[network] @jwatson; video [Morning 383] [open/semi-open] [shadownet]

[jumpthegun]

((OOC: The first and third parts of the message is OPEN. The second part is SEMI-CLOSED to anyone with access to the Shadownet - a text only app created by Winter. It works within the Bunker. Please see this post about Shadownet distribution.

John's death price is that he can't interact with anyone. He won't see/hear messages, so he won't be responding to anything.))

Part 1 - OTA
[John wakes with a start inside his body bag. There's a momentary sense of absolute panic as he claws his way out of it, and gets off the slab he's been lying on. It's a moment to get his bearings and realize that he's in the hospital morgue. That's... not as bad as it could be. And he's fairly certain all of his memories are intact. At least one of the most important ones. John goes for his tablet first.

It doesn't even occur to him that Mary's been silent since he woke up. He can occasionally see her standing off to one side, but other than that, he's focused on the present, not the past. John double-checks the network, but there don't appear to be any new posts. Good. That means he's probably woken up the morning after being killed. As far as inconvenience goes, that's a minor one.]

Everyone, this is Dr. John Watson. Please listen closely. Rhys is in severe danger. His last known location was Building 317 on Dr. House's map. Please, if you're anywhere near there, go and check on him. He was injured during a fight a few days ago and Mr. Beckett attempted to kill him last night. I tried to stop him, but was killed in the fight. I don't know if Beckett succeeded. If Rhys is dead, Beckett may be a danger to others, particularly Enoch. Please watch out for him and please someone check on Rhys and Enoch, physically, if you're able to do so.

[He sends that out and waits for replies. And waits. John gathers his things and leaves the morgue, heading upstairs. When there still isn't a reply, he decides that maybe everyone has... somehow headed to the bunker.

'Or there's something wrong with the network,' Mary suggests. It's the first time she's spoken since John had woken up, and he glances over at her with a furrowed brow before switching on the Shadownet.]

Part 2 (half an hour later) - Shadownet Access Only
Hello? Is anyone there? This is John. There's been a serious incident. Beckett attacked Rhys last night. I died while trying to defend him. Rhys may still be alive and Enoch may be in danger. Please, could someone respond?

[Another half hour goes by as John begins walking. And then another. It's two hours later before he switches over to the regular network again. Mary's close to him now, fingers laced with his free hand.]

Part 3 - OTA
Please, I don't know what's going on, but this is Dr. John Watson. I'm heading toward Residential Zone 3. If anyone can see this message, please respond. [He looks to the side as Mary speaks up, the woman only in his own mind.

'John, I don't know there's anyone there.'

But they have to be there. The whole bloody town can't disappear overnight.

'Why not?' Mary asks.

It's a simple question, but it's absolutely chilling.]

Sherlock? Please, answer me. Alfie? Royce? Bucky? England? Stephen? Tess? Kunsel?

Anyone?

Comments

[howdull]

[He grins, this time more genuine and amused.]

You're welcome to try, but I'm very well padded. I have a set of earmuffs down my trousers.

[jumpthegun]

[The statement pulls John up short. He's still feeling emotional and he's working through just coming off of crying, but there are some things that really have the power to stop a man in his tracks.]

You... what? Why? No. Never mind. I know why. [Because it's to keep warm.] I- have you heard of the concept of TMI?

[howdull]

There's no such thing.

[He hesitates a moment and then quickly amends his statement. This is good, getting John's mind back up out of the taut distress of before.]

Actually, the last NSY Christmas party, I had to listen to some irritating officer tell me the minutia of her journey in through traffic, that was too much information. This is the right amount of information, perhaps if you were similarly padded then you wouldn't have doubled over so comically when I hit you.

[jumpthegun]

Oh, my god. Stop calling it padding. You make it sound like it's a fetish or something. [This is horrible, but his mind is definitely veered away from one emotion to another.] I don't wanna know what's down your trousers unless it's something that shouldn't be there and you need medical attention, Sherlock.

I got plenty of looks when we were living together, thanks.

[howdull]

Everything comes back to sex for you, John, it's so very primitive of you.

[His grin hitches up a little bit.]

At least I'm not discussing what padding Mycroft might have down his trousers, that would be enough to scar us both for life. Your life of solitude would seem much more attractive after that mental image.

[jumpthegun]

Human. The word you're looking for is human, Sherlock.

