Lost Pieces - October Catch-all

[hearuthinking]

Who: Jason Kolchek + semi-open. See prompts for details
What: October Plot Prompts
When: Throughout October
Where: Various locations. See prompts for details
Content Warnings: Vivid hallucinations, memory loss, the usual profanity, possibly violence? IDK

(To make this clean and organized for myself, the prompts are going to be in individual comments. As always, I'll match whatever style the other person sets)

Comments

Second Death (mostly open)

[hearuthinking]

Stage One: Small Memories (OTA)

Jason didn't notice that anything was going wrong with his memory at first. It happened during one of his self-defense demonstrations in the Sanctuary. He was showing anyone who had stopped by for lessons a pretty simple technique when he paused what he was doing, seemingly losing his train of thought.

“Sorry, I can't remember what you do next.” It was a little strange, but he shook it off and went on with the lesson. He eventually directed his students to using what they learned on the provided dummies. It allowed Jason time to himself to ponder what was going on with his memory.

Other small instances were getting turned around as he went on patrol despite taking the same relative path every day. He found his way eventually but he didn't like the uncertainty these memory lapses were giving him.


Stage Two: Bigger Memories (Established CR preferred but still OTA)

[The memory loss is getting a lot worse. To the point where he turns on the Omni but he doesn't even know the names of people who might be able to help him. Jason senses he's missing important pieces but he can't figure out what they are.

Esfir appears and guides him to the Sanctuary. Jason has trouble remembering the place and the people in charge but it is safe enough and hopefully someone he knows will show up to help him]

Small memories

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra doesn't really know Jason well; he's been very deliberately keeping himself untangled from the more fighting oriented side of Sanctuary. Ezra is not strict pacifist, but he has some stuff to entangle about being a solider, versus being a Jedi.

And here, with the Sanctuary, he is more healer in training and gardener. Better he that stay focused on a couple of roles than trying to take them all on.

But that doesn't mean that he hasn't been paying some attention to the work Jason does. Especially after spotting him and Obi-wan together at the Sanctuary. That has been...notable.

So, he spots the slip, as he's passing through a room. And then a couple of other little things that don't fit until his admittedly limited impression that Jason is a detail oriented kind of guy.

So he sidles on up after another day of self defense class. "So. Question on the abrupt and rude side, but I think I'd be falling down in the job if I didn't ask. Have you been feeling ok?"

[hearuthinking]

Jason turned at the voice. The dragur eating his memories was just getting started and had yet to take anything too important away. So while Jason didn't immediately grasp why this boy's face was familiar, he did remember it after some thought. Obi-wan's student.

"Yeah, I'm all right," he shrugged. "I feel all right. Just feelin' a little scattered today. Probably workin' too hard."

The fact that he just spoke a lie said plenty, though Ezra might not catch it since he wouldn't be familiar with Jason's odd tic of repeating himself when he lied.

"What're you doin' here, kid?" Jason asked to change the subject. "Didn't figure a Jedi would need these self-defense tricks."

[ezra_of_lothal]

No Jedi is a full proof lie detector, so Ezra doesn't draw in firm conclusions. But sincerity isn't ringing through the Force, either.

He flashes a quick smile. "Oh, I'm here to check on the gardens. But sometimes I watch. Different fighting styles, different teaching styles. They're all interesting. And even back home, not all of my teachers were Jedi."

[hearuthinking]

Jason opened his mouth, about to give Ezra directions to the garden, but then stopped and frowned. What the fuck was up with his memory? He had passed his thirty-first birthday a while back but surely he wasn't going downhill that quickly.

"I'm blanking on the directions right now," he admitted, "but I don't think the gardens are that far from here. Obi-wan has one of the lunar flowers that grows here," he added. At least that memory was still intact.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Gently, Ezra says, noting that new slip, "I know where they are, Jason. I've been tending them for a while."

But then he breaks into a smile. "But then, no reason for you to know that. We haven't actually talked much."

[hearuthinking]

"We could," Jason suggested. "Talk more. I try to come by every day on my patrol." It seemed like a good idea, getting to know people Obi-wan knew.

[ezra_of_lothal]

"I'm not here at the Sanctuary every day - I do stuff at Trench Farm and at the Orphanage, too. And my studies," Ezra explains.

He smile gets bigger. "But I think I'd like that, talking more."

[hearuthinking]

"Well, good." Ezra seemed like a good kid. "Not sure I've ever been by the farm," Jason added. If he had, he didn't remember it right now. He paused and ran a hand through his hair, searching for the memories. The fact that these little details kept evading him was starting to worry him. This had to be some of the Trench's bullshit, right?

"We first talked a while back," Jason recalled, struggling to remember. "You said I reminded you of someone. I can't remember the name. I can't remember... all kinds of random small shit."

Lost in the Woods (OTA)

[hearuthinking]

Waking up in the middle of the woods was not the weirdest thing to ever happen since Jason arrived in the Trench. But having lived here for so long, he knew enough to have his guard up the moment he noticed where he was. Luckily Jason woke up with his Hunter weapon-- a rifle spear-- so he was at least armed for whatever he encountered.

He turned on his earpiece flashlight and spotted some kind of broken object on the ground. Usually he didn't pay much attention to crap like that, but in the Trench such objects could be important later. Jason picked it up and when he started walking, the piece started glowing.

Trusting that this thing was going to either lead him out or to someone else, Jason followed the glow.

[facultative]

One year on and Anakin still hadn't made much progress in figuring out how this place worked. He's been too preoccupied by his own issues so instead he's very cranky to find he's been transported unknowingly.

He doesn't get very far in getting his bearings, only managing to check that his lightsaber is there (it is) and to pat his pockets down and finding some strange piece before he notices a flickering light in the distance.

"Hey, who's there? Show yourself."

If his voice isn't enough to lead, the glow of his lightsaber as it's drawn will.

[hearuthinking]

Jason caught the glow at once and moved forward with his weapon at the ready. He lowered it once he saw it was another person in the woods. He'd never seen a lightsaber in action but he could guess that this is what the weapon was. Jason gave the unfamiliar man a little nod.

"Hey. You got one of these, too?" He indicated the piece of the strange compass-thing.

[facultative]

Anakin doesn't recognise the man, but then again he didn't go out of his way to know many people in Trench in the first place. Therefore it probably isn't necessary