[network] @jwatson; text; Bite the Bullet [Night 250]

[jumpthegun]

[This is an incredibly embarrassing post to have to make, especially after the one he'd put out a few days earlier. Reading through those replies makes him want to curl up and hide from the world for people seeing what he'd been like straight out of the Army. The messages to his friends are a particular humiliation. But it is what it is and he has to deal with this now. Man up, Watson.]

I'd like to apologize to everyone for my attitude and behavior the last several days. My death price has ended and my memories have returned. I can't take back the things I said to any of you, but I'm really very sorry. I was in a bit of a bad place where I was set at.

For anyone who was asking me, I'm in the Entrance area with America, England, and Ginger.

I'm also sorry to report that the cause for Clint Barton's death was the Joker. He mortally wounded Clint, but I'm pretty sure Clint was able to escape the situation along with Harley Quinn. Clint was able to mortally wound the Joker, as well. I'm not sure where the Joker is right now, but please be on your absolute guard. He is well-armed and he'll have been healed up after his revival, even if he might still have severe MN Poisoning.


Action for Team Blonde
[Prior to sending out the message, John is rummaging around the new building they'd made it to for the night. He thinks he's getting the hang of this and he's relaxed a little more around his companions since they've not attacked him suddenly or stolen from him for several consecutive days.

He opens a cabinet in the kitchen and discovers a bottle of white wine, which is surprising, but not unwelcome when everything returns to him in a flash. It's like someone turning on the lights, full power when he's been completely in dark. It hurts.

John squeezes his eyes shut as the swirl of memories pours in, mixing, jumbling, resorting into the proper order and finally stopping when everything is settled. He's clutching his head, breathing hard. One memory in particular sticks out, though, the last one he'd had before dying...]

Fuck!

[Hope the rest of the house doesn't mind swearing.]

Comments

@carcinoGeneticist; text

[quadrangle]

[What.]

OK THANK YOU FOR THE HUMAN BEDTIME STORY AND ALL BUT CAN YOU MAYBE EXPLAIN WHY THE FUCK VRISKA CONSENTED TO THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

voice

[bookofnope]

It was a gamble. Jack was attempting to force Winter into revealing information for us under threat that if she does not, he will murder others. Nothing came of it, but I can assure you that she consented.

text

[quadrangle]

[Goddammit, Vriska.]

OH, A GAMBLE WAS IT!! THANK YOU, THAT CLEARS UP EVERYTHING.
UGH I'M JUST AMAZED SHE DIDN'T HOLD OUT UNTIL DAY 88 FOR IT TOO, BUT WHATEVER.
SHE CAME BACK AFTER THAT, RIGHT? OR WAS THAT THE LAST ANYONE HEARD OF HER. I'D LOOK IT UP BUT YOU'RE HERE SO JUST TELL ME ALREADY.

[bookofnope]

She did, and was very disappointed in all of those who were outraged on her behalf. A remarkable young woman.

[quadrangle]

[Remarkable, he says. What the fuck is wrong with these people.]

HOW WELL DID YOU KNOW HER, EXACTLY?

[bookofnope]

I didn't. But she decided what she thought needed doing, and she did it. I respect that.

[quadrangle]

[... He's. He's not wrong, but holy shit does that miss so very much context for who and what Vriska is. Karkat isn't even sure if he wants to set him straight on the matter, so.]

OK WHATEVER. THANKS FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS I GUESS.

[bookofnope]

Am I to understand that she isn't actually a standard member of your species? I never even got around to asking her about any time loops.

[quadrangle]

[...???]

OK MAYBE EXPLAIN WHAT THE FUCK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND I'LL SEE IF I CAN ANSWER. "STANDARD MEMBER OF MY SPECIES"??

[None of them technically are, he supposes, but he's not sure Beckett is referring to that even with the mention of time loops or what.]

[bookofnope]

[Maybe he's pushing the boy too far. Beckett concedes to explain.]

All members of Vriska's and your species that have been in Norfinbury so far - in my limited experience - have been, shall we say, adventurous. Involved in remarkable events. Is it just a sampling error?

