#wrfstchc

damien felt the way his own cheerful smile faltered for a moment , how this strange man's once exuberantly bright features seemed to stall in the presence of HIM . did they know each other ? had the mayor done something in his long gone past that stuck underneath the skin ? should he . . . apologize ? he feels like he should , but he isn't even entirely sure as to why ; but , just as quickly as the thought entered his mind , the way wilford's face settled back into joy easily has it escaping in the same second . for this moment , the mayor would disregard the way it appeared this stranger had seen a ghost when he first entered the room and instead focus on enjoying what REALLY matter . the present !

the raven was always a tentative listener , even with people who seemed as eccentric and abnormal as this man . after all , he was friends with the colonel , and there was no one who quite beat the oddity that was that man . tan hands hold tightly onto the top of his cane , idly swaying back and forth as he listened to each word the other spoke . at the end of the stranger's statement , damien can feel a hearty laugh bubble in his throat , dying it down to a sweet chuckle instead with a shake of his head and a wave of his hand .

" oh , please , don't fret over such things . i assure you , no matter how odd you may act or how queer you are in nature that very little attention can be drawn from me . unfortunately , may i add . " the mayor holds himself tall , hands moving to twist around the stem of the cane . " and truly i've come over because i saw a face i did not recognize , and as a man in my position that doesn't come by very often . " the raven laughs , brown eyes wandering to the vibrant setting , the lights reflecting in his own youthful eyes before landing back onto the mystery man before .

god , this was getting to be a lot . he could have inferred from the LAST TIME he ran into one of these entities that it was probably going to happen again , and not to his own liking . this whole situation was starting to really get to matthew , and not in the best way possible . the prospect of all of these people being real put in the position of having to question the true intentions of his OWN FRIEND . M A R K . matt had done his research , this was evident enough in the way it seems he tries not to express fear to wilford beyond his words alone . the brunet's face is scrunched into something unreadable , lips pulled into a tight line as hazel hues snap from rose-tinted glasses to shiny metal held in an indelicate hand .

he swallows thickly , trying to maintain calm . he would be true in reminding himself that these people meant no harm , but he KNEW that one shot from that gun and wilford would deem his death a JOKE . nothing more , nothing less . despite terror nipping at his heels , he stares into the barrel of the gun , his hands folded in front of him , his head held high as if matthew didn't care for his life ( something that couldn't be farther from the truth ) . the brunet thinks of whether to answer the questions , if wilford would even care about the answer in a moment ; and , lo and behold , the second he thinks to open his mouth with a retort the madman before him drops her weapon .

a sigh welled up in his chest is released , like steam from an engine , and his gaze drops to the floor for a moment . while every fiber of matthew's being wanted to be angry , to feel rage from the fear that was placed onto him and so quickly ripped away , he meets wilford's gaze , her laughter filling his ears , and he can't help but crack a small smile . after all , this was wilford motherlovin' warfstache . what more could have matt expected . " yeah . . . you got me really good , wilford . " his tone is a little unconvincing , the adrenaline of the situation still running rampant through his frame . he wasn't sure how much more of this ' ego ' game he could play , but the brunet was certain that it would kill him if he didn't figure out what was happening .

now THIS guy got the jib of bim's jab , SHE could understand where the host was coming from ! maybe with a few . . . bloodier , stark differences ; but , still it would seem show hosts really did think alike in SOME aspects . some would think that maybe the game show host would see another host as competition , or a force to be reckoned with , but truthfully trimmer was just more intrigued by the position wilford had found himself in more so . to climb from nothing all the way to tv stardom was something that the raven ADORED , something he'd done himself with a prideful smile and a pep in his step .

" see ! my exact thoughts you're speaking there -- " the grandiose , boisterous speech of bim didn't seem to stop on the stage , carrying that same tone in his regular speech , something that tapers into an airy laugh when the mustached man whips around wielding a blade . the raven raises both hands , toothy grin spread wide across his face as he took a small step back . bim knew well enough that wilford didn't care if she hurt someone , unbothered by or unknowing of the consequences of his actions , but BIM wasn't in the mood to mend a stab wound today .

" hey there , big guy , be careful with that thing ! or at least buy me dinner first if you're gonna poke me . " the game show host snorts , his step carrying an exuberant bounce as he steps so he and wilford are face to face , hands moving in a dramatic fashion as he spoke . " just wanted to pop by , saw you were in the office FOR ONCE , SHOCKER ! thought i would see what had you here , maybe engage in some good ol' coworker banter ! " the cannibal grins , dragging a chair to sit , one leg crossed over the other . " but sorry , can't make any promises i won't show up unannounced again . " two beings unbothered by societal standards . . . WHAT could go wrong ?

