another part of my liminal series.

Ink never thought it'd be so relieved to see trees clearing up. The direct sun might not be physically pleasant, but existentially? Thank goodness THAT guy is gone.

It looked back at Iris. "The pollen should be cleared up soon enough."

Being out of the woods also means the radio connection should be back, right?
Ink spoke into the comms device. "Oh, yeah! Hey guys! Guess who's still alive~!" It sang.

Iris: *They remove the sleeve around their neck, the wound seems to be infected.* ugh...
Trav: *The signal is back.* Finally, we thought you had died. Listen, there is something that you should know-
???: unknown signal detected, blocking. *the intercom seems to be online still... and the signal is now blocked.*

"Wh- Damn it!" Its shoulders slumped. "Ijustwannatalktomyfrieeeeeeeeends." It groaned.

And that was important too, wasn't it. Ughhhhh!

It looked back at Iris. "That... doesn't look too good."

This was going SO well, huh. Great first impression, Lab 2!

Iris: well I'm right here, am I not your friend? *they punch it in the arm jokingly.*

"Well yeah! But I wanted to check in with the others! They had something to tell me but it got cut off." It held the device up towards them. It sighed, frowning. "It sounded important too."

Iris: eh, let's just go forward. *They head over to the entrance panel.*

Ink followed after them.

~Please, nothing else happen. Please just let this go smoothlyyyyyy.~

Its fingers were crossed tight in its pockets.

Iris: *They place their hand onto the panel which doesn't open.* maybe you try it?

"'Kay." It did as directed, practically slapping the panel.

*The large door slides open to reveal the empty lab in ruins.*
Iris: ... comfy?

"Not at all!" It announced brightly, holding its hand out for them. "Shall we?"

Marrow: fine, on one condition.

"What?"

~Anything.~

Marrow: I come with you, I have nowhere else to be, and my home is far away...

...

~ANYTHING BUT *THAT* OBVIOUSLY.~

"And how the hell do I know you won't hurt more people I love?"

They'd already done enough damage to Trav. Ink could just feel they'd find some way to get to Seven. It need not remind itself of Iris, speared through the chest right on the table. How did they intend to fix that, huh?

Marrow: do you really have a choice? a gun might not kill you, but it will be enough to stun you for me to cause some real harm.

Ink clawed into the tablecloth.

"I felt safer with the shadows than I do with you."

It sniffled.

"*I don't trust you.* Lose the gun and you can come along but don't think that changes my mind."

Marrow: . . . why are you sniffling. pollen?

“My nose gets stuffy when I get emotional, okay?!” It wasn’t going to admit it was a fraction of a moment from crying.

Marrow: and why are you emotional? *they seem confused, as if they didn't see how it calling ink a friend in the past made this moment MUCH worse.*

“Why do you think? Not only am I not over trying to trap me the first time we met, but now you’re doing it AGAIN, trapping and threatening to KILL and-or EAT my friend, giving me the ultimatum that I have to take you with me and just EXPECTING METO BE OKAY WITH THAT! Not to mention I’m in a REALLY weird place emotionally right now so I’d be more concerned if I WASN’T emotional right now!”

All the screaming got its tear ducts going, against its better judgement.

Marrow: . . . *They stop, slowly taking in everything ink said.*

"Yeah, it's a lot, isn't it. I think so too." It croaked, staring down at the tablecloth in its chokehold of a grasp.

Marrow: *They put the handgun on the table.*

Ink slowly gets up from its seat. "And you are going to leave it there, got it? I'm watching you."

Maro: fine, but I'm not going unarmed. that's simply dumb. *they reach over to the harpoon in iris and rip it out.*
Iris: *they sit up instantly ripping their gag out.* First off, F**K YOU. *they glare at Maro.*

"I dunno, I'm unarmed and I've been perfectly fine." It certainly didn't trust them with the f**king HARPOON after that.

"Iris, are you okay?" As if a switch had flipped, its voice softened significantly.

Iris: let's see, I got impaled, dragged, and nearly got eaten... I'd say I could be better.

"And you're SO welcome for not letting that last one happen." It offered its hand to help them down off the table. With their height, they likely didn't need it; just a formality.

Iris: *they take it's hand and gets up.* it wasn't lying about not being the owner of the harpoon though...
Maro: see? surely the relieves me of SOME hatred.

“Barely.” It rolled its eyes. “Let’s go.” It squeezed Iris’ hand once and let go, turning to leave the room.

Iris: *they follow ink.*
Maro: *it follows as well.*

It takes a deep breath as Maro joins the group. It feels so wrong.

It can’t help but keep looking back at them.

Maro: *it was licking at the harpoon.* what? can I not admire the taste?

Its nose wrinkled. "You're gross."

Maro: It's fish, I like fish okay?
Iris: . . . I'm more then just a "fish".

Ink supposes it can't expect Maro to change their attitude if it told them to treat Iris like the person she is. All people are the same to them. Food.

"Just- Don't." It grit its teeth at them

Maro: Very well. *they pull out a small knife and poke at their own arm.*
Iris: ... you're not going to-?
Maro: *before iris could finish the blade sunk into it's arm and it began to cut as they walked.*

Ink cringed, grabbing at its own arm as if it could feel the stabbing secondhand.

