Death the Kid (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
equal_shots) wrote2016-05-06 12:48 am
equal_shots) wrote2016-05-06 12:48 am
I will.
[But he can't stop there, not with Kid (not with Death).]
I don't have any other choice.
[But he can't stop there, not with Kid (not with Death).]
I don't have any other choice.
The experiment appears to have been a complete success!
[Great. Wonderful.
Kid sounds rather like lukewarm death when he answers and it's dark wherever he's choosing to film from. His face is primarily obscured in the darkness with only the vague outline of a profile visible; his voice so hoarse he can barely squeak out words.]
Only just so, considering your appearance on the obituary. Turn on the video feed.
[He coughs, dryly.] What is your death price this go, Professor?
Kid sounds rather like lukewarm death when he answers and it's dark wherever he's choosing to film from. His face is primarily obscured in the darkness with only the vague outline of a profile visible; his voice so hoarse he can barely squeak out words.]
Only just so, considering your appearance on the obituary. Turn on the video feed.
[He coughs, dryly.] What is your death price this go, Professor?
[He flicks on the video, as requested. Stein looks significantly better than at any time since before Kid's arrival in this snowy hellscape, still underweight and bundled up in mismatched layers, but his clothing at least is clean and his face is free of most (not all, but most) of any signs of pain.]
It's been five days since I revived, Kid. I wasn't going to start celebrating a success that hadn't actually happened.
[His death price was irrelevant and is now gone.]
I don't mind switching to text if it's easier for you.
It's been five days since I revived, Kid. I wasn't going to start celebrating a success that hadn't actually happened.
[His death price was irrelevant and is now gone.]
I don't mind switching to text if it's easier for you.
[Coughing harder before he's able to answer, Kid presses a hand to his mouth and waves the other to dismiss Stein's offer of switching to text. The young reaper wants to see the doctor and the changes that had taken place, however subtle. Kid is, perhaps as expected, suspicious.
His one searches the doctor for signs of the implant. He can't see it, but he's exhausted and dazed from cough syrup. He shifts and the glow from the tablet shows that he's not any better than their conversation prior to Stein's experiment, the only change that the multiple scratches from the night he'd nearly drowned in sharp water were now slowly healing.]
No--no, video is better.
[When he's able to catch his breath, he rubs his eye. There is a part of him, however small, that is incredibly curious--it wars with the part of him that remains terrified of the man Franken Stein could be without any sort of impulse control or control over his darker urges.] Success...and what are you considering success?
His one searches the doctor for signs of the implant. He can't see it, but he's exhausted and dazed from cough syrup. He shifts and the glow from the tablet shows that he's not any better than their conversation prior to Stein's experiment, the only change that the multiple scratches from the night he'd nearly drowned in sharp water were now slowly healing.]
No--no, video is better.
[When he's able to catch his breath, he rubs his eye. There is a part of him, however small, that is incredibly curious--it wars with the part of him that remains terrified of the man Franken Stein could be without any sort of impulse control or control over his darker urges.] Success...and what are you considering success?
[There's no implant, but his usual blanket turban is wrapped (more neatly that usual) around his head in an attempt to stay warm. Even with the metal gone, he still runs cold.]
The implant was removed, and the brain damage associated with it has apparently been reversed. The request Watson and I made to the Admin for control of my violent impulses has also been granted.
[And it's been days. It's been days and he hasn't had any urges to dissect, no screaming unending need in his head to just cut something (anything, anyone, himself) open. It's unsettling, like expecting a step down when there isn't one, or reaching for a handrail that isn't there, or running into a door you expected to be unlocked and bouncing off instead. It's that feeling of the world not being quite right around him, not being what he anticipated. There's no constant struggle for control.
He's normal.
For once in his too-long life, he can just let his mind and soul relax.
It's unsettling, but he continues as if he's not been tilted out of his general equilibrium and as if he's not having to re-learn his entire existence.]
There is absolutely no danger of me losing control as long as the Admin's alterations remain in effect.
