did they say what they were exactly because tbh some of what they said was way less kid's stuff and way more the shining
do you need to double back and hide someplace
[Because frankly, he's had it to here with bizarre unknowable evils and he has zero qualms with straight-up murdering one of them. Or just screwing them over. Because he will also do that. Or he'll try.]
i talked to them once and noped the fuck out when they started harping on and on about death and stuff they don't know who i am at least so theres that
[Well, all right, they're doing this now. Ordinarily he'd follow up with a flat no and then hang up, but Max actually seems to be in kind of a pickle. So he complies.
There's a faint buzz in the background, like talking over a bad connection, but he's mercifully audible.]
[His tone carries all the light assurance of someone who very much doesn't know where this is headed and is almost certain that he won't like it but is really honestly trying to keep it together because Max sounds kind of on the verge of freaking here.]
[Thank god he's handling well so far. Though Max is still obviously tense, her voice hesitant, at least until she's gotten it all off her chest.]
Chara asked me to show them some pictures one time, and... Uhh, I showed one of the Mystery Mansion ones. [Slight pause here as she tries to keep her voice calm.]
Durng the tour... with you in it. And, uhh, I said we were friends, so... they know who you are.
No. All they know is your name and how you look. [She's trying so much to make her voice sound ecnouraging, but it's hard. The effort is clear, though.]
I really don't think they're... you know, actually evil or anything. Just... creepy.
Right? [The question is almost quiet, and hesistant out of fear of the answer. But there's a tinge of hopefulness as well.]
[There's a brief pause while Alex massages at the bridge of his nose with his knuckles, eyes shut tight. Right. Okay. This could be worse. There are tons of people in Wonderland, and he's not particularly striking compared to a lot of them. The creepy kid would have to be actively looking for him to raise any ruckus.
'Course, there's no way of knowing whether they are or not. Time to lay low, maybe. That's all right. That's fine. That's second nature to him.
He sighs, his next words fringed with the quiet hum of static.]
You saw that last post. I don't think they came here to make daisy-chains.
[Okay. Not the answer she was hoping for. Max is not exactly good at holding back tears, and she can already feel them welling up in her eyes out of sheer frustration, though she doesn't make a sound.
It's not even frustration at Chara.
Why do I always fuck things up so badly, she thinks, angrily wiping at her eyes. On the other end of the line it merely sounds like she's fumbling with the phone, and when she speaks her voice is slightly thick.]
[There's some...horrible ideas beginning to curl away at Alex's mind. He sets his jaw, expression locking down. He's done worse than this.
He thumbs at the device without switching the call off and starts punching out a text.]
Look, it's - it's gonna be okay, all right? You couldn't've known.
[Shit, how does he deal with this. He knows that lapse in tone, maybe not specifically in relation to Max but he knows what it is and he knows it's bad and he knows that it usually signals an impending breakdown.]
Their first broadcast - they just seemed like a normal kid. That's probably what they wanted. They tricked everyone.
[Including him. He just chose not to get involved right away.]
[He stops texting as his brow furrows sharply, a flare of mingled outrage and disbelief lining up eerily well with the spike of static that echoes through the feed.]
People die here so often that Wonderland has a rule about it. Couple years ago there was even this killing spree -
[And then Alex has to cut himself off. That's probably not going to help the situation, not when Max is already piling the blame on herself. He takes a moment to tamp down everything, breathe, focus.]
[This is not quite how she imagined the conversation to go. She felt like talking about it would help her get a better grasp of things, and get Alex safe at the same time. But now it feels more like it's spinning out of her hands.]
What... What do you mean handle it? I'm just going to shoot off a few texts, and... and...
[And what? Everything will be okay?
But she has to believe that. She has to believe she can make it okay. Otherwise people might die.]
Don't you dare do anything stupid, Alex-... You just mean you'll stay safe? Right?
[Fired off distractedly while he engages Sans in some not-so-witty repartee. Just tell him how to kill the little shit, boneman, and stop dancing around the issue.
He only hesitates a second before forging ahead.]
Look, it's like I said. I've dealt with some weird shit. Chances are this kid's got nothing on what I've had to -
[He clips the sentence oddly. Max doesn't need to know that.]
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[Text]
Honestly I dont know if i should stay in crowds or by myself, theyre just a kid right and tons of people here are superpowered and stuff
[Text]
do you need to double back and hide someplace
[Because frankly, he's had it to here with bizarre unknowable evils and he has zero qualms with straight-up murdering one of them. Or just screwing them over. Because he will also do that. Or he'll try.]