the brunet looked down to his legs and then back up to wilford , a fair hand coming off to wave the damage off with a small snort . " these ? no , they're nothing ! i own a cat ! " matthew is pretty quick to turn on his heels , searching very briefly for skip in his home before bringing the rotund creature back for her to see . " see ? say hi , skip ! " the cat blinks , eyes slit as it looks to the entity before starting to wriggle in matthew's grasp to be put down ; a request that was easily filled by the theorist who giggled as he watched him trot away . " sometimes , he'll swipe me in the mornings when i'm feeding him or taking too long to get up , really no biggie ! "

54 . Multiple stabs wounds across body

a curse was a curse . until it wasn't . dark wasn't thankful for much in his position , to be turned for a person with wonderful attributes and a drive for the future into a monster that sought revenge for things that were stolen from him was nothing for the faint of heart ; yet , in this moment , as seemingly endless wounds ooze thick smoke , dark feels for once that he is lucky to have such a curse . dark eyes look to wilford , the entity simply sitting in his chair as if there wasn't anything wrong with the image that was being displayed to her . why would something be wrong ? when HADN'T dark been injured , truly ? his head tilts , brows furrowing before looking down to his mostly cloaked form consumed by smog and gives the smallest scoff in recollection of the state that he was in .

" this is not uncommon . you'll find that this is one of the main reasons me and my wilford don't tend to mingle much . it's of no issue . these will heal on their own eventually . " grey hands hold pen to paper , bringing his attention back to what he'd felt was his job . endlessly writing , searching , seeking answers and solutions to his problem he had at hand , not once further paying mind to his damaged form . " please , take a seat if you plan on staying , wandering around these depths may lead you to places you do not want to go . "

the host felt his chest ignite in hot flames and skin crawl in tinged freeze , fingers closing into it’s palms as a sake to seek salvation from the numbness that tingled along them . bim trimmer was many things . a host . a spectacle . a thing that seemed to alter the space around him . an ANOMALY . it wasn’t often the creature was willing to be cast in a crimson limelight , sat upon a painted X , yet having found himself in for the long haul on a story he knew very little of .

oh to be a songbird , praying for freedom from a rot iron cage , only to be granted sanctuary for the price of your song . now , he was silent . songless . bim couldn’t recall the man ( or THIHG ) that put him here if he tried , mind muddling and mixing the past and present together in clashing hues . the raven can remember the sly way in which it spoke , nothing more . brown eyes speckled with violet cast towards wilford , feeling how tight and big the unremovable smile on his face was as black brown raised and knitted together . feeling how his body was ripped from tatters of the past and roughly punched through the fabric of the present .

whiplash . the host’s jaw unclenches as if he had something to say , perhaps asking for her to repeat herself , but he isn’t sure as no sound comes out . the room feels minuscule , like the walls were closing in and the roof was coming down . he lungs felt like they were collapsing and his head was reeling and truly it wasn’t getting enough oxygen to pump his lame, fragile heart and why was everything suddenly so hot — ! “ i’m fiiine ! “ he’s fine . the world around him felt like it was crumbling down and he was . . . f i n e . “ c’mon , wilford ! you act like i’m about to go off my rocker here ! do i look crazy or something , big boss ? “

despite the sweat on his brow and the paleness of his skin , he makes no effort to sit , simply gesturing to his form as if he were some marvel .

she felt familiar , looked so too . that crinkle in his eye , this bushy mustache . by god , it was like looking in a funhouse mirror almost ! not in a bad way , of course . william wasn't unaccustomed to a similar face or two , having collected a few friends in his own likeness in all these years , but this person almost felt akin in SPIRIT . thankfully , the colonel wasn't one for the spiritual , twin flames or all that . what was in the present , what was factually based , and what could be observed were what were most keen on his mind . a thick stache twitches as the raven pouts , brows furrowing as he noted the way the life in the other's face seemed to die all together .

will felt a tinge of concern wash over his features as the stranger stared blankly , their spaced out speech making the man instinctively raise a hand out to clasp upon her shoulder . " gadzooks , my friend . you're as pale as a sun bleached sheet ! " calloused hands go to pull wilford to sit , as if concerned she would pass out on the spot in front of him . " you look like you've seen . . . a GHOUL or a ghost ! " the colonel can't help but give a boisterous laugh , retracting his touch as he bent at the knee to crouch near the eccentric man .

" i'm deeply sorry if i gave you a fright , simply couldn't help but comment on the similarities . i'm the colonel , i assure you i mean no harm , my friend . "

-

Meeting another version of yourself was something that Rose considered a fun moment. After all, anyone with a pair of eyes could clearly see that they were completely different outside of curly hair and a fondness for pink.

For instance: only one of them wore glasses. Hah. Nerd.

For someone far smarter, this would be an excellent time to see how different circumstances can render different results, yet the same fate in the end. Was something... Scripted? Or was it merely a case of 'every universe must have certain things happen'? Were they different people before they were pinkified? Did they experience the same events along the way?

This was all too complicated and lore-heavy. That's not the point of this encounter!

The greeting was welcomed and returned. How could he refuse? His hand was large, the grip was not too tight, and the skin was warm. Comforting, one might almost say.