CONSOLE [video/action] Guess who's back, back, back from the - wait.

[skeletonenigma]

[Skulduggery's at the Hotel console, looking exactly the same as he did when he went missing a month ago. He's impeccably dressed in a suit, hat, scarf, and coat - and also happens to be a living skeleton, for those new to the turtle. 'Back from the dead' has new and interesting connotations where he's concerned.

It's April 1st. It's a little past dinnertime. Skulduggery takes a moment or two, once the video turns on, before he speaks. He sounds the same as ever, too - Irish, his voice as smooth as velvet.]

I promise, I don't do this on purpose.

[That's directed at... a lot of people, actually. Pepper. Solomon. Cain. Raine. Anton. Erskine. Honestly, anyone who's not so much relieved at his return than annoyed.]

It looks like I missed quite a bit. Someone died, someone didn't die, everyone's blaming everyone else, and now we have a person or persons unknown trying to assassinate every prominent kedan in the city. On top of that, I heard something about an earthquake and power outages. Does anyone know more than the barest details about any of this? And if they do, would they be willing to share it?

[He reaches out to end the feed, then pauses.]

Oh, and why is all the furniture on the ceiling?

[OOC: Feel free to approach Skulduggery in person at the console if you're in the Hotel!]

Comments

[lasergrenades]

[She knows, rationally, that Skul couldn't prevent what happened any more than he can prevent the sun from rising; no one said anything about being rational.

His reply, however, garners something that might be considered positive. The eyebrow stays where it is, but the rest of her expression may as well be affected by the Hotel's anti-gravity field, because she is now grinning.

Unfortunately for Skul, the grin is perhaps better suited to an apex predator than a teenage girl.]

[skeletonenigma]

[Now that is disconcerting.

For a few minutes Skulduggery doesn't say anything. Then his head tilts very slightly to the side.]

I take it back.

[lasergrenades]

Too late now, [Pepper declares, finally speaking. This is a glorious opportunity and it requires some careful thought. Not much, though, because some options were simply too apt.] There are two things you can say, as a matter of fact. One: Solomon is awesome and you worship the ground he walks on.

[What better way was there to mollify her than to annoy Skul and amuse Sol both?]

Two: admit that you're irresponsible and make your friends worry too much. In that order, and no twisting it around.

[There's probably a bit more to that second one than just his disappearance, but the point stands. And now she's going to wait until she hears it.]

[peacefullywreathed]

I knew you were a young lady of good taste and courtesy.

[lasergrenades]

[That certainly added amusement to the pile of confusing that's going on right now. She's trying really hard not to show it, however, and the fact that she is actually upset at/about/with Skul, or at least some variety of preposition, makes that easy. Pepper has seen how they defuse with humor, and she's not entirely sure she wants to let it devolve into that.]

Thanks, but you're interrupting.

video -> private radio text;

[peacefullywreathed]

[Contrary to appearances, Solomon is actually better than Skulduggery at divining emotion. There's something tight in her voice which isn't usually there. Or maybe that's just the politeness.]

You're right. I apologise.

[But then he sends her a little text via radio:]

Do let me know when you'd like to reinvigorate our previous plan.

video -> private radio text;

[lasergrenades]

[Oh, good. Someone gets it, and there's got to be some irony in the fact that it's the blind man. Unfortunately, that makes an appreciative smile ineffective, although it's there.]

Thanks.

[Pepper repeats it because that's all she can think to say right now. There's a bit of time between her reply on the consoles and when she's calm enough to text Solomon back:]

I'll keep you posted. Still okay with Tony in on it?

private radio text;

[peacefullywreathed]

[Well, it's not as though he's waiting around for something to do. He lets her get on with her other responses, but replies when he has the opportunity himself.]

Why not? Amazingly enough, he's almost tolerable when you're around.

private radio text;

[lasergrenades]

It might have something to do with the concussive maintenance I use with the both of you.

[Well, apparently she's in a little bit of a better mood now.]

[edgeoftheknife]

Solomon is awesome?

[See this? This is Erskine floating up behind Skul, upside down, at the console. His expression is a cross between outrage and utter bafflement.]

Pepper, come on, let's not go overboard here. I mean I'm as angry with Skulduggery as the next person, but that's taking things a bit far, don't you think?

