[He'd meant that too, but realizes his question was probably too general for Carlisle to realize he'd been concerned about the bandages. Not just the ink stains, though that's part of it, but what the bandage is for to begin with.
But he just nods at the answer, for now--he knows that feel, bro--and watches Carlisle's ill-fated attempt at playing the game.]
Yeah, you can get it. Just remember these things are old and kind of slow to react, so don't like... Let it get you too frustrated.
[And he hesitates a moment, before deciding on a way to reapproach his earlier question, but the game gives a good excuse.]
Especially if like... Did you hurt your arm? These things aren't exactly good for your wrists and whatever, especially if you're already hurt or something.
[He rubs at his arm for a moment, making a quick consideration before he undoes the bandage, unwrapping it bit by bit.]
It's not an injury, or not anymore.
[The glove beneath the bandage looks like it might have been like its partner on his left arm -- long, tight-fitting, covering his limb all the way from the sleeve of his jacket to his hands. Unfortunately, it's been mutilated somewhere along the way: the fabric is torn in several places, barely held together by thin strips between the gaping holes. The already dark material is even darker in those areas, blood having stained the threads from a dark blue to a blackish brown. In contrast to his ruined glove, his arm beneath it looks fine, as pristine as the rest of his pale skin. He is a healer, after all.]
I ran into a monster almost immediately after arriving here. I thought for sure I'd lose my arm for a moment.
[Or several moments. Several, panic-stricken moments.]
[Chris watches curiously, if a bit apprehensively, while Carlisle takes off the bandage; it's not a huge surprise to see the semi-matching glove, even if he wonders why Carlisle didn't just take it off, but it is a surprise to see that his arm seems totally fine. It's a good surprise, though.
He winces sympathetically as Carlisle explains.]
Ouch. Yeah, some of the monsters that show up in the arena are kind of... Worse than others.
[And really awful.]
Glad your arm's okay, though. Do you like... Does your healing stuff work on yourself, or...?
[Though in this place it isn't super realistic; he remembers for a moment just how seriously Maketh had been hurt during the last event, and then quickly shoves the thought away.]
I feel like we should uh... Probably figure out some sort of system for looking out for new arrivals when they show up in the arena.
[He's kind of thinking outloud here, but it's half to Carlisle too, if he has an opinion on the idea. It's really good that he was able to heal himself, but what if he couldn't or it had been worse or something? The new arrivals are all alone and really vulnerable.]
An organization would be nice for such an occurrence. I was lucky to have people show up when they did to help me. I might not have an arm if they hadn't.
[He has another nervous laugh, as though it's funny now that it's all in the past. It's not. It's still terrifying to think about.]
[He knows that nervous laugh and shifts awkwardly on his feet a moment, deciding what to say.]
If you um... If you want to talk or anything, like... I dunno. That sort of thing just kind of gets worse if you pretend it's all cool when it isn't, so...
[He's given more hypocritical advice before, but not by a whole lot. Still, the offer's genuine, especially since he doesn't really know if Carlisle has any friends here yet.]
[Carlisle looks almost as taken aback by the offer as he was by the beeping from the game just moments before.]
I appreciate the offer, but I- I assure you that I am perfectly fine. Near-death experiences are nothing new! Just something you, ah. That you ad- adjust to.
[Marvel at what might be the world's worst outright liar. He can gloss over the truth and smooth things over when it comes to diplomatic discussions, but ask him to lie about himself or something that is still robbing him of sleep last night, and he falls to pieces.
And then he does that thing where he doesn't even let the silence hang for a fraction of a second before changing topics so he doesn't have to think about that one anymore.]
You know, I have been a terrible host. Let me clear off this couch and you have a seat.
[Just going to pick up all of those games he doesn't understand and set them on the table before grabbing the armchair for himself.]
[Yeah, you're not convincing anyone Carlisle, but part of being good with people is knowing when to not push. The offer's there and that's the important part, hopefully, so Chris lets Carlisle change the subject without protest.
Or much protest, anyway.]
I-It's fine, bro, don't worry about it.