[Text]
Already hiding
Shit alex i did not mean to fuck up this bad. I was just trying to figure them out
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well thats original
if there here it means they can be killed right?
theres ways to take care of this
it'll be ok
[This is Alex, again, trying to be reassuring. He hasn't had a lot of practice.]
[Text]
[Oh my god Alex she's just trying to warn you about Chara. Or she will, when she works up the nerve.]
[Text]
there just casually talking about killing people and stuff, i've seen the horror flicks and this never ends well
[Text]
Or to Sans! They know them.
[Text]
jesus christ
i talked to them once and noped the fuck out when they started harping on and on about death and stuff
they don't know who i am at least so theres that
[Text] 1/2
[Voice] 2/2
...Alex?
[voice]
There's a faint buzz in the background, like talking over a bad connection, but he's mercifully audible.]
Seriously, are you okay?
[Voice]
Uhh, I think I just need to calm down. And, okay, there's something else, but... Promise me you'll try not to freak out.
[Voice]
[His tone carries all the light assurance of someone who very much doesn't know where this is headed and is almost certain that he won't like it but is really honestly trying to keep it together because Max sounds kind of on the verge of freaking here.]
I've seen some weird shit, all right? It's cool.
[Voice]
Chara asked me to show them some pictures one time, and... Uhh, I showed one of the Mystery Mansion ones. [Slight pause here as she tries to keep her voice calm.]
Durng the tour... with you in it. And, uhh, I said we were friends, so... they know who you are.
[Voice]
Okay... [He draws out the word a syllable or two longer than he should as he struggles to keep his tone steady.] That - uh, that could be a problem.
[Putting it mildly.]
[Voice]
I know. I'm so, so sorry, Alex. I swear, I had no idea. They had this whole... orphan kid story. Maybe it's true, I don't know.
[The breath she was holding in comes out as a groan.] I'm sorry.
[Voice]
...No, yeah, no. This is actually pretty bad.]
It's okay, it's - we can fix this, they don't know where I am, right?
[The urgency in his voice tumbles forward. It's not like room 44, floor 4 is all that hard to remember.]
They don't, right?
[Voice]
I really don't think they're... you know, actually evil or anything. Just... creepy.
Right? [The question is almost quiet, and hesistant out of fear of the answer. But there's a tinge of hopefulness as well.]
[Voice]
'Course, there's no way of knowing whether they are or not. Time to lay low, maybe. That's all right. That's fine. That's second nature to him.
He sighs, his next words fringed with the quiet hum of static.]
You saw that last post. I don't think they came here to make daisy-chains.
[Voice]
It's not even frustration at Chara.
Why do I always fuck things up so badly, she thinks, angrily wiping at her eyes. On the other end of the line it merely sounds like she's fumbling with the phone, and when she speaks her voice is slightly thick.]
God, I'm so dumb.
[Voice]
He thumbs at the device without switching the call off and starts punching out a text.]
Look, it's - it's gonna be okay, all right? You couldn't've known.
[Shit, how does he deal with this. He knows that lapse in tone, maybe not specifically in relation to Max but he knows what it is and he knows it's bad and he knows that it usually signals an impending breakdown.]
Their first broadcast - they just seemed like a normal kid. That's probably what they wanted. They tricked everyone.
[Including him. He just chose not to get involved right away.]
[Voice]
[There's the frustration now, showing through, an edge to her voice.]
I can... I'll try to talk some sense into them. Apologize or something.
[She sniffs, trying to think straight despite all the emotions rolling through.]
They won't start a fight... not here. They can't.
[Voice]
[He stops texting as his brow furrows sharply, a flare of mingled outrage and disbelief lining up eerily well with the spike of static that echoes through the feed.]
People die here so often that Wonderland has a rule about it. Couple years ago there was even this killing spree -
[And then Alex has to cut himself off. That's probably not going to help the situation, not when Max is already piling the blame on herself. He takes a moment to tamp down everything, breathe, focus.]
Look. I can handle it. Okay?
[Voice]
What... What do you mean handle it? I'm just going to shoot off a few texts, and... and...
[And what? Everything will be okay?
But she has to believe that. She has to believe she can make it okay. Otherwise people might die.]
Don't you dare do anything stupid, Alex-... You just mean you'll stay safe? Right?
[Voice]
[Fired off distractedly while he engages Sans in some not-so-witty repartee. Just tell him how to kill the little shit, boneman, and stop dancing around the issue.
He only hesitates a second before forging ahead.]
Look, it's like I said. I've dealt with some weird shit. Chances are this kid's got nothing on what I've had to -
[He clips the sentence oddly. Max doesn't need to know that.]
Are you gonna stay safe?
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