John Doe (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dies_irate) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
singillatim2025-03-02 01:08 pm
dies_irate) wrote in singillatim2025-03-02 01:08 pm
open | chapter 1 | march catch-all
« Who: John Doe and you!
« What: John makes his way to Milton
« When: March! Starting early March! Prompts to be added as needed!
« Where: Woods, Milton, and in between
« Content Warnings: none so far!
John hadn't liked the castle, even after their host had stopped being a secretive fucking asshole, but he certainly liked it better than whatever fucking cave he wakes up in. The first reason is because it's cold as hell. Or. Maybe not hell, but it is extremely goddamn cold. The second is that somehow, somehow, he is not where he is supposed to be in a much more disorienting fashion than any other: he is not within Arthur Lester. He is in a body, a body that feels like his body, that has a collection of limbs and pieces that feel like they belong to him and, from his limited ability to look at it, looks the way he feels like he ought to look. The gold of the robes, the matte black of his skin and hair and claws, the way his right arm seems whole until the individual tentacles that form it separate and stretch like spread fingers-
Legs are new. He can't say he's a fan, especially these that don't even have toes like he'd gotten used to. It takes grabbing a freezing cold stone to push himself up, hooves skittering across the uneven floor at first before finally finding a catch, and then he's hauling himself into an upright position to start really looking around.
"Hel-"
A pause before he puts his claw to his throat. What a sentence that is: his claw, his throat. But more importantly, is that what he sounds like out loud? Fuck, that's weird. Okay.
"Hello! Arthur!?" A pause before- "...Yorick?"
That's what makes him look around, or rather pat down his robes to find the items that had apparently come here with him. The coin is surprising, given where he'd last seen it. The beastiary is a boon, one he's glad not to have lost. But the skull on it's chain, dead and lifeless, no yapping to be heard...
"Shit."
It's not the most auspicious start to a day, but it's also not the worst that he's had. After all, there are trees and snow and rocks, pieces of the real and physical world. It doesn't look like Addison to him, from what he remembers of that place, but it is at least Somewhere. Not the Dark World. Not the Dreamlands, or so he hopes.
It means he needs to get walking, try and find people, or at least a warmer place to stay. As such, he'll set off into the forest, looking for signs of life, movement, and always, always Arthur.
Feel free to find him on the way. ...he'd appreciate if you didn't try to kill him, but he won't be surprised if it happens.
It's been a long, cold, unfortunate slog, the only benefit of which is the fact that he can wear with pride the 100% success rate at not falling into holes during his first sojourn on legs. It's the sort of thing that he holds to himself as tight as his robes against the frigid temperatures and the rising dark, something to tell Arthur about when he gets back to him.
Because he is getting back to him. That is not up for debate. It's just a matter of how long it'll take him to get there.
He sees the houses, avoids those that are dark and heads towards the greatest source of light. He'd considered trying to sneak around, gather information, learn what this place is and who lives here and what they might do to him if they saw him. But he also knows how clumsy he is in this new body of his, and large, and cold, and that someone caught sneaking would no doubt be thought of as a sneak. Instead, he decides to go (tentatively) for the larger gamble: he heads for the main area of town, the brightest light, the most people. He'll walk slow, gauge reactions, see if he can get someone to trust him at least far enough to let him get near a fire or perhaps provide some food (hunger? sucks) before he gives up, runs, and seeks some other place to go.
He remembers 'hands up' from those police on the island and readies his arms to put them up if asked.
Once more with feeling and in he goes.
It takes a bit of coaxing, and more than a bit of looking out, but John does eventually come in from the cold. They head for the community hall, since the fire is always going there and John's been out in the wilds for quite a few hours. He'll finally get a chance to rest and soak in some warmth, his arms wrapped firmly around Arthur Lester now that they've been reunited. The size difference is a little funny but hopefully the giant non-human figure looks significantly less terrifying while shamelessly cuddling someone who seems just as glad to be there as he is. (The vibe is a lot more My-Neighbor-JohnDoedoe than anything else.)
