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[jumpthegun]

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@309_W1C_2DZ; audio; evening 259

[howdull]

Mycroft apparently must tell the truth for his revival price.

[He sounds pretty smug. He had to deal with that, it's much more enjoyable when the boot is on the other foot.]

He mentioned a name, Eurus, I believe that must be the anomaly he's been dealing with. Did you manage to get anything from him before by feigning existing knowledge?

[jumpthegun]

Eurus... right! Yeah! Sorry, right. Let me get the conversation. I was waiting 'til your memories were back, then forgot. She's your secret sister, apparently.

[John sends over the audio file.]

I think I like this kind of info gathering. Didn't even have to lie.

[howdull]

[Sherlock is silent as he listens to the conversation.

He feels sick, genuinely sick. How could he have a sister that he doesn't recall? What heinous thing had happened that led to her being taken away and him losing all memory of her? What has Mycroft done?! He desperately wracks his brain for any recollection, but there's nothing.

Except...]

The East Wind is coming to get you, Sherlock.

[It's mumbled, more for himself than John. That's what Eurus means, isn't it, the east wind.]

[jumpthegun]

[That phrase means nothing to John.]

Sherlock? Are you remembering something?

[howdull]

Yes-- No. It's something Mycroft said to me throughout our childhood, I thought he was only attempting to scare me. But Eurus, the name, it means the East Wind.

[It can't be a coincidence.]

[jumpthegun]

He was telling you your missing sister was coming to get you? [There's disgust in John's tone.] What the hell for?

[howdull]

Probably some form of mental conditioning, to either assess if I'd regained memory of Eurus or an ingrained response to keep those memories suppressed.

[He's so angry.]

Apparently she's in a facility, Sherrinford. Mycroft was... displeased about being unable to lie and told me more than he intended to.

[jumpthegun]

Why, though? What the hell is she there for? He sounded scared of her when we talked.

[howdull]

[There's a moment's hesitation.]

Redbeard.

[His voice is heavy, he honestly still can't quite believe what Mycroft told him.]

My dog as a child, or so I believed-- so my mind still tricks me into remembering. Apparently not, he was a friend I played pirates with, Victor Trevor, and Eurus trapped him down a well with only cryptic clues to solve in order to save him. My first failed case, apparently. Mycroft told me that shortly afterwards she burned down our family home and was transferred to Sherrinford.

[jumpthegun]

[That pulls John's righteous anger at Mycroft to a screeching halt.]

Oh, my god... [That's horrifying.] Sherlock, are you... [No, he's not 'okay,' even if he'll say he is.] What are you going to do?

[howdull]

What is there to do?

[Slightly bitter.]

I cannot visit her while I'm here, and I will likely forget her until such time as we're kidnapped by her. Your therapist, by the way, is Eurus in disguise.

[jumpthegun]

[John's silent for a long moment.]

Her accent was strange.

[Not that he'd suspected, but bloody hell and a half. He's trying to picture her face now, looking for similarities to Sherlock or Mycroft there, but there's a different connection that comes to mind.

No. Maybe? Is it? What? He'd had a sense of déjà vu meeting her for the first time, but he hadn't put any stock in it. Just another trick of his mind.]

Sherlock... I think I met her before she was my therapist.

[howdull]

I know that I did. Culverton's daughter, I knew she was a replacement, I knew I wasn't going mad.

[Only, he had thought that the real daughter had been the fake one, and Eurus had been the true daughter.]

But you never met her, who--?

[jumpthegun]

[Jesus Christ, how far had Eurus gotten into both their lives without them noticing?]

The woman on the bus. The one I was texting with. She... oh, my god.

[He's starting to feel sick and not a little violated. He'd made the decision to cheat, but this? John doesn't even know what to think about how twisted this is.]

[howdull]

[He hadn't known that, which means that Mycroft likely hadn't known either. This is more disturbing than he had realised, and he's already disturbed enough.]

...I'm sorry, John.

[He still doesn't understand why Eurus did all of this.]

[jumpthegun]

Why would she do this? To you? Does she blame you for getting locked up maybe?

[howdull]

I don't know, Mycroft said she's curious.

[Why are all the psychopaths curious about him? Then again, Mycroft did say that Eurus had spoken to Moriarty, so perhaps that's the reason.]

[jumpthegun]

You really attract the wrong crowd, you know? [So says the man who is part of the crowd drawn to the detective.]

[howdull]

[He barks a laugh, it's not that amused.]

It must be my winning and friendly personality.

[jumpthegun]

I was thinking more the drugs.

[John will try to make light, at least. For now.]

[howdull]

[This time the laugh is even smaller and less amused.]

Yes, well. That is the truth you assisted me in uncovering, thank you for that.

[jumpthegun]

[All right. Let's change the subject.]

Are you gonna press Mycroft for anymore details? I'd offer to help, but I think he's pretty sore at me, as is.

[howdull]

Perhaps later, I need to think on it first. Now that I know the triggers, I should be able to reorganise my memories and find the truth.

[Such faith in his own mind palace.]

[jumpthegun]

[John's not so sure about that. Suppressed trauma can be difficult to dig up.]

Okay. Let me know when you need me.

[He'll be standing by.]

[howdull]

[He won't.

Sherlock doesn't do feelings, and this will all be pushed down and away by the horrors of what's coming. So he just gives a noncommital hum and hangs up.]