video.

[jokesonthem]

[It takes him a while to figure out the NV. (In fact, it takes him a while to realize he has it, busy as he is searching for somewhere to wash the dirt off his face, pacing back and forth a lot, and laying down to will his wounds to stay closed.) He has, in truth, not a clue how it works, except that it seems to respond to his touch. He has poked tentatively through network broadcasts and determined the meaning of "video," the only command the thing offers he doesn't recognize--although he hesitates about touching that command, himself. He is dissheveled and in his pajamas and looks quite rattled, in his opinion, which surely is too embarrassing to show complete strangers.

... But maybe they would have some sympathy for him if they could see his face. He turns on the video...

...giving everyone a lovely view of his nightshirt's collar and the lower half of his face. There is a plaster on his cheek, and some wrapped bandages visible crossing his collarbone.]

Well, is this thing working? [He taps the screen sharply, then holds the NV a bit farther away, which puts the rest of his face (and more bandages!) in view-] How am I supposed to tell--oh, is that me in the corner?

[Serious time, Reim. He squares his jaw and regards the NV with his best business face.] My name is Reim Lunettes. I would like to request several things, if I may: information, something to write with, and-- c, clothes.

[He mumbles the last part. This is humiliating...]

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

[He nods, and his eyes dart around in the typical manner of someone who has no idea how to find the 'stop' button, but he gets it eventually, and just before he finally presses it he adds (an afterthought, his voice climbing out of its calm tone and becoming decidedly freaked out by the end):]

If--If there is anyone here who knows me, please come and find me!!

[oh wow this is so embarrassing he has to go FEED CUT]

Comments

[jokesonthem]

[Pitiful noise. Reim declines to comment on it this time, simply noting that Xerxes is being stranger than usual (if only he had his notebook) and suddenly worrying about him pulling on more things-]

What's- [When the hatch opens he nearly jumps, and then actually looks at it. A withering look, actually, but he awkwardly fumbles his way in all the same.]

Why didn't you do that in the first place?

1/2

[maddeninghatter]

Cos climbing's more fuuuuuuun~☆

[ He reaches for the viewfinder and slides it into place in front of Reim's face. He pats Reim's shoulder. ]

Anywaaaay~~ There's no need to be cross, just because you decided to go travelling without your shoes, haha~!

2/2

[maddeninghatter]

[ As soon as he says it, as soon as his fingers register the soft, thin fabric of Reim's nightshirt... Ah. Of course. He's got no shoes, because that's how he was buried. He's clad in a shroud. ]

Nnngh. Look, just... just... don't worry about that, all right?

[jokesonthem]

[Someone sure is uncomfortable about pajamas. Reim puts his hand up to block the viewfinder; it's all bright and weird, what is he supposed to do with that.]

I didn't have time to find some slippers. [beat] And where were you, where did this thing come from--

[The viewfinder is literally painful to look at; he pushes it more actively away from "right in his face."] Can you do something about this?

[maddeninghatter]

[ "Where were you?"

SOB! ]

This? It was just sitting in the street. Lots of them appeared today, out of nowhere, apparently~!

[ Absently, he adjusts the dials on the side of the viewfinder, demonstrating the brightness control. ]

As a special favor to you, in honor of your arrival - I thought I'd let you steer!

[jokesonthem]

[Reim adjusts the brightness so he can look at the screen--]

Me? Where am I suppsed to take it?

[Leaving aside that he's never driven anything, let alone a TANK...]

[maddeninghatter]

Home, of course~!

[ He reaches for Reim's hands. They're bare, of course they are. Poor man. Poor dead man.

He wished he could have been there, at Reim's funeral. He would have insisted he be buried in his Pandora uniform, with his white gloves and polished shoes. And a little notebook and a pen, so he could record his notes about the hereafter. Whoever had buried Reim didn't really know him (Lord Barma probably, damn the man and his idiot hair). How terribly sad.

Break guides Reim's hands to the steering wheel. ]

Just... just reverse direction.

[ Once again, he's failing pretty miserably at keeping his voice bright. ]

I'll tell you which way to go.

[jokesonthem]

Home?

[Incredulous; did they not arrive at once, but scattered, like he assumed? He would like someone to explain to him what's happening, instead of putting him in machines and telling him to make them move. But perhaps he should save his prying for answers for a bit later, when he doesn't have to wrap his mind around so many things at once.

He boggles at all the levers and buttons.]

Which one of these does that?

[maddeninghatter]

Ha ha!

