"RED," He repeats. He rolls it over his tongue. He rolls it over his pan and the inside of his ribcage. He chews it up and crushes it in his teeth. "Knew a troll with red in his hair. KNEW A TROLL WITH RED IN HER TITLE." Knew a joke, with red in his veins, just like a young sister. He says what he says like idle observation, and not like it gets him pondering turning throatstems and veintrails inside the fuck out.

He ignores her last protest. He swats it wayside like a pest what he ain't truly noticed.

"Child come to fucking learn. GIRL, GET GODDAMN SCHOOLFED," He says. His voice booms, like there should be some explosion behind it, but there's not. The echo is natural echo, done off the walls real, not the spiritual. But he gets damn close. "Display what all it is you know. TELL HIM, WHAT IS A MOTHERFUCKING ALIEN?"