Feel free to come by and say hi. He doesn't bite!
Once John's here, he's... well, he's here. He can be found with Arthur or without Arthur, often in their home on Thompson (neatening up) or in the community hall, getting a feel for...
Everything, frankly.
He's new to this place, he's new to having a body, he's new to clothes (namely the largest coat he could find and a heavy blanket used as a kilt) and food. He's new to people seeing him, acknowledging him, speaking to him. He's new to being able to pick up a book by himself, being by himself in the physical world. He's new to fatigue. He's new to all of these senses that are both more vibrant and duller than what he might have had.
So if you catch him looking confused or looking around, or if he points at himself and looks to make sure you're talking to him, well... he's not fucking with you. This is all a lot to deal with.
It's as they're settling down in their home (their home!) in the loft area that John starts feeling the pull on his eyelids, the way his limbs are heavy and the urge to get comfortable becomes incredibly strong.
"Arthur... what's-"
[ Return player! New character! As you can see, he's a very obvious non-human! If you want to chat, or an individual starter,![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
yarnzipan or the same on discord works just fine! ]
« What: John makes his way to Milton
« When: March! Starting early March! Prompts to be added as needed!
« Where: Woods, Milton, and in between
« Content Warnings: none so far!
[ i. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep... [journey to Milton] ]
John hadn't liked the castle, even after their host had stopped being a secretive fucking asshole, but he certainly liked it better than whatever fucking cave he wakes up in. The first reason is because it's cold as hell. Or. Maybe not hell, but it is extremely goddamn cold. The second is that somehow, somehow, he is not where he is supposed to be in a much more disorienting fashion than any other: he is not within Arthur Lester. He is in a body, a body that feels like his body, that has a collection of limbs and pieces that feel like they belong to him and, from his limited ability to look at it, looks the way he feels like he ought to look. The gold of the robes, the matte black of his skin and hair and claws, the way his right arm seems whole until the individual tentacles that form it separate and stretch like spread fingers-
Legs are new. He can't say he's a fan, especially these that don't even have toes like he'd gotten used to. It takes grabbing a freezing cold stone to push himself up, hooves skittering across the uneven floor at first before finally finding a catch, and then he's hauling himself into an upright position to start really looking around.
"Hel-"
A pause before he puts his claw to his throat. What a sentence that is: his claw, his throat. But more importantly, is that what he sounds like out loud? Fuck, that's weird. Okay.
"Hello! Arthur!?" A pause before- "...Yorick?"
That's what makes him look around, or rather pat down his robes to find the items that had apparently come here with him. The coin is surprising, given where he'd last seen it. The beastiary is a boon, one he's glad not to have lost. But the skull on it's chain, dead and lifeless, no yapping to be heard...
"Shit."
It's not the most auspicious start to a day, but it's also not the worst that he's had. After all, there are trees and snow and rocks, pieces of the real and physical world. It doesn't look like Addison to him, from what he remembers of that place, but it is at least Somewhere. Not the Dark World. Not the Dreamlands, or so he hopes.
It means he needs to get walking, try and find people, or at least a warmer place to stay. As such, he'll set off into the forest, looking for signs of life, movement, and always, always Arthur.
Feel free to find him on the way. ...he'd appreciate if you didn't try to kill him, but he won't be surprised if it happens.
[ ii. And miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep. [entering Milton] ]
It's been a long, cold, unfortunate slog, the only benefit of which is the fact that he can wear with pride the 100% success rate at not falling into holes during his first sojourn on legs. It's the sort of thing that he holds to himself as tight as his robes against the frigid temperatures and the rising dark, something to tell Arthur about when he gets back to him.
Because he is getting back to him. That is not up for debate. It's just a matter of how long it'll take him to get there.