[He doesn't want to cut anything open. The curiosity is there, of course, how could he be himself without that (how could he be himself without the violent urges>). It just doesn't extend into a desire to cut.]
Have you been successful in maintaining your health? [The clear answer is no.]
The implant was removed, and the brain damage associated with it has apparently been reversed. The request Watson and I made to the Admin for control of my violent impulses has also been granted.
[And it's been days. It's been days and he hasn't had any urges to dissect, no screaming unending need in his head to just cut something (anything, anyone, himself) open. It's unsettling, like expecting a step down when there isn't one, or reaching for a handrail that isn't there, or running into a door you expected to be unlocked and bouncing off instead. It's that feeling of the world not being quite right around him, not being what he anticipated. There's no constant struggle for control.
He's normal.
For once in his too-long life, he can just let his mind and soul relax.
It's unsettling, but he continues as if he's not been tilted out of his general equilibrium and as if he's not having to re-learn his entire existence.]
There is absolutely no danger of me losing control as long as the Admin's alterations remain in effect.
[He doesn't want to cut anything open. The curiosity is there, of course, how could he be himself without that (how could he be himself without the violent urges>). It just doesn't extend into a desire to cut.]
Have you been successful in maintaining your health? [The clear answer is no.]
[Kid has never been difficult to read, especially not here and not when sick, where his guard is so down and his energy so low. His expression is confused but interested, brows furrowed as he peers at the camera with his left eye squinting, not an ounce of shyness as he openly stares.]
The Administrator has also controlled your violent impulses. [He paraphrases Stein's unspoken comment. The implant is out and the thing he had been most afraid of is controlled, and for just a moment he can't believe it. It's not an unfair assumption. After all, the Admin can't quite manage keeping them all stocked with food and medical supplies, withpeople captives nearly dead of starvation, illness or injury almost every day. It's hard to imagine she has the capability to so seamlessly manage something so complex.
Still, Stein seems unnaturally calm, and Kid realizes that this is something he has never seen.]
...I am glad to hear your experiment was successful. [Dumbfounded, which is mostly obvious on what is visible of his features, but glad.
As to Stein's question, the self-trained doctor doesn't need Kid's input to get his answer. He's already heard the coughing, and what's visible of the teen's face is a sickly pale. He still keeps a strip of a dressing over the socket of his empty right eye, though it is currently somewhat lopsided and showing the delicate stitches that Claire had put in weeks ago. Scratches from their last conversation are healing, but slowly, likely due to malnutrition--Kid still can't keep much food down. He's sitting close enough to the tablet that the device picks up the wheezing as he breathes, and if Stein looks closely he can see that Kid still braces his sternum if he takes a deep breath.
So no. Definitely not maintaining his health.] I am not dead yet. Considering the locale, that is a success.
The Administrator has also controlled your violent impulses. [He paraphrases Stein's unspoken comment. The implant is out and the thing he had been most afraid of is controlled, and for just a moment he can't believe it. It's not an unfair assumption. After all, the Admin can't quite manage keeping them all stocked with food and medical supplies, with
Still, Stein seems unnaturally calm, and Kid realizes that this is something he has never seen.]
...I am glad to hear your experiment was successful. [Dumbfounded, which is mostly obvious on what is visible of his features, but glad.
As to Stein's question, the self-trained doctor doesn't need Kid's input to get his answer. He's already heard the coughing, and what's visible of the teen's face is a sickly pale. He still keeps a strip of a dressing over the socket of his empty right eye, though it is currently somewhat lopsided and showing the delicate stitches that Claire had put in weeks ago. Scratches from their last conversation are healing, but slowly, likely due to malnutrition--Kid still can't keep much food down. He's sitting close enough to the tablet that the device picks up the wheezing as he breathes, and if Stein looks closely he can see that Kid still braces his sternum if he takes a deep breath.
So no. Definitely not maintaining his health.] I am not dead yet. Considering the locale, that is a success.
Most people are doing better than "not dead yet", Kid. Are you traveling with someone who can help you, or are you on your own again? [It's easy to shift the topic off of something Stein doesn't find very interesting to talk about (his own mental state) to something interesting (anyone else and what they're doing).]