[quadrangle]

[... Oh. Huh, that might be a fair question, actually? But then again—]

YOU MEAN, WHY ARE ALL OF THE TROLLS WHO'VE COME HERE, ME INCLUDED, FROM MY TEAM. GOOD FUCKING QUESTION.
HONESTLY I HAVEN'T THE SLIGHTEST CLUE BUT I'VE STARTED TO THINK THAT MAYBE THERE'S ONLY ONE... FUCK, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT IT. CONTINUITY? UGH, "UNIVERSE" JUST DOESN'T FIT FOR A LOT OF REASONS, BUT ANYWAY
MY POINT IS THAT MY SPECIES DOESN'T SEEM TO EXIST IN RELATION TO ANY OTHER EARTH BUT THE ONE DAVESPRITE IS FROM. AND FROM THAT... ITERATION, I GUESS, THERE'S REALLY JUST THE TWELVE OF US TROLLS WHO MADE IT OUT.
AND WE'RE SORT OF A HUGE FUCKING DEAL, SO MAYBE THAT'S WHY IT'S CHOOSING JUST US? BUT FOR ALL I KNOW SOME OTHER TROLL WHO COMES FROM BEFORE OUR SPECIES WENT EXTINCT WILL SHOW UP. OR MAYBE SOMEONE FROM BEFORUS, FUCK IF I KNOW.
BUT THEN I MEAN IT'S NOT LIKE A LOT OF THE HUMANS OR WHATEVER OTHER SPECIES HERE HAVE NORMAL LIVES EITHER. YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF SUPERHEROES RUNNING AROUND, OR PEOPLE MARKED FOR A SPECIAL DESTINY WHO SAVE THE WORLD THROUGH SOME OTHER MEANS, AND YEAH I GUESS THERE ARE SOME WHO HAVEN'T DONE SHIT LIKE THAT BUT THEY STILL SEEM TO BE INVOLVED IN SOME KIND OF MAJOR DRAMA ON THEIR WORLDS? I DON'T KNOW, I HAVEN'T TALKED TO EVERYONE BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THAT.
SO MAYBE THIS PLACE JUST FAVORS THE EXCEPTIONAL AND MY TEAM IS THE ONLY BUNCH OF TROLLS WHO QUALIFIES.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?

[bookofnope]

I... think it does, actually. [He wasn't expecting this much, or this much insight. He's never given particular thought to the tendency of Norfinbury to bring in those who are involved in, as Karkat so charmingly puts it, "major drama"; he wonders now if he even wants to start thinking about that.]

I wonder if it is something we do. Some kind of... noticeability on the meta-cosmic scale? Although some of us are plain human, and there was the one dog...

[quadrangle]

[He doesn't sleep a lot, what else is he supposed to think about.]

"PLAIN HUMAN" DOESN'T MEAN MUCH, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL. I MEAN, AGAIN, *SUPERHEROES* AND THEN, WHAT, WEIRD ENTANGLEMENTS WITH WHATEVER THE FUCK? LIKE THAT SHERLOCK GUY IS APPARENTLY SOME BIGSHOT DETECTIVE AND WATSON WORKS WITH HIM. THERE'S OTHER SHIT LIKE THAT.
STATISTICALLY YOU'D THINK THIS PLACE WOULD HAVE A HELL OF A LOT MORE "NORMAL" PEOPLE IF IT WAS JUST DRAGGING IN WHOEVER, RIGHT? BUT YOU'RE SOME VAMPIRE HISTORIAN AND I CREATED A FUCKING UNIVERSE. AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN FILLED THE QUOTA IN THIS PLACE OTHERWISE THERE WOULDN'T BE SO MANY GODDAMN ANOMALIES.

[bookofnope]

In my experience... [He hesitates, because this is going to be quite a weighty statement, with implications galore.] The universe does have some propensity towards putting the right - or very wrong - people at the right place, at least in the circles I used to travel in, although perhaps that's just the tautology of hindsight. I don't know if it's a fruitful lead to pursue. Does it matter why we in particular are here, at this point?

[Does it matter to anyone but him, that is.]

[quadrangle]

[Well, that sure is a thing that just got said. He's not quite sure how to respond to it, but the rest?]

I'M NOT SURE IF IT MATTERS RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST NOT IN AN OBVIOUS SENSE? I MEAN MAYBE NOT ANYONE WOULD DO, BUT PUZZLING OUT WHY ISN'T PRODUCTIVE WHEN DOING WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO WOULD PROBABLY REVEAL THE SAME THING ANYWAY.
AT LEAST I'D HOPE SO.