SEPTEMBER EVENT: SKULLY'S ANGELS

[sailmods]

[around 10:30PM, after Friday has returned from bringing all the other guests back to the ship, she parks the tender just off the shore, idling. she sticks her head out of the door.]

Good luck! Just come get me if you need anything! [beat] But, only if it’s something I can do without stepping outside! [beat] Have fun!

[she then pops back inside. they’re on their own, for now.

the salamander villagers have returned to their homes for the night, it seems… all but one, a smaller one, bedecked in leather armor and carrying a spear. they watch the group as they leave the beach, eyes fixed… and then, slowly but distinctly, they toss their head in the direction of inland, and turn away from them to begin a sort of watch.

perhaps that was salamander for good luck. you’ll need it.]

Comments

[decohere]

[she glances back over her shoulder, sees Max hasn't moved at all...

she's reminded of his time at the camp. shut down and unresponsive. maybe it's the damage to his suit. maybe something has come over him the way it had her.

either way she's doubling back, grabbing for his hand]

Max. Come on. They're going to leave us. And then we'll have to live with the lizard people.

[makesomedeals]

[He should have a scalding hot take about living with the lizards. But he doesn't. ]

Certainly.

[Which part of that he's agreeing to is anyone's guess. But at least he does move and start walking so.. thats something. ]

Which way?

[At this point it's pretty obvious he does not sound right at all, his voice still has that soft musical quality but it's far more monotone. Like he's ready to narrate where the emergency exits are on a plane. ]

[decohere]

[no, no that tone doesn't sound right at all. his lack of dry remark... ava swallows uneasily, catching on that he's in some sort of mode that's only allowing him to respond to orders. she doesn't like doing this. but right now it's necessary.]

This way. [Ava points the direction she's... pretty sure they came. god, if the others took off running the other way, it's doubtful they'll manage to catch up at all. maybe it'd be easier to just kill them both right here and hope for- no, no, she needs to do at least one thing right.]

Follow me and keep up. If you fall behind, alert me. Understood?

[she grips his hand tighter]

[makesomedeals]

Affirmative.

[ He even gives a cheerful little beep of acknowledgement. He doesn't return the gripped hand but he doesn't move his away either. Thats fine if this human wants to touch him. All good.

He's moving now, at pretty normal speed, just going where she tells him, avoiding trees like a roomba mapping a room. ]

[decohere]

[it's both a very cute beep and so very not Max and she winces slightly at the wrongness. she wants to focus on getting them back to the group first, and then figure out how to properly reset him back to normal after. hopefully after this is over he'll forgive her for ordering him about.]

Thank you for coming after me... [because nobody else was going to, and that's fine.

letting go of his hand, she hurries up her steps when she's confident Max is coming along, making sure to take a path he can as well

and then hears the piercing screaming off in the distance, confirming they're at least getting closer.]

Max! Run!

[she takes off in a blur, though remains visible for Max to follow... hoping that he does, checking back worriedly]

[makesomedeals]

[He doesn't respond to the thanks because right now he's not even sure what he did? He's got an order, he's doing his order, he's the world's best robot right now. Gold star for Maximilien.

But as they get closer to the edge of the foliage there's the undeniable sound of infinite screams, just constant never ending abyssal screaming. His processors helpfully provide him with: Skulduggery Pleasant. Human (Deceased). Male. Association: Friend which while useful, has nothing to do with the aforementioned sound that seems to be emanating from the skeleton.

Oh another order! He definitely would have run, but instead he just fucking drops. Straight up faceplants into the ground as his entire system shuts down and reboots, all the lights in his head going out and he goes still for a few moments before they flicker back to life and he starts making a whirring noise.

The whirring noise gets louder. And louder.

And then his body, still on the ground, errupts in the worst cacophony of seven computers trying to connect to a 56k modem at once while trying to navigate phone line interference.]