He sees the houses, avoids those that are dark and heads towards the greatest source of light. He'd considered trying to sneak around, gather information, learn what this place is and who lives here and what they might do to him if they saw him. But he also knows how clumsy he is in this new body of his, and large, and cold, and that someone caught sneaking would no doubt be thought of as a sneak. Instead, he decides to go (tentatively) for the larger gamble: he heads for the main area of town, the brightest light, the most people. He'll walk slow, gauge reactions, see if he can get someone to trust him at least far enough to let him get near a fire or perhaps provide some food (hunger? sucks) before he gives up, runs, and seeks some other place to go.
He remembers 'hands up' from those police on the island and readies his arms to put them up if asked.
Once more with feeling and in he goes.
[ iii. From what I’ve tasted of desire / I hold with those who favor fire. [community hall fire w/Arthur] ]
It takes a bit of coaxing, and more than a bit of looking out, but John does eventually come in from the cold. They head for the community hall, since the fire is always going there and John's been out in the wilds for quite a few hours. He'll finally get a chance to rest and soak in some warmth, his arms wrapped firmly around Arthur Lester now that they've been reunited. The size difference is a little funny but hopefully the giant non-human figure looks significantly less terrifying while shamelessly cuddling someone who seems just as glad to be there as he is. (The vibe is a lot more My-Neighbor-JohnDoedoe than anything else.)
Feel free to come by and say hi. He doesn't bite!
[ iv. I have walked out in rain—and back in rain. [around Milton] ]
Once John's here, he's... well, he's here. He can be found with Arthur or without Arthur, often in their home on Thompson (neatening up) or in the community hall, getting a feel for...
Everything, frankly.
He's new to this place, he's new to having a body, he's new to clothes (namely the largest coat he could find and a heavy blanket used as a kilt) and food. He's new to people seeing him, acknowledging him, speaking to him. He's new to being able to pick up a book by himself, being by himself in the physical world. He's new to fatigue. He's new to all of these senses that are both more vibrant and duller than what he might have had.
So if you catch him looking confused or looking around, or if he points at himself and looks to make sure you're talking to him, well... he's not fucking with you. This is all a lot to deal with.
[ v. One can see what will trouble / This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is. - closed to Arthur ]
It's as they're settling down in their home (their home!) in the loft area that John starts feeling the pull on his eyelids, the way his limbs are heavy and the urge to get comfortable becomes incredibly strong.
"Arthur... what's-"
[ Return player! New character! As you can see, he's a very obvious non-human! If you want to chat, or an individual starter,
no subject
Konstantin has an alien from outer space living in his body, and his housemate is an undead(?) man who might possibly not be fully human, himself? He has no idea what Vasiliy's deal really is or how to make sense of it. There's a lot of weirdness in his life. This might as well happen!
"I see. Well, this place has changed a lot of us, so you aren't alone there." He offers a faint smile. "It's good to finally meet you. Arthur's told me much about you." A nod to their mutual friend, who really is looking more content than Konstantin's ever seen the poor man ever be. He seems almost satiated, like he's melting into something comfortable.
no subject
To John a little more, he says, "I've told Kostya a little about our time together. You being my eyes and my partner, some of the challenges we've faced. He's familiar with some of it in other ways- I-I can tell you more later."
He gives Kostya a slightly apologetic grin. "Sorry - what I know, he knows. It's how we've always worked."
no subject
John is somewhat relieved to hear Arthur say 'what I know, he knows' because- well, there's so much that's new and different. There's so much that's changed in what feels like no time at all. He hates it, and he loves it, and he's not sure of what the hell he's doing at all, but mostly he's just-
He can deal with it as long as he has Arthur there. The idea of having things between them is uncomfortable.
"Usually, that was less of a choice," he says dryly.
no subject
"I suppose it's better, ultimately, if things are out on the table. ....Safer," he offers. He's not sure how the alien might react to something like John — with hostility? Or maybe... curiosity? It seems awfully curious by new entities. It's a strange, lost thing, so far from its home, surrounded by the human species. It might even be docile towards John, the way it is towards the Doctor, seeking out anything alien and familiar.
