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[jumpthegun]

You've reached Dr. John Watson. Please leave a message.

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cw: suicide

[sharktrash]

[ the messages trickle in one by one. ]


being sick of this place

which isn't strange

also dying a lot, which obviously hasn't happened

walking

a lot of walking

and I remember going past a bus station but not stopping

just trying to get as far as possible

that makes no sense i was running short on food at that point

by nightfall I ended up on this roof with buried corpses that I remembered being on a lot of times before, it was supposed to be a puzzle but I could never figure it out

same this time

and I remember thinking, "maybe this time they'll fucking let me stay dead"

very distinctly

so I fucked them up

nothing

it did get very cold though

i didn't want to be an environmental statistic so i stabbed myself in the neck

cw: suicide

[jumpthegun]

[Jesus.]

Honestly, it sounds like this place was just messing with your head. That time thing was weird. I've never seen anything like that before. We've had time slow down and stop, but not fast forward ahead ten or fifteen years.

I'm sorry that happened to you, Squalo. There is probably a puzzle on that roof, but maybe it's best you avoid it for a bit, and find someone to travel with. They can help stop things like that from happening.

[sharktrash]

Does that happen a lot? people acting out of character? that is so fucked up


[ He doesn't like it. He doesn't like it one bit, this notion that he is not in control of his actions 100% of the time. ]


i've never intended to go for the puzzle anyway

i'm just gonna check out the walls and doors

don't really care how local dead folk feel about me


[ NOTICE HOW HE'S TOTALLY IGNORING THAT "FIND COMPANY" BIT? YEAH. HE'S IGNORING IT. ]

[ He also seriously doubts some rando could stop him from anything, let alone make him feel better. It's not how things usually worked. Being alone was fine, right? ]

[jumpthegun]

It does, unfortunately.

[John feels a chill down his spine, remembering murdering Quark and Luna when he'd been an automaton.]

If you're still bound and determined to go again, please be careful. All you really need to do is check if you could maybe set up a bomb to get them open. And be sure to give yourself plenty of time if you're going outside at all.

[sharktrash]

well

at least I'm not individually going insane


[ SILVER LININGS. ]

[ Of course, how "sane" a killer for hire must be to begin with is a different matter. ]


yeah i'm definitely not staying out at night

any idea where people get bombs around here? i skipped most of my crafts classes

[jumpthegun]

You kind of have to make them yourself. You could ask around to see if anyone has the ingredients. Bucky, if you've talked to him, can probably tell you how to make one.

[sharktrash]

[ Bucky ]

[ ... ]

[ ............. ]


oh we've


met


[ THE SMOOTHEST MOTHERFUCKER IN TOWN ]

[jumpthegun]

[Oh.]

How badly are you injured?

1/?

[sharktrash]

[ wow John do you have so little faith in his fighting ability? ]


i'm fine, actually

2/2

[sharktrash]

[ ... ]


i probably have a concussion though

i lied 3/3

[sharktrash]

[ ......... ]

maybe a broken rib? but it stopped hurting a few days ago

[ YOU KNOW, WHEN HE DIED. Funny how that works. I totally forgot that fight took place during the event for a moment. ]

[jumpthegun]

[John sighs a sigh of long-suffering.]

Right. You think you still have the concussion? Or has that cleared up along with the rib?

[sharktrash]

[ look you asked, John ]

uh

didn't notice any symptoms since i woke up in the bodybag

which was disgusting by the way thanks for asking

but also something's just... off

if that makes sense

[jumpthegun]

[It does, unfortunately.]

There's always something off when you revive from death here. We call it your death price. It can last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. If you're having trouble tracking down exactly what it might be, could be you've lost part of your memory. Are there any gaps you can tell are there? Years seeming to be missing?

[sharktrash]

[ :( ]

Not really no

[ ... ]

it's like... a part of me is missing?

I felt a bit like that since I got here but it's stronger now

[jumpthegun]

There's not some sort of magic power you have? It could be that. Maybe your connection to it's been diminished even more?

[sharktrash]

[ well now that he thinks about it... Rain Flames are sort of like that? Most people couldn't put another to sleep with a touch. ]

Ish

Either you can access it or not, there's nothing to diminish further

I don't think that's it this time

Something more important

[jumpthegun]

[John honestly doesn't know Squalo well enough to offer much insight here.]

What would you say is the most important thing in the world to you? Or the most important person, maybe?

[sharktrash]

[ It is both a blessing and a curse in this case. That suggestion is exactly what he forgot. ]

[ The reply will take a moment. Squalo is just a little bit taken aback by the question but he's not sure why, which makes him angry that he didn't just immediately answer. It was obvious, right? It was why he had challenged the Sword Emperor; he wanted the world to bow down to him and crown him king. ]

Me, naturally


I wanna be #1

in everything

[jumpthegun]

[Seriously...? John rolls his eyes.]

What about the second most important thing or person in your life?

[sharktrash]

my

[ he silences and stares at the word that his tablet had put to text for a few moments. ]

[ There's something missing here. Is this it? ]

My squad, I guess.

[jumpthegun]

Okay. Is there anything about your squad you're having trouble remembering?

[sharktrash]

[ Why are you doing this, John. He's suddenly feeling unsure, and it's the goddamn scariest thing he's ever felt, because normally he committed every atrocity of his life with commitment and confidence. ]

I'm not sure

I know i'm the leader

But some things don't add up



So let me get this straight, we don't just get random personality switches, but fucking amnesia too?

[jumpthegun]

[They're on the right track, it would seem!]

Unfortunately, yes. We can get very selective amnesia or very non-selective. I lost about eight years of my life one time. I know another bloke who got kicked back to his eleven-year-old self.

[sharktrash]

what

[ Alright, alright, calm down Squalo, that second thing actually sounds like something that could happen where he's from, ish, and he's already seen and heard about weird shit here. It does, however, reassure him somewhat. That's exactly what he needs. ]

Anyway

Good to hear it's not just me going utterly bonkers