video; @unknown

[redshiftnpc]

[ The communicator bobs, turns, points at the floor. There’s muttering from a voice some of Anchor’s residents will recognize. When the camera rights itself, it’s a close-up of Creepy Joe’s face, the eye that was formerly sealed shut now open and writhing with tiny flower-like tentacles. His other is steady, crazed blue.

His mouth is still twisted, his lips still curving upward on the ruined side of his face, not quite hiding teeth too long and sharp for a human mouth. There’s movement behind and between his teeth, though it’s hard to see what it is until he opens his mouth--more tentacles, tiny flailing things growing from the insides of his cheeks, the roof of his mouth, his tongue. They make him lisp hoarsely as he talks.]

Don’t go down. Don’t do it. You’ll open the way to worse things, worse things, worse.

[ He glances behind him, and in spite of the close angle, some at Anchor might also recognize where he is. In his little hole in the wall, where he was recording the actions of Anchor’s new residents. ]

Trust me. I came back, didn’t I? I came back to help.

Comments

[itsnotaonesie]

[And Peter replies, and is only a tiny bit creeped out by Joe's creepy smile.]

Nah, well. Computer screens aren't the best conversationalists. I'm not great at it either, but I'll do my best.

[redshiftnpc]

[ He smiles, hesitantly. ]

Better than me.

[ Congrats Peter you got his first "joke" in about fifty years. ]

[itsnotaonesie]

[You know what, it's a good joke. Well done, Joe, you made a funny.]

You just need some practice, bud. We'll get you back to chatting like a pro in no time.

[And he takes another pause to check his phone because Qubit's still blowing it up.]

So, I need to pop outside for a bit. I need to let my friends know what we've worked out, I can keep them out of here if you want me to.

[redshiftnpc]

Friends?

[ The tentacles in his eye coil in on themselves until it looks like there's a pulsing ball of yarn where his eye should be. ]

I can... [ He shivers, massaging the wrist of his bad arm. ] They can come. They're your friends.

[itsnotaonesie]

[Okay, cool, cool. This is already going way better than Peter had expected.]

Awesome, okay, cool. I'll give them the run down before I bring them in.

[redshiftnpc]

Wait--

[ He rocks back and forth on his heels. ]

When they come, can I... meet them outside? Too closed in here. Too easy to get... stuck.

[itsnotaonesie]

Um... Yeah, I think we can work something like that. Give me a few minutes to talk to them first though, okay? I'll call you when it's a good time for you to come out. It won't be more than a few minutes.

[redshiftnpc]

[ He nods, retreating to the farthest corner of the little room and hunkering down, still hanging on to his bad wrist. ]

I'll wait.

[itsnotaonesie]

Thanks, man. I'll be right back.

[And Peter scoots off to meet Qubit and the squad, brb Creepy Bro.]