You'll just be in charge of direction! Turn the wheel, if you please~♥

[ Leaning across Reim, Break gets his feet on the pedals and reaches for the gear shift. RRRRRRRRRRUMBLE! The beast starts moving forwards.

...At present it's headed directly for the Newcomer Towers. ]

I'll handle the rest.

[jokesonthem]

[WHY]

Xerxes--! [He fumbles, briefly, before he gets a solid grip on the wheel and turns, sharper than necessary. At least it is a slow-moving manner of beast. Now, it may rumble slowly in the direction of less buildings. For the moment.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Raising his voice to be heard over the rrrrrrrumbling. Which is good, as this tends to hide any residual pitifulness or cracking. ]

Just head back out to the road the way I came in, I'm sure there's tread marks or something to follow.

[ Or detritus.

Also, driving a tank and meeting your dead best friend equals CANDY TIME and Break is prepared. He's got a lollipop which he's going to crunch noisily enough to be heard over the tank noise. Annoyingly. ]

[jokesonthem]

[Reim turns his head just a moment to glare at Break, before he all but glues his eyes to the viewfinder, and--oh, yes. That sure is "something to follow." Later, he will have a lecture prepared. For now, he will steer with all the intensity he is capable of.

Noisy candy... another brief, sidelong glare.]

I'm trying to keep us from getting killed; the least you could do is be quiet.

[maddeninghatter]

[ Break... chokes on his lollipop. ]

Aaaaaaaah!

I'm sorry - I'm sorry!

[ Reim, you are breaking his poor old heart. ]

1/3

[jokesonthem]

Good, you-- [actually. apologized? For a snippy comment about candy??

Reim's look this time is a bit more prolonged, and scrutinizing.]

driving adventures

[jokesonthem]

[WHICH IS A POOR CHOICE, given the TANK he is driving, which he suddenly remembers to SWERVE away from something Break probably hit before.]

done!

[jokesonthem]

[--He is under control, he is paying attention.

Perhaps now is the fabled "later."]

Xerx. What's wrong?

[maddeninghatter]

[ Turning your words back on you, now: ]

What do you think?

[ He decides to slide over, into Reim's lap; he's practically in it already, reaching for the controls. Besides being more convenient, it means Reim can't see his face so clearly. ]

Y-you're just making me ill, with your steering. Here's a tip - you can roll over anything smaller than this vehicle. If you see anything larger...

[ Like a pile-up of life-sized toy cars ]

...ha HA! Let me know~!

[jokesonthem]

[Reim eyes him suspiciously, anyway, after a few mumbled heys and a wince where Break presses a wound. Just don't lean on the big ones around his middle and he won't make any pained noises.

He concentrates on steering, very pointedly not rolling over anything larger than a small rock if he can help it. There is something Wrong; he can tell. Maybe Break is doing that genius thing where he pretends he's hot shit when really he should sit down and shut up--]

Did something happen?

[maddeninghatter]

[ He assumes Reim is merely protesting being sat on, so he takes little notice of the wincing. ]

One or two things, perhaps... Nothing worth mentioning.

[ He's going to continue this little pretense, because what else can he do? How does he even begin to apologize? What is there to say, in the end, to a dead man? ]

Now! When you get past the roundabout, you'll see a wide boulevard. Head up it. That's the way home. Well - home from home, as it happens.

[jokesonthem]

[Well, steering is a little harder with Break in his lap, but. Doable. He pauses, maybe pensive, maybe considering hitting Break in the head for being difficult.]

Hmm.

Is that worth mentioning? I'm more lost than I generally like being, you know.

1/2

[maddeninghatter]

[ Lost...

What was it like, to wander? Madam Red had been vague about what the afterlife was like. ]

You'll get to the top of a hill, and then you'll see a wide gate. That's our home, for now.

[ Yeah, not asking Lord Phantomhive permission, either. He's going to have to deal with it. ]

2/2

[maddeninghatter]

Ha~! Unless you want to keep driving this thing! ♥

[ He could press That Button again. It was fun, the first time. It might prove a distraction from his painful thoughts. ]

I saaaaaay~! What's in front of us, hmmm?

[jokesonthem]

[That isn't exactly what he'd had in mind, when he asked. He wants a full rundown, to the most minute of details--!]

Plenty of things that don't need rolling over! Don't even think about it-!

[He is prepared to slap straying hands if he notices in time. This machine has too many things that ruin other things, what a terrible idea for a vehicle...]

1/3

[maddeninghatter]

Think about whaaaa~aaaat~?

[ This is more like it! Reim fretting at him noisily, chastising him. It's as if he never-- ]

[maddeninghatter]

[ ... ]