savetheearth | Thirteenth Message [Video

[This is Anthony appearing on the feed.

And this is Anthony looking worse than he's ever looked for anyone who last saw him before this evening. His skin's gone from gray to very dead off-white; his face is riddled with bloody holes, teeth exposed by a missing portion of lip and the corners of his mouth eaten away to something like a ragged, sloppy Glasgow grin; eyes are sunken and bruised brown, thickly-glazed over, and wide.

He's leaning slumped against the wall. His voice is still perfectly recognizable - and for its hush and its hoarseness is hysterical.]

-- I'm sorry... [Painfully, cringingly suppressed.] -- I'm sorry... it's - come off, my - arm's come off, my right arm -- [His right arm is in fact visible in the frame, and not only does it appear to be attached, it's working he's moving as if he doesn't expect he has a right arm and yet it isn't unresponsive. He's not only leaning his right shoulder against a wall, he'sbracing the arm against it.] -- I didn't think it - was actually - going - to come off -- I -- I don't know what -- I -- ...I need --

[Low, wavering voiced groan.] -- Someone -- please, someone help -- ...! Help -- help -- ...

[Breaks off suddenly - with another groan.

Thicker. Partly heaved through the nose - still pained, with a component of exasperation, or offense, or confusion. Not panicked. Something with more outright force or fight. Drops his forehead into - both hands, brought up to meet it.]

This isn't -- really happening -- ...!

[Drags off - again into a profoundly... mortified groan. It lasts between one and two seconds and thins to hoarse, shallow breaths to a stability. That too quiets down further - and Anthony cuts the connection. Takes enough care to keep it off him as he does so. Any replies he makes will come at least half an hour later.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

-- Uhmm. -- ...It's, er --

...I'm all right -- ...Alex. Er -- ...Hello - ... [Again it feels like a stupid and too-blasé thing to say, and yet that's part of the point - everything is, indeed, just fine now.]

-- I was home -- when that - happened... -- I wasn't at any risk -- but -- ...but thank you. [A little quaky with embarrassment, still.]

Oh-okay. [Slightly dubiously.]

Were you having-ing a bad pulse?

-- ...I'm assuming so -- ... Erm -- ...do you remember... -- what -- happened before - John... [..."let me move in", he'd been going to say, but such a question's a waste of Alex's time - simply explain himself...]

-- I -- had a pulse at the -- ...beginning of August - also, that had me... -- seeing things. Er -- that one also wore off -- and -- didn't come back. ... -- So I think I'll be fine. -- A - aside from changing again. [He says that last phrase fairly quickly and non-emphatically. Alex must've already seen it with the initial recording; he'll leave that as acknowledgement, not make it sound as if he's too caught in it.]

[Alex could hardly have missed it, but, working from the knowledge that he knows perfectly well when he's doing something like sporting a pair of extra eyes, or repeating sounds like some weirdo (well, usually he knows that one), and doesn't like it pointed out to him, he's decided discretion is the better part of valor.]

I ree, remember.

Are you sure you're all right? Is enn, anyone with you?

-- Not right now, no -- Uhmm. -- Bakura - came by, though; John - should also be back soon... -- The last time it happened, it -- didn't come back. I'll be -- just fine... [It's said with some a light and careful if throaty touch, a calming-down touch on top of the base assurance - as if in part of a mind to convince he'll be effective enough at calming himself down, more immediately to emphasize.

A somewhat strained-sounding cough as a throat-clearing.] -- And -- thank you, for not -- ...saying anything - ...about how I - looked... [Also said with the same quality - it is appreciative, even if he hadn't even remotely expected Alex to have given any indication of repulsion.]

Yeah, last time, wasn't all the weer, weirdness with the repeating-ing pulses going on?

[He ducks his head a little at that last part.]

Well. It duzz, doesn't even matter. And you've never said anything-ing about the way I talk.

Thirteenth Message [Video | Sheet of Paper]

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