[peacefullywreathed]

You, on the other hand, are a gentleman of lamentably overblown mores.

[edgeoftheknife]

[See Erskine. See Erskine squinting at the console.

Or, well, don't. Because you're blind, Sol. :) ]

Skulduggery, he called me a gentleman. I feel like I should be insulted by this. What do you think? I think I might be insulted.

[skeletonenigma]

[Dead Men banter. Skulduggery almost expects six other voices to join in behind them.]

I think dragging me into this argument is a very bad idea. Haven't you heard? I tend to end relationships without trying.

[edgeoftheknife]

[Well that's... not quite the response Erskine was looking for. Pretty much at all. And he's not quite sure what Skulduggery means by ending relationships--or why that would apply here. Frowning, he reverses the air magic keeping him at Skulduggery's shoulder and gently floats back out of the video.

Quietly, as he floats away:]

Spoilsport.

[And here things actually felt halfway normal for a change.]

[peacefullywreathed]

[He's going to be mature and not answer. Because Pepper asked him.

[But also because totally more mature than you, Ravel.]

[lasergrenades]

[It does take some minor effort to keep from looking amused by Erskine's position on the ceiling, but she manages to appear suitably annoyed still. Flatly:]

No. He asked what he could say to make up for vanishing. I told him what that would be.

[Skul doesn't have to mean what he says about Skul, but she wants to hear it anyway.]

[edgeoftheknife]

[Erskine affects a worried look, and leans in over Skulduggery's shoulder toward the console. He lifts one hand next to his mouth and whispers over-dramatically:]

Pepper, don't feed the necromancer. You don't want it following you home.

[lasergrenades]

[This should be hilariously funny, Pepper recognizes. It would be, if the situation were different, but as it is, she's still upset. Hopefully they can laugh about it later.]

He knows better. [Tony would pitch a fit.] Besides, this literally has nothing to do with Solomon's ego.

[edgeoftheknife]

[She's not laughing. That's not a good sign. Some of the good humor leaks out of Erskine's expression.]

Oh. Well. I mean, as long as it has nothing to do with his ego, I suppose that's alright then. We don't need it, uh....

[Yep, he's lost the thread of that joke, whatever it was.]

Ah... carry on, I suppose.

[skeletonenigma]

[There's a bit of an aside after this while three different conversations go on at once. Skulduggery can't claim not to be using those conversations as a bit of a cover, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten what Pepper asked - much as he might like to.]

You're going to insist on this, aren't you?

[lasergrenades]

Yup.

[The feral grin is gone; the Dead Men are getting on her nerves and she's already upset. Terseness on her part is not a good sign.]

[skeletonenigma]

[A heavy sigh.]

Solomon is awesome, and I... [A brief pause.] I worship the ground he walks on. I'm irresponsible, and I make my friends worry too much.

[His tone is flat. If he'd had a facade on, his expression would be equally flat. Get this over with, endure the teasing, fervently hope everyone will forget this the moment he says it - somewhat akin to fervently hoping the sun will go out, he knows, but a man can dream.

Unless he's a skeleton.]

[lasergrenades]

[Pepper hadn't been interested in the teasing - not really, anyway. She had asked for both statements because she wanted to hear them, and she wanted to find out if Skul would say them willingly, knowing that he might have to endure some needling from others as a result.

She won't forget he said it, but not to use it as ammunition. There's something powerful in knowing that his friends here actually matter, and hopefully have some kind of staying power over him. Maybe that's part of why he keeps getting taken into the Dreaming, but brought back anyway: because his friends are pulling that hard. Raine had said they could influence it, after all.]

Thank you. [Pepper pauses, and it's fairly obvious she's trying not to cry.] I'm really glad you're back.

[And then she turns off the feed before she starts to sob on camera.]

[peacefullywreathed]

Why, Skulduggery. All you had to do was say so. I might've tried harder to get in your way.

[skeletonenigma]

[... Were those tears? Had Pepper been on the verge of crying? Skulduggery's startled into silence, frozen even after Pepper turns off the camera.

Then the silence gets broken by Wreath.]

Don't let it go to your head. In fact, if you could say every single needling thing you're planning on saying over the next few months right now, and get it all out of your system, I'd be grateful.