While you might be correct in your semantics, I would argue that you have died at least three times since I have arrived and I have yet to die once. "Yet" seems appropriate.
[Shivering, Kid curls beneath his jacket and cloak as much as he can, the bedsheet added to the conglomeration of linen for warmth.]
I am traveling with Frisk and have been trying to slip away from them for days. Everyone I travel with dies, and I am not eager to press the theory to see if they may become an exception.
[Shivering, Kid curls beneath his jacket and cloak as much as he can, the bedsheet added to the conglomeration of linen for warmth.]
I am traveling with Frisk and have been trying to slip away from them for days. Everyone I travel with dies, and I am not eager to press the theory to see if they may become an exception.
If Frisk wants to stay with you, let them. You're not in a position to impose your will on others.
I am not going to be responsible for killing them.
[Kid hasn't been very stern here, not often, but his tone is as firm as he can manage.]
I have been eating as often as I am able [Read: not often and it's clearly not doing much] taking the cough medication Dr. Watson prescribed exactly as he's told me [It doesn't work well but he's following instructions!] and sleeping at night for as close to eight hours as I can [Sometimes more when he just knocks out!]
I am aware that I do not look well. I know that I am not well--but I am following the instructions I have been given as best as I can. And I am not going to risk Frisk being killed just because it seems like traveling with someone else is a good idea.
[Kid hasn't been very stern here, not often, but his tone is as firm as he can manage.]
I have been eating as often as I am able [Read: not often and it's clearly not doing much] taking the cough medication Dr. Watson prescribed exactly as he's told me [It doesn't work well but he's following instructions!] and sleeping at night for as close to eight hours as I can [Sometimes more when he just knocks out!]
I am aware that I do not look well. I know that I am not well--but I am following the instructions I have been given as best as I can. And I am not going to risk Frisk being killed just because it seems like traveling with someone else is a good idea.
You are not responsible for anyone's deaths here, Kid. [Where are Liz and Patti when you need them? Kid's going to get himself trapped in a loop that Stein can't shock him out of.]
[For a moment, he's silent, and all that there is to see are thin, cold-blistered fingers tugging anxiously at his the hair hanging in his eye. It is too late to convince the teen that he is not a harbinger of death--best now is damage control.]
The matter is not up for debate. I was not seeking your opinion.
[Still, something about his uncertain expression is less than convincing, and Kid swallows. The wheezing seems worse than earlier in the conversation, a potential byproduct of his own anxiety.]
The matter is not up for debate. I was not seeking your opinion.
[Still, something about his uncertain expression is less than convincing, and Kid swallows. The wheezing seems worse than earlier in the conversation, a potential byproduct of his own anxiety.]
Then what were you seeking? I'm not going to agree with you.
[While Quark waits for his company to show up at Andromeda's house, an idea hits him! It's weird for him to think that even having been here since so close to the beginning, there are still people here he hasn't talked to yet. So he decides to try and change that, little by little. Good thing his death effect has worn off, cause that would've made this an exceptionally weird first impression.]
Hey, Kid, sorry that this message is kind of out of the blue. I'm Quark! I just thought I'd say hello.
Hey, Kid, sorry that this message is kind of out of the blue. I'm Quark! I just thought I'd say hello.
[Kid's reply is a bit later, as if the teen was confused. While Kid had heard of him, they'd never spoken and he's not really sure why he's being called.
Do humans normally do this? He's never entirely sure.
His voice is hoarse, but he's able to keep the surprise out of his tone at least.]Ah--hello, Quark. I do not believe we've met.
Do humans normally do this? He's never entirely sure.
His voice is hoarse, but he's able to keep the surprise out of his tone at least.]Ah--hello, Quark. I do not believe we've met.
Oh! Sorry, we can switch to text if it would be easier?
[He sounds so sick. :( ]
No, we haven't. Weird, right? That's why I thought I should get to know you. There's never really any good time for it, so...that's why I just decided to go ahead.
