> Paloma: Visit Cucali all traumatised and stuff.

-- absoluteAltitude [AA] began trolling nitroMerc [NM] at 12:01 --
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  runs to Cucali's hive, pounding on the door. She's /covered/ in blood, green and brown and a little orange, aside from her hands which have been washed. --
-- nitroMerc [NM]  isn't expecting to see Paloma practically painted with blood when she opens the door. If this was another troll, Cucali wouldn't have been so surprised. But this is Paloma, and Paloma isn't as much of a killer as other trolls. So seeing her like this stuns Cucali. --
NM: ... what the /fuck/ have y☼u been d☼in'?!
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  wraps her arms around Cucali, burying her head against her shoulder. She's shaking, badly. --
AA: <\ It killed them it killed them and did things and I couldn't do anything to stop it and I need to stop it - />
-- nitroMerc [NM]  lets Paloma hug her. Awkwardly, gently, she pats her head. --
NM: Wh☼a, wh☼a, wh☼a. Sl☼w the hell d☼wn here. What's it?
AA: <\ The, the the the Watcher! />
NM: What the fuck is a Watcher?
AA: <\ That damned alien! I'll kill it! I'LL KILL IT! />
NM: Hey!! Y☼u aren't killin' anythin' until y☼u get that c☼at ☼f bl☼☼d ☼ff y☼u, d☼ y☼u hear me?!
NM: Y☼u're n☼t g☼in' anywhere until that happens!
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  shudders against Cucali. --
AA: <\ It's not safe. In my hive, it's not safe. It knows where I live. It, it knows. />
AA: <\ I would have gotten cleaned up but I - />
AA: <\ I had to get out of there. />
NM: ... well, y☼u're in my hive n☼w an' I can guarantee y☼u that y☼u're g☼nna be safe here.
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  draws in a shakey breath. --
NM: Just... st☼p y☼ur babblin' an' get y☼ur ass t☼ the bathtub! Every☼ne a mile away can hear y☼u screamin' ☼ut here!
AA: <\ ... okay... />
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  straightens up, letting go of Cucali. It's pretty clear on close examination that she's been crying, the wuss. --
-- nitroMerc [NM]  leads Paloma inside. She shuts the door behind them and locks it. --
AA: <\ Sorry, sorry about this... />
AA: <\ I just... I need some help to kill this thing... so... can, can I ask you for some explosives? />
NM: Didn't y☼u hear anythin' I said?
NM: Get y☼ur shit cleaned up first! Then we'll talk.
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  gulps, nodding. --
NM: G☼☼d. Tub's t☼ the right.
AA: <\ Okay... />
NM: I g☼t s☼me spare cl☼thes, I'll leave it ☼utside.
NM: *'em
AA: <\ Th, thank you. />
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  goes that way, into the ablutionblock. She sheds her clothes and gets to cleaning herself up, and only ends up crying again when she sees all the blood in the water. What a crybaby! --
-- nitroMerc [NM]  had walked into the ablutionblock, carrying the spare change of clothes. She's changed too--there's blood smeared over them--and hears Paloma's crying from the hall before she enters. --
-- nitroMerc [NM]  sets down the clothes and sits on the load gaper. --
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  fetches the clothes from outside the shower when she's done and slips into them in the sprinklerblock. She notices Cucali's symbol, but... there's not much she can do about it. --
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  steps out, and looks surprised when she sees Cucali right there. --
AA: <\ You, you were listening...? />
NM: Y☼u were s☼bbin' s☼ l☼udly that I c☼uld hear y☼u aaaaall the way fr☼m my bl☼ck!
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  looks away. --
AA: <\ Sorry... />
-- nitroMerc [NM]  scowls. --
NM: Ugh!! We've been ☼ver this milli☼ns ☼f times!
NM: St☼p ap☼l☼gizin' when y☼u g☼t n☼thin' t☼ ap☼l☼gize f☼r!
AA: <\ What, what else do I say...? />
AA: <\ That I'm weak...? That's why anyone cries, after all... />
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  bites at her lip. --
AA: <\ Because, because they're too weak to do anything. />
-- nitroMerc [NM]  jabs a finger at Paloma. --
NM: Y☼u d☼n't say anythin'! Y☼u need t☼ st☼p flauntin' y☼ur feelings all ☼ver the place! That's h☼w y☼u get hurt in the first place.
AA: <\ ... yeah... />
AA: <\ Any, anyway, let's get out of here. I'll tell you the whole story. />
NM: Ab☼ut time.
-- nitroMerc [NM]  walks out and into her room. She sits down, criss-cross applesauce. --
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  sits down next to Cucali, folding her legs beneath her and balling her hands in her lap. She takes a deep breath, and begins... --
-- nitroMerc [NM]  aptly listens, interrupting with foul interjections at times and the occasional threat. But other than that, she's a good listener. --
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  tells Cucali about how she answered the door to see a drone, which was dead. How the Watcher was behind it, holding her friend by the skull. How it easily disarmed her when she attempted to attack, h --
AA: ow it forced her to watch as another friend went crashing into the ground, how she couldn't even scratch it as she attacked. How it threw the corpses of her friends at her and ended up having a bloodbath by mutilating their corpses.
NM: ... s☼n ☼f a bitch.
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  draws in a shuddering breath. --
AA: <\ ... and, that's why it has to die. />
AA: <\ So... help me, please. />
NM: What makes y☼u think y☼u can take it ☼n again with my b☼mbs, huh?
AA: <\ ... explosives slowed it down last time. />
AA: <\ If I can slow it down long enough, I can use Amaloc's chemicals to melt it to nothing. Shell or no shell. />
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  is intent. --
NM: Yeah, that's great an' all, but d☼ y☼u kn☼w H☼W t☼ use 'em?
