imthe_shit | 001 [ video ; action ]

[ The video feed clicks on, showing the waters by New Bark Town, as well as the ferry nearby. There's some smoke coming from off-screen, and the camera slowly moves to look at the cause of it.

There's a Torkoal sitting by the water's edge, looking grumpily up at the video feed before cocking its head and snorting. The feed clicks off.

A few moments later it returns, this time facing a man... A very old man. He's sporting a beaten up looking bandanna, a gray mustache and a large, poorly made bandage covering the left side of his face. He stares into the video, the corners of his mouth turned ever so slightly into a frown, his eyes carrying deep pain within them, but his gaze is firm. Snake was back. ]

Kept you waiting, huh?

[ His voice his gravely, and he ventures a bitter smile, before coughing harshly, dropping the Poke Gear momentarily. He picks it up again, clearing his throat, though the video goes back to staring out over the lake. ]

Looks like this place isn't done with me yet... Wonder just how much has changed... [ He snorts. ] There's no way in hell my old team is still here, is there? [ The Torkoal makes a hissing sound and Snake gives a short laugh. ] Don't worry, Boss. I'm not replacing you... [ He begins coughing again, this time more harshly, and the feed cuts out. ]

[ Snake is knelt on the ground by the water, coughing harshly and leaning on Boss, his Torkoal, for support. He looks to be in a pretty bad way, and that bandage is somewhat hanging off his face, revealing the horribly burnt flesh underneath for anyone close enough to see it.

He's dressed in what looks like some sort of sneaking suit... It's muscular, and maybe a bit out of place, as well as burnt in several places and pretty beat up looking. What the hell happened to him since the last time he was here? ]

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[A big storm. There's been a lot of those, but he can try.]

Were we asked to dig trenches at the time? And were people brought to the city by one of the Jennies?

[In that insane death trap, he would say, but he actually enjoyed the ride.]

[ Shakes his head, trying to clear his thoughts. It's hard... Mostly because of the stuff that happened to him in his own timeline is making it difficult to think back to stuff from this peaceful place. ]

Hnn... I'm not sure. Maybe. I think you might be right about that.

...That was almost two and a half years ago. You've missed a whole region, multiple attacks by Team Rocket, and even the almost end of the world.

[Amonsgt many other things.]

[ That catches him off guard, so much so that he starts coughing harshly. ]

T-two and a half.. years...!?

[He nods, though that cough also makes him frown.]

Yes. Quite a few people who were present in this world at that time still remain, but that number becomes smaller with every month that passes.

[ If he thought he was drowning in time before, he was practically gagging in it now. He shook his head, eyes wide. ]

It feels like... I was just here... [ But it was also hard to remember... Getting pulled in and out of worlds probably did this to a person. ]

What about Otacon and Liquid? ... And Heather?

I don't know about Otacon or Liquid. My apologies.

[Not that he ever spoke much with them.]

But I spoke with Heather... two months ago, I believe? I've not heard anyone mention that she'd left since then.

... [ Takes out a cigarette, but he doesn't light it. He just puts it in his mouth. ]

Heather... So she's probably still here, huh. [ Otacon was here the last time Snake first arrived, but now it was the other way around. Maybe. ]

Considering the time she's spent in this world, someone would surely have commented on her absence. There's a good chance she'll contact you once she sees your message.

[Barring comas and broken Pokégears, of course.]

... Hhnn... Two and a half years... And he's still here?

[ Smirks. ] I'm glad she's okay.

[Cecil freezes slightly at that.]

...Considering the circumstances, assuming that she's completely fine might be a bit much.

... What are you talking about?

There were some... days-long shared nightmares, recently, ones that involved missing Pokémon and terrible monsters. I do not know if she had them, but they've certainly left their mark on their targets.

[ His eyes widen a bit at that. ]

Nightmares...? Monsters... [ Snake looks away from the video feed. ] If I see her... I'll ask. [ Thankful he wasn't here for that... He didn't want to share his nightmares with anyone. ]

You're lucky to have missed such unpleasantness, truly.

[He thinks about it for a few moments.]

...In fact, you're the first new arrival I've seen in weeks.

... This place hasn't been taking in new people? [ Raises a brow. ] That doesn't seem right... People were pouring in the last time I was here. It felt like every week there'd be someone new over the Gear asking where the hell they were.

It's closer to every two weeks, these days. But the whole of October has been surprisingly quiet, barring the nightmares and everything that happened last week.

... Hnn... Could be good, depending how you look at it.

[ In his eyes, this place took too long in bringing him back, even if it hadn't been three years in his world... More like two hours. ]

It ensured that no confused newcomers found themselves in that castle, if nothing else. That would have been... unpleasant for everyone involved.

[He says the word 'unpleasant' like most would say 'dangerous', though that particular castle had been both.]

What exactly is that "castle"? There are no castles in this region, are there? The Tower in Violet doesn't really count...

There are none, as far as I know, but nightmares rarely care about facts, even when they are shared by a hundred people. Still, at times it felt much too real to be a true nightmare.

... So that.. castle was a dream that everyone had together.

The sort of dream that involves people all over the region collapsing at the same time and staying unconcious for days, yes.

... How are people not dehydrated?

Excellent question. There was wine and suspicious water in the castle, but I doubt drinking it would have hydrated our bodies in any way.

[video]

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