[He sounds so sick. :( ]
No, we haven't. Weird, right? That's why I thought I should get to know you. There's never really any good time for it, so...that's why I just decided to go ahead.
Voice is fine.
[He uses voice-to-text anyway. Reading the text on the screen makes him dizzy.]
I see. There is not really an appropriate time just to talk, is there? Most times our interactions are limited to chance encounters or talking after significant events.
[He uses voice-to-text anyway. Reading the text on the screen makes him dizzy.]
I see. There is not really an appropriate time just to talk, is there? Most times our interactions are limited to chance encounters or talking after significant events.
Yeah, exactly.
[He's glad he didn't choose video as his shoulders sag.]
And all the other kids are gone now...I was just thinking about that, which is when I realized it's silly that I never tried to be your friend.
[He misses Frisk and Kesara. He's sad that he never really got to know Melanie, or that one other kid that was here way, way back when he first got here himself. That boy that was here just recently has already vanished, too.]
[He's glad he didn't choose video as his shoulders sag.]
And all the other kids are gone now...I was just thinking about that, which is when I realized it's silly that I never tried to be your friend.
[He misses Frisk and Kesara. He's sad that he never really got to know Melanie, or that one other kid that was here way, way back when he first got here himself. That boy that was here just recently has already vanished, too.]
[Kid doesn't frequently think of himself as a child despite his name suggesting otherwise.]
It is better that both Kesara and Frisk have gone home. [He clears his throat, preventing a coughing fit.] I traveled with both of them for some time. Are you alone?
It is better that both Kesara and Frisk have gone home. [He clears his throat, preventing a coughing fit.] I traveled with both of them for some time. Are you alone?
You think so...?
[Quark isn't so sure. Mostly cause he isn't sure that they're even home so much as just floating in some dead space. If they were home, how is it that some people will be dead for ages, and then come back as if no time had passed at all? It's not something he's sure he'll ever really be satisfied on knowing an answer to.]
I did, too. I liked them both a lot. Sometimes it was like Kesara and I were rivals, I think, but I always thought she was a really good friend. And crazy smart. I'm alone right now, but I'm meeting up with someone I haven't met before later today. I don't think I'm gonna travel with them, though. I made Enoch really sad when I died a couple weeks ago...I don't wanna do that to anybody else. What about you?
[Quark isn't so sure. Mostly cause he isn't sure that they're even home so much as just floating in some dead space. If they were home, how is it that some people will be dead for ages, and then come back as if no time had passed at all? It's not something he's sure he'll ever really be satisfied on knowing an answer to.]
I did, too. I liked them both a lot. Sometimes it was like Kesara and I were rivals, I think, but I always thought she was a really good friend. And crazy smart. I'm alone right now, but I'm meeting up with someone I haven't met before later today. I don't think I'm gonna travel with them, though. I made Enoch really sad when I died a couple weeks ago...I don't wanna do that to anybody else. What about you?
I do. [Hesitant, Kid considers his answer before pressing on.] This world is dangerous, with radiation constantly threatening to kill us and nanomachines doing a good job of it when the radiation does not. The weather alone is problem enough, and the anomalies do little more than make travel more difficult. Piecing together the puzzle of this town becomes increasingly difficult when one cannot travel without risking life and limb.
Home, they are with those they care for. Away from this wretched catastrophe waiting to happen. [He sighs, quiet and pensive.] I would not wish this hell upon my worst enemy.
[He allows Quark to discuss his traveling conditions, wrapping his arms around himself to keep warm. His stomach drops when Quark asks ] It is not safe to travel with me. Miss Marie insists on staying, but I am sure she will meet the same fate as everyone else and I have not been able to slip away from her.
Home, they are with those they care for. Away from this wretched catastrophe waiting to happen. [He sighs, quiet and pensive.] I would not wish this hell upon my worst enemy.
[He allows Quark to discuss his traveling conditions, wrapping his arms around himself to keep warm. His stomach drops when Quark asks ] It is not safe to travel with me. Miss Marie insists on staying, but I am sure she will meet the same fate as everyone else and I have not been able to slip away from her.
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