"Why are you-..?"

Maro: *it brings the chunk of flesh up to it's mouth and swallows it.*
Iris: *they turn away, trying not to gag.*

Marrow: is that so? *they grab one of the utensils that ink threw at it, prodding at iris's infected neck wound.* seeing how close this is to their gills... I'm assuming they must be in extreme pain up here. yet... YOU brought them up didn't you?

"They wanted to come along, I-"

That guilt stirred the rotten fluids in its stomach all over again.

"I didn't know- I- I didn't mean for all this!"

Marrow: neither did I, yet... it seems we both have made mistakes to the point of us getting here.

"...How are you even here."

It clung tightly to its comms device. Even if it couldn't speak to the people in the other end, it offered the slightest sense of comfort.

Marrow: . . . *they trace a small circle around where one of their eyes should be, as if thinking about something.*

"Well?" Irritation flared up again.

Marrow: all I remember is you leaving, and then showing up here. *they... sink their finger into where their eye is, or rather should be. but ink hears nothing but the sound of smooth bone being rubbed on.*

"Real descriptive." It gritted. "I don't know what I expected."

Marrow: You seem rather angry with me. you should truly be thankful I managed to cut the harpoon's rope before they were dragged in deeper.

"Woooow, I'm SO glad you're still holding my friend hostage as food! OVERJOYED!" Its eyes rolled. "I still want them back ALIVE."

Marrow: Sit. *their voice lacks any sign of warmth or playfulness.*

"No. Let them go." Ink slams its balled fists down on the table.

Marrow: *they pull out a small handgun and aim upwards at the only light in the room.* Sit, Now.

It's heart jolts.

~SINCE F**KING WHEN???~

It's survival instinct, not for itself but for Iris. Ink does as told.

Marrow: *they reach up to pull the bag off their head slightly so their lower jaw can be seen, Ink had seen it's mouth before but not this clearly. their teeth are fanged, their tongue has small barbs on it as they grab a nearby fork and knife.* Glad to see you brought a meal this time.

"Don't touch them!" It snapped right back, hands slamming the table once more.

Marrow: touchy aren't we? *They poke at Iris a bit.* I mean, you bring such a rare piece from the ocean... and expect me to not sample it?

"I didn't bring them for YOU!"

It yowls. It's started sounding desperate with how breathless the yelling and running and hyperventilating has left it. It flung a piece of silverware at Marrow.

"Just get away from them!"

Marrow: *They backhand the knife that ink had thrown, the blade shattering on contact.* Then who did you bring them for? to die at the machine's hand?

"I- I didn't bring them for ANYONE!"

It threw another useless utensil, and another. One shattered knife told it all it needed to know about how futile the attack was, but it was too overwhelmed and emotional to care. It needed to throw something.

"They're not going to die! I'm not gonna let that happen! I'm not gonna let you!"

Iris: hey maybe I'll use hypnosis on ya... and make you admit what a NERD you are.

"You can do that???" It fluffed up.

Iris: no, bet it'd be cool though,

"Yeah, no, real cool, ahahaaaaa..." It trailed off awkwardly before straightening right up. "I mean, I would admit I'm a nerd without the need for hypnosis anyway, so."

Iris: how about a dweeb?

"I could admit to that."

Iris: Well I'm glad to- *they are cut off by a sudden large harpoon erupting from their chest.* . . . ah- *they are suddenly dragged at high speeds into another room.*

Ink is too startled to move for a second. It came too fast to process.

~Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again.~

It had gotten so lucky with Seven being the way that they are.
Iris is not like that.
Why didn't it say anything back in the forest? Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit-

It was running after them. It doesn't know when it started but it didn't matter.

~Not again. Not again. Not again-~

*Before Ink knows it they are in a familiar dining hall, with a familiar bag, with a familiar person pinned to the center of the table.*
Marrow: Hello. *They look the same, but Ink could tell some was VERY off with them.*
Iris: *they are pinned to the center of the large table with an apple stuffed in their mouth.*

Ink is stunned for just a moment once again. Once it's all stopped buffering, some of that pure terror starts to bubble into rage.

"Get. The hell. Away from them."

It marched up to the table without a second thought.

Iris: *they follow ink inside, before both of them are scanned.*
???: entity scanned within the mind, searching... the glutton, current status, abyssal mutation, currently being held in containment.
Iris: . . . that does NOT sound good.

The Glutton. Maro again. God, who DOESN'T know that guy?

"Abyssal mutation???" It looked up at Iris, puzzled and just a liiiittle bit terrified.

Iris: don't ask ME, I have no clue what that means either.

"In containment as in contained HERE??? I'M NOT LOSING AN EYE!" It paced, tugging at its braid.

Iris: I mean, would it even really do anything? if skeletons without eyes can see...

"Yeah but it's the sentiment that counts."

Iris: I get it. I mean I'd be pissed if I lost my eye.

"Plus your eyes are too cool to lose." It wandered a bit further inside. "Hey, even if they ARE here, it said they're in containment, right? So it's probably nothing to worry too much about."

Iris: my eyes are cool? *they look down at it, their strange blue eyes burning into them.*

It stared right back, eyes swirling. "Super cool."