Also, why the hell would you say that? Why would you-? Oh, my god, it's in my head now. Have you got any bleach? I might need to die for a bit longer.

[howdull]

Not all humans are obsessed with sexual intercourse, John.

[He sounds ever so vaguely offended.]

One of the better things about being a species capable of higher cognitive development, is the ability to transcend the base needs of procreation.

[jumpthegun]

Says the man who fell in love with a dominatrix.

[howdull]

I didn't fall in love with her, don't be absurd.

[jumpthegun]

You were pining when you thought she'd died.

[howdull]

Don't be ridiculous.

[He scoffs audibly.]

I regretted the loss of a worthy adversary, nothing else.

[jumpthegun]

Yeah, sure.

[John's tone is very clearly disbelieving.]

That's why you kept her orgasmic moan as your text alert for her.

[howdull]

Jealous, John?

[He raises an eyebrow.]

She was very good at what she did, I could understand if you were envious.

[jumpthegun]

No.

[Yes. Maybe a little bit.]

I don't have any interest in the sort of things she was good at. [A pause.] Except, I mean... I mean I was already... not that I'd do it like that, but I wouldn't've been opp-

I'm going to stop talking now.

[And just rub a hand over his face.]

[howdull]

Not quite what I meant, John, but interesting to know.

[His smirk is a full fledged grin now. He had meant that John seemed jealous of Sherlock, for knowing Irene in that particular way, but it's very amusing as to where John's mind went instead.]

Thinking about a career in the industry? Have you discussed it with Mary?

[jumpthegun]

[The mention of talking about it with Mary drains some of the fun from this. John knows that Sherlock doesn't mean it to sting like that, but it does.]

Can we talk about something else? Where were you even taking me?

[howdull]

[John closes off slightly. He's said something wrong then, obviously about Mary. Perhaps too raw because her hallucination is gone?]

Primarily to fetch some food, though I needed to make some stops along the way. I thought that taking the long way round, rather than the tunnels, might help get Mycroft's fat down before we fed him up again.

[Which means he had no real idea other than to keep wandering.]

[jumpthegun]

So... you made me think I was going mad because you wanted to wander.

[Thats what John is hearing here.]

[howdull]

No, I was attempting to communicate with you, and there was no other way to make sure you kept walking on the right course.

[How else was he supposed to guide John?]

[jumpthegun]

Did you consider letting me walk where I wanted to?

[He's crossing his arms now. It's not a burning anger, but now that he's thinking about it, that really wasn't good. Especially when John had broken down to begging whatever it was to stop.]

[howdull]

What good would that have done? I have to continue trying to communicate with you, I may as well have guided you at the same time.

[Seems logical to him.]

[jumpthegun]

[This isn't an argument worth having, especially not when Sherlock takes that particular tone.]

Driving me half-insane was not-good, Sherlock. Next time just let the price run its course. Which... Hopefully there won't be, but I already have enough... [He shrugs, uncomfortable.] This place messes with our heads enough. [And he messes with his own head enough.] It doesn't need help.

[howdull]

I-- apologise.

[Admitting fault is still not something that comes naturally to him, but exposure to John and Mary over the years has brought him to a place where he can at least try.]

It was my intent to convey that you weren't alone, John. Never alone as long as I'm alive.

[He means that, he came as fast as he could when he heard what happened. He's silent for a moment and then tacks on an afterthought.]

Though for all the headway made, I may as well have not bothered. You are abysmal at decoding even simple signals.

[jumpthegun]

[John relents, offering a nod of acceptance. It's a rare thing to have Sherlock apologize, even when he's objectively wrong, so he'll take it for what it's meat to be, uncomfortable though it might be. He'll even leave off commenting much on the insult.]

Hard to decode something when you haven't got exact measurements, isn't it?

[Moving on.]

Is Rhys back, yet? Did anything do anything about Beckett? I wanted to head to the Bunker area because of them. [But it seems like he's missed more than a step or two.]

[howdull]

I think there are more than sufficient people in the bunker for now, adding three more would only add to the risk of anomaly attack, we'd be better placed to move to another of the 'ghost' spots to assist with Stephen's seance.

[He honestly hasn't noticed if Rhys is back, though he did skim the obituary while it was going on.]

A few people made their displeasure known to Beckett, but other than extracting a promise not to go near you again, I don't think anything concrete has been done.