004. (v2) [audio]

[stillseecracks]

I--

I-I'm--

I'm not a-a healer, n-not at all, b-but if-- i-if anyone still needs h-help getting to-- s-someone who is, I... I-I'm-- I-I'm not... uh... o-out of-- of action.

[He's got his head in the game, you see.]

Um.

Wh-- which I guess is-- i-is a good time to ask, is-- i-is everyone... b-better?

[Cause man if you still don't have your head

Comments

[heavyweaponsbot]

... How are you, boy?

[stillseecracks]

Um.

[Still a little spooked at all the headless people, but....]

I'm-- I-I'm-- I'm okay. B-Better. S--Still not-- not headless.

[heavyweaponsbot]

Good. See that you stay that way.

[stillseecracks]

Y-Yeah, I'm-- I'm t--trying.

[It's said with a mite of humor, but really -- he's trying.]

H-How about... you? Are-- a-are you...?

[Video]

[mister_10_below]

I'm good. Well, good as in I wasn't out of action, either.

[He guesses it's a good thing he never actually did destroy his own pumpkin.]

Are you okay, Xanth?

[Audio]

[stillseecracks]

[Oh gods, Bobby, you don't know how relieved he is to hear your voice.]

Um-- yeah, y-yeah, I'm-- I-I'm okay.

[He is. He's better than he has been, better than when he last spoke with Bobby. He's got his head screwed on straight. (These head puns are not going to stop.)

Xanth lets out a little sigh.]

I-I didn't... kill m-my own pumpkin o-or-- or anything. I-- I didn't... e-even find it.

[Video]

[mister_10_below]

[Probably about as relieved as Bobby is to hear Xanth's. Especially at hearing Xanth is okay. He doesn't bother to hide the relief in his expression as he smiles slightly.]

Yeah, me neither. I kind of avoided that whole area, actually.

[Well, that, and he was busy talking to and/or smashing the pumpkins he knew. But he's, uh, just going to not bring that up.]

Do you know if anyone has any idea what happened?

[Audio]

[stillseecracks]

N-- No. I-I've been-- I've been l-looking on the journals, b-but... I... I haven't s--seen anything yet.

[There are connections, he's sure of it, but he's having trouble piecing it all together.]

I-I just, I hope there's-- s-something soon.

[ghostly_stutter]

X-Xanth? W-w-were you--?

[She swallows thickly. She can't ask that.]

You're not hurt, are you?

[stillseecracks]

N-No, I, I wasn't. I-I'm-- I'm fine.

What-- w-what about you, a-are you...? Is-- i-is everyone...?

[ghostly_stutter]

[An intense sigh of relief.]

That's good to hear, at least. I--I'm fine. Nothing h-happened to me or Derek, but A-Alex...

[Chloe pales, eyes burning painfully at the memory. Her stomach hurt, thinking about it.]

Th-things keep happening, Xanth. I'm not so sure this place is anything we even remotely think it is.

[stillseecracks]

[Xanth doesn't know who Alex is, but that doesn't really matter now, does it?]

N-- No, it, i-it never is...

[The Elegante wasn't. Why should Holloway's Keep be any different?]

Is-- i-is he o-- okay?