

[ The magpie-like thought process is more suspect. ]

Sounds as if you need some practice at it.

radio;

[skeletonenigma]

You're not the first person to tell me that, actually. The two of you are more alike than you think.

Re: radio;

[denyamenti]

Pardon?

[akito]

...Are you sick?

[skeletonenigma]

I would have absolutely no way of knowing if I was.

But I am currently within the vicinity of a Healer, so I should be alright.

radio

[unetrustworthy]

[Midii had not noticed, as it turned out, if only because she hadn't been playing close enough attention. And with the radio's audio-only feature, she had yet to detect anything different about him aside from the slight...croaky-ness? Hoarseness? Like he had laryngitis, perhaps, and was gradually recovering.]

[But that wasn't why she was responding.]

Is he a friend of yours? [Or an enemy?]

radio

[skeletonenigma]

A potential friend, I hope, but I don't know. He thinks he's in danger. He managed to do something to me which should be impossible, and if I can find him I'm going to ask him to undo it.

radio

[unetrustworthy]

What exactly did he do?

[Then again, perhaps there was a reason why he was being vague. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before rephrasing.]

What I mean is...should we be worried? If we happen to run into him by chance on the street?

radio --> private;

[skeletonenigma]

He, um... well, he brought me back to life, actually.

[It isn't the first time Skulduggery's said it out loud, but it's the first time saying it out loud helps it to sink in.]

Worried, yes. He's powerful, he has a gun, and he probably believes he's in danger. But I don't think he's malicious. He was trying to kill me, but a lot of people do that before they get to know me, and I don't think killing me worked out quite the way he intended it to. He ran away.

[gathersnomoss]

How did that even happen?

[Gears are turning in Zel's head. If oen could change a skeleton back into a human, would the same sort of magic work on him. And if it did, would he even want it to? He wanted to be human again, but after Malicant... well, he wasn't inclined to trust strangers offering miracles.]

[Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it wouldn't work on him. Then he wouldn't have to think about whether to try it himself.]

[skeletonenigma]

How did what happen? Someone being confused about where they are? It was bound to happen sooner or later.

[... Unless Zelgadis has seen Skulduggery in person somewhere. Which is entirely possible. It's the sort of deduction Skulduggery doesn't expect from anyone other than himself, however, so he's quiet for a moment.]

But if you're referring to what I think you're referring to, I don't know. That's why I'd like to find him.

[gathersnomoss]

[OOC: Whoops, let's go with that, because I mixed up that this was radio. And Zel might be able to hear the sounds of incidental things (like breath and the difference that having an actual set of lips and tongue) that helped the conclusion.]]

It's probably surprising that we don't get more new arrivals who show up ready for a fight.

[The weakness that the spell bringing them in probably avoids most of that.]

Do you know what he thought he was doing?

[skeletonenigma]

[OOC: No worries! Sounds good to me.]

Oh, yes. He was trying to kill me. He might be used to undead things trying to kill him, or perhaps he thought using that particular brand of magic would kill me. It wasn't the worst idea in the world.

[Relatively speaking.]

But after it happened, he had a chance to shoot me in the head, and he didn't take it. The sooner someone can clear up his confusion, the better.