To John's remark, he gives an empathetic nod. "Arthur's told me how much the two of you were.. manipulated, by outside forces. You must be relieved to have more autonomy here."
no subject
"Right, finally John can actually stop me from walking directly off a cliff," he chuckles.
no subject
"And pull you out when you insist on going that way anyway and fall into another hole."
But he looks back to Konstantin.
"Separating us definitely falls under 'manipulating by outside forces'," he says with a little bit of grump, but not directed at him, not hardly. "But while a body is... new, I'm hoping it will be helpful."
Even if a part of him is terrified by it for so many reasons.
no subject
Eyes flitting back to John, he has to give an empathetic nod. His own... condition has been affected by this place, manipulated by it, although— he'd give almost anything for it to have separated him from the creature. It's still such a strange thought that Arthur had found such camaraderie in his own internal inhabitant.
"Well, if you need any assistance working it out, I'm at your service. Before my space days, I used to train the boys in the military." He beams, playfully — though he's halfway serious, too... He's a fitness fiend. "I know some exercises that should help loosen you up."
no subject
The turn of topic to John again is a blessing, and he leans into it perhaps a little too quickly, clearing his throat briefly. "A-actually, John, that- might not be a bad idea, after all. The only way to get used to your body is by using it, after all, this would certainly help speed that up."
no subject
"Exercises?" he asks, looking between them. "Exercising what?"
Words are difficult. Especially when they mean a lot of things at once.
"And what are you loosening, exactly? Do I want that... 'loose'?"
no subject
The cosmonaut beams, more at ease in his element, in assigning endearing nicknames to people and seeing them look pleased about it. John's question has him giving another warm laugh, and he lifts a hand as though to try and reassure him.
"Don't worry, nothing that shouldn't be loosened." ...He hopes. John's anatomy is definitely different, okay. Konstantin's never tried to help someone with hooves and... tentacles? But he loves a good challenge!
"Basically just working your muscles out a little. Helping them get stronger, so you have more control." He forms a fist and flexes his arm to demonstrate. "But we could start out easy. Do some simple stretches, until you feel comfortable. What do you say? I won't charge anything this time," he teases, and gives John a playful wink. Even flirting with an eldritch entity... Konstantin...
no subject
"Loose like- how we feel when we'd stretched, right after waking up," he translates, for something John has actually experienced. "And the sooner you learn to get used to your new body, John, the safer we'll be. You'll be able to learn your limits-- a-and Kostya and I go fishing fairly often, too," he adds brightly. "So it'll be a good chance to get to know him on your own time - make a friend!"
no subject
It would probably be easier, if he and Arthur were both friends with him.
So after a moment, he nods, loosening up a little all on his own at the idea.
"It's a good idea. Yes. Yes, I'd like you to help me, um... loosen things. Please."
no subject
So he smiles brightly as John agrees, and offers an encouraging nod.
"Consider it done! I'm sure you could use some time to settle in, rest up, but as soon as you'd like, we can start. We can meet here in the Community Center, or at your and Arthur's home — since I'm assuming you'll be staying together."
He smiles again, starting to feel genuinely excited about this?? He can even bring healthy snacks...
no subject
And he can certainly see how excited Kostya is getting as well, even in the face of John being... this, rather than anything closer to mundane. And it's hard to deny what a relief that is, for both of his friends.
no subject
He will make a small face at Arthur mentioning how 'good' it'll be for him like he isn't right here, but it just comes with a huff instead of any real comment. He turns his attention back to Kostya.
"Is there anything I need to... know or do beforehand?"
no subject
'I trust him. More than- more than anything.'
They're truly like two halves of a whole, aren't they.
He smiles again, and this time it's softer, warmer.
"Nothing to worry about! We'll learn as we go. You just concentrate on taking some time with Arturchik." He smiles at Arthur too, then slides his hands down his thighs and moves to stand. "I'll come to your guys' place in a couple weeks? Soon."