[He's unfazed by bad hosting, if this even counted as such, which it doesn't. But he'll take the offered empty seat on the couch anyway, setting the Sonic game on the pile on the table before picking up Taz-Mania to look it over.]
Would you uh... Mind if I took one of these? Whichever one you don't want; I want to see if like, they're normal inside, or...
[Carlisle eases himself into the seat, reaching to the table and shoving the stopper into the bottle of ink before it gets knocked over and ruins the floor.]
I'll be honest in that I'll probably only keep one of these, now that I know what they are. I'd picked up the first one because I thought it might be important, or perhaps something that might help us get home. Then I saw a different one and grabbed it, but then there were so many others, and I think I got carried away.
[As he tends to do with everything, from note-taking to panicking to pretending he's perfectly fine when he's clearly still suffering some trauma.]
I think I'll do just fine with, ah, Space Fight here. I'll master it, then I can come grab a different one from you later, if you'd like to take the rest.
[He will never come get another game, Chris. He will never master Space Fight. Don't let him fool you.]
[His eyes light up a little at that, because omg games? Several games? Ash and Josh will be pleased, and probably so will Emily even if she denies it, and of course he's super excited about the prospect of even really terrible video games. So Carlisle's pretty much made his day, here.
Though, from a practical standpoint--]
They could still be useful in some way besides just boredom, I mean... If they're not just normal, then they might tell us something.
[And as for mastering Space Fight he won't give up on you, Carlisle.]
I'm sure I can like, give you some tips if you need them, but you can get it.
I may take you up on that at some point, thank you.
[He's just hoping Chris can find something useful with them -- Carlisle does like the way he brightens at the prospect of having all the rest of them, so perhaps his hoarding won't be a complete waste.
Oh right, hosting.]
It's been some time since I had company, so I'm afraid I'm not a very good host. I'd offer you a drink, but all I have here is water and Dwarven ale. Not exactly the type of beverages you save for having people over.
[He shrugs casually at the next comments, offering Carlisle another smile.]
Don't worry about it. Believe me, you'd have like... A long way to go to be considered not a good host.
[He hardly notices that sort of formality to begin with, and there's no way to be a worse host than Josh was on the mountain, so. And okay, he has to ask--]
I uh... I do have to say I've never heard of Dwarven ale though. I'm gonna guess it's like, exactly what it sounds like?
[And he remembers something else he should mention.]
Oh, also, do you like coffee? Because me and my friends made a deal with Delight about coffee at her bar and it's like, really good coffee.
[He has about five questions from what Chris says, ranging from how could anyone have not heard of Dwarven ale to isn't Delight one of the gods and why would you make any kind of deal with the likes of them, but he opts for what he assumes is an easier one first.]
Dwarven ale isn't bad -- not good, but not bad -- though, I'll admit I'm not sure what coffee is. Can't be worse than Dwarven ale, though.
[Ah, there's his nervous laughter again. He loves Dwarven ale, for as poorly as he speaks of it. It's an acquired taste.]
Well, it's a little like normal ale, except that it's got this metal aftertaste and it feels like a kick in the chest if you have too much. Good for staying alert, as Dwarves do.
[So no, not much like normal ale.]
So tell me what this coffee is like. What's it made from?
[Or at least like it has more of a point to drink.]
Coffee's made of ground coffee beans and hot water, kind of like tea. But it has this really distinctive flavor and even though it's kind of bitter on its own, you can make it sweet if you want. Best of all it's got a ton of caffeine in it.
[Chris has to be a bad influence sometimes, and one of those times is now.]
It's a chemical that keeps you awake. It's not super strong, and some people are more affected by it than others, but it's definitely useful.
[Whether you need to stay up and study, or wake up on an early morning, or function when you barely sleep some nights because of trauma-induced insomnia and nightmares. Good stuff.]
[Because staying alert when you're plagued by nightmares, need to focus on healing, writing notes, or just plain don't want to sleep because shadows are spooky is something Carlisle can definitely relate to.]
I'll have to try some sometime, if you don't mind. I suppose it'd give me an excuse to get out of the house.
I don't have a whole lot else to be doing so I'm there a lot, but if I'm not it'd be either Emily, Josh, or Ash; they're my friends from home. Em especially knows her coffee stuff.