AA: <\ ... />
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  sighs. --
AA: <\ ... no. />
NM: Y☼u d☼n't just thr☼w b☼mbs everywhere an' think it's d☼ne!
NM: Then I ain't givin' mine t☼ y☼u.
AA: <\ ... okay. />
-- nitroMerc [NM]  looks at her suspiciously. --
NM: An' y☼u aren't g☼ing t☼ find an☼ther way t☼ get y☼ur b☼mbs, y☼u hear?
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  smiles bitterly. --
AA: <\ ... of course I am, Cucali. />
AA: <\ It needs to die. It's going to die. />
NM: Y☼u aren't!
NM: I'm n☼t lettin' y☼u!
AA: <\ Cucali... />
AA: <\ Please understand. It killed my friends. Some, right in front of me. And I couldn't do anything. />
AA: <\ Everything I am demands I do this. />
NM: Y☼u d☼n't kn☼w h☼w t☼ handle b☼mbs! D☼ y☼u kn☼w what happens when y☼u mishandle them?
NM: Find s☼methin' else t☼ use!
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  looks away. --
AA: <\ ... I need every advantage I can get, Cucali. You... you know I'm not a good fighter. />
AA: <\ And this thing... it killed the drones. />
NM: An' y☼u think a bunch ☼f t☼☼ls will help y☼u maaaaaagically impr☼ve?
AA: <\ They'll help. />
NM: They'll wind up hinderin' an' killin' y☼u if y☼u d☼n't kn☼w h☼w t☼ use them.
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  looks back to Cucali, something terrible burning in her eyes. --
AA: <\ Then show me how! />
-- nitroMerc [NM]  scoffs. --
NM: Y☼u d☼n't learn this shit instantly!
NM: If y☼u want me t☼ teach y☼u it'll take perigrees, pr☼bably.
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  narrows her eyes. --
AA: <\ Fine. />
AA: <\ Do you think I'm joking around when I say this thing is dead? Do you think I'm just playing, Cucali? />
AA: <\ Because I'm not. />
-- nitroMerc [NM]  growls. --
NM: And I'm n☼t kiddin' either when I said that mishandled t☼☼ls c☼uld kill y☼u.
-- nitroMerc [NM]  lifts her eyepatch to reveal the empty socket and scarred skin beneath. --
NM: D☼ y☼u see this??
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  bites her lip, but her expression remains determined. --
NM: /This/ is what happens when y☼u aren't careful with shit! An' I was damned lucky that the fire didn't take half ☼f my b☼dy with my eye.
-- nitroMerc [NM]  lets the eyepatch drop. --
NM: S☼ we play by my rules. Y☼u d☼ exactly as I say when I teach y☼u. N☼ fuckups, y☼u g☼t it??
AA: <\ Yes. />
NM: G☼☼d!
-- nitroMerc [NM]  gets up. --
NM: An' y☼u're n☼t g☼in' anywhere t☼night either. Y☼u're stayin' right here.
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  breathes out. --
AA: <\ ... okay. Just let me tell Amaloc. Otherwise he'll worry. />
NM: Fiiiine!
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  uncaptchalogues her husktop and types a few things out. Soon enough, she closes it up and puts it away. --
-- nitroMerc [NM]  has been waiting impatiently, scooping sopor from her recupercoon while Paloma had been typing. --
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  looks up, tilting her head. --
-- nitroMerc [NM]  doesn't notice as she fills up a pan. She glances over at Paloma. --
NM: Y☼u'll be sleepin' in here an' I'll be sleepin' with y☼u.
NM: N☼ ifs, ands, ☼r buts.
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  blinks, confused. --
AA: <\ You'll... be sleeping with me? />
NM: Well, duh--!
-- nitroMerc [NM]  suddenly realizes what she's said and blushes brightly. --
NM: Wait, what the hell are y☼u tryin' t☼ say here??
NM: Why the fuck w☼uld I want t☼ sleep with the likes ☼f y☼u?!
AA: <\ I, I didn't say anything which you didn't say! />
NM: St☼p tellin' me y☼ur stupid l☼wbl☼☼d fantasies!
AA: <\ But that's not what I--! />
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  blushes too. GOOD JOB CUCALI. --
NM: I kn☼w I'm g☼☼d l☼☼kin', but I d☼n't have any intenti☼n ☼f sleepin' with a scumbl☼☼d!
NM: If y☼u keep this up I'll thr☼w y☼u ☼ut!!!
NM: Watcher ☼r n☼ Watcher!
AA: <\ I, I didn't... />
NM: Just... shut up!
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  looks away, shutting up. --
NM: Well? D☼n't just sit there!
NM: Y☼u tired ☼r n☼t?
AA: <\ Y, yeah... />
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  turns back to Cucali and the recupracoon, and goes over to crawl inside. --
-- nitroMerc [NM]  rolls her eye and leans against the coon. --
NM: N☼w just shut up an' sleep, scumbl☼☼d!
AA: <\ ... I'm not scumblooded... />
NM: I t☼ld y☼u t☼ sleep!!
AA: <\ ... okay. />
AA: <\ Thank you, Cucali... />
NM: What'd I just say ab☼ut sleepin'??
NM: Just st☼p fuckin' w☼rryin' ab☼ut everything.
AA: <\ ... 'kay. />
NM: It g☼es away quicker than y☼u think if y☼u d☼n't w☼rry.
-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  curls up in the cocoon, closing her eyes. --
AA: <\ ... 'kay... />
-- nitroMerc [NM]  keeps a watch out as Paloma sleeps. --
-- nitroMerc [NM] gave up trolling absoluteAltitude [AA] at 13:16 --