[So she could probably help figure out how Carlisle would like his coffee, if just to show her knowledge of the topic.]
Yeah. And I mean, it's just the four of us here right now, but Sam, Mike, and Jess have all been here before too. Seven of the eight of us that were on the mountain the night before we got here have been here at least once; Mike's been here twice.
[So yeah, it's... Definitely a noteworthy pattern.]
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But he just nods at the answer, for now--he knows that feel, bro--and watches Carlisle's ill-fated attempt at playing the game.]
Yeah, you can get it. Just remember these things are old and kind of slow to react, so don't like... Let it get you too frustrated.
[And he hesitates a moment, before deciding on a way to reapproach his earlier question, but the game gives a good excuse.]
Especially if like... Did you hurt your arm? These things aren't exactly good for your wrists and whatever, especially if you're already hurt or something.
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[He rubs at his arm for a moment, making a quick consideration before he undoes the bandage, unwrapping it bit by bit.]
It's not an injury, or not anymore.
[The glove beneath the bandage looks like it might have been like its partner on his left arm -- long, tight-fitting, covering his limb all the way from the sleeve of his jacket to his hands. Unfortunately, it's been mutilated somewhere along the way: the fabric is torn in several places, barely held together by thin strips between the gaping holes. The already dark material is even darker in those areas, blood having stained the threads from a dark blue to a blackish brown. In contrast to his ruined glove, his arm beneath it looks fine, as pristine as the rest of his pale skin. He is a healer, after all.]
I ran into a monster almost immediately after arriving here. I thought for sure I'd lose my arm for a moment.
[Or several moments. Several, panic-stricken moments.]
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He winces sympathetically as Carlisle explains.]
Ouch. Yeah, some of the monsters that show up in the arena are kind of... Worse than others.
[And really awful.]
Glad your arm's okay, though. Do you like... Does your healing stuff work on yourself, or...?
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[Painful. Horrific. Agonizing.]
Grievous on myself, but I suppose there is a first time for everything.
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Hopefully a last time too.
[Though in this place it isn't super realistic; he remembers for a moment just how seriously Maketh had been hurt during the last event, and then quickly shoves the thought away.]
I feel like we should uh... Probably figure out some sort of system for looking out for new arrivals when they show up in the arena.
[He's kind of thinking outloud here, but it's half to Carlisle too, if he has an opinion on the idea. It's really good that he was able to heal himself, but what if he couldn't or it had been worse or something? The new arrivals are all alone and really vulnerable.]
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[He has another nervous laugh, as though it's funny now that it's all in the past. It's not. It's still terrifying to think about.]
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If you um... If you want to talk or anything, like... I dunno. That sort of thing just kind of gets worse if you pretend it's all cool when it isn't, so...
[He's given more hypocritical advice before, but not by a whole lot. Still, the offer's genuine, especially since he doesn't really know if Carlisle has any friends here yet.]
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I appreciate the offer, but I- I assure you that I am perfectly fine. Near-death experiences are nothing new! Just something you, ah. That you ad- adjust to.
[Marvel at what might be the world's worst outright liar. He can gloss over the truth and smooth things over when it comes to diplomatic discussions, but ask him to lie about himself or something that is still robbing him of sleep last night, and he falls to pieces.
And then he does that thing where he doesn't even let the silence hang for a fraction of a second before changing topics so he doesn't have to think about that one anymore.]
You know, I have been a terrible host. Let me clear off this couch and you have a seat.
[Just going to pick up all of those games he doesn't understand and set them on the table before grabbing the armchair for himself.]
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Or much protest, anyway.]
I-It's fine, bro, don't worry about it.
[He's unfazed by bad hosting, if this even counted as such, which it doesn't. But he'll take the offered empty seat on the couch anyway, setting the Sonic game on the pile on the table before picking up Taz-Mania to look it over.]
Would you uh... Mind if I took one of these? Whichever one you don't want; I want to see if like, they're normal inside, or...
[Or something else.]
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I'll be honest in that I'll probably only keep one of these, now that I know what they are. I'd picked up the first one because I thought it might be important, or perhaps something that might help us get home. Then I saw a different one and grabbed it, but then there were so many others, and I think I got carried away.
[As he tends to do with everything, from note-taking to panicking to pretending he's perfectly fine when he's clearly still suffering some trauma.]
I think I'll do just fine with, ah, Space Fight here. I'll master it, then I can come grab a different one from you later, if you'd like to take the rest.
[He will never come get another game, Chris. He will never master Space Fight. Don't let him fool you.]
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[His eyes light up a little at that, because omg games? Several games? Ash and Josh will be pleased, and probably so will Emily even if she denies it, and of course he's super excited about the prospect of even really terrible video games. So Carlisle's pretty much made his day, here.
Though, from a practical standpoint--]
They could still be useful in some way besides just boredom, I mean... If they're not just normal, then they might tell us something.
[And as for mastering Space Fight he won't give up on you, Carlisle.]
I'm sure I can like, give you some tips if you need them, but you can get it.
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[He's just hoping Chris can find something useful with them -- Carlisle does like the way he brightens at the prospect of having all the rest of them, so perhaps his hoarding won't be a complete waste.
Oh right, hosting.]
It's been some time since I had company, so I'm afraid I'm not a very good host. I'd offer you a drink, but all I have here is water and Dwarven ale. Not exactly the type of beverages you save for having people over.
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[He shrugs casually at the next comments, offering Carlisle another smile.]
Don't worry about it. Believe me, you'd have like... A long way to go to be considered not a good host.
[He hardly notices that sort of formality to begin with, and there's no way to be a worse host than Josh was on the mountain, so. And okay, he has to ask--]
I uh... I do have to say I've never heard of Dwarven ale though. I'm gonna guess it's like, exactly what it sounds like?
[And he remembers something else he should mention.]
Oh, also, do you like coffee? Because me and my friends made a deal with Delight about coffee at her bar and it's like, really good coffee.
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Dwarven ale isn't bad -- not good, but not bad -- though, I'll admit I'm not sure what coffee is. Can't be worse than Dwarven ale, though.
[Ah, there's his nervous laughter again. He loves Dwarven ale, for as poorly as he speaks of it. It's an acquired taste.]
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[He didn't really drink a lot of ale when he did drink, but he's had it before.]
Coffee's way better than ale though. Especially since there's like, a ton of ways of making it to whatever your taste is.
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[So no, not much like normal ale.]
So tell me what this coffee is like. What's it made from?
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[Or at least like it has more of a point to drink.]
Coffee's made of ground coffee beans and hot water, kind of like tea. But it has this really distinctive flavor and even though it's kind of bitter on its own, you can make it sweet if you want. Best of all it's got a ton of caffeine in it.
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[Things Carlisle Does Not Need and Doesn't Know It Yet: Volume 25.]
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It's a chemical that keeps you awake. It's not super strong, and some people are more affected by it than others, but it's definitely useful.
[Whether you need to stay up and study, or wake up on an early morning, or function when you barely sleep some nights because of trauma-induced insomnia and nightmares. Good stuff.]
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[Because staying alert when you're plagued by nightmares, need to focus on healing, writing notes, or just plain don't want to sleep because shadows are spooky is something Carlisle can definitely relate to.]
I'll have to try some sometime, if you don't mind. I suppose it'd give me an excuse to get out of the house.
[Which he clearly doesn't do very often.]
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[It's both to the first comment and the second.]
I don't have a whole lot else to be doing so I'm there a lot, but if I'm not it'd be either Emily, Josh, or Ash; they're my friends from home. Em especially knows her coffee stuff.
[So she could probably help figure out how Carlisle would like his coffee, if just to show her knowledge of the topic.]
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They're all from your world? Sounds as though the false gods have their eyes on you.
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Yeah. And I mean, it's just the four of us here right now, but Sam, Mike, and Jess have all been here before too. Seven of the eight of us that were on the mountain the night before we got here have been here at least once; Mike's been here twice.
[So yeah, it's... Definitely a noteworthy pattern.]
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[Carlisle looks a hair disgusted by the mere prospect of that.]
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[And the whole thing had been more than a little weird.]
He remembered being here before, but no more time passing at home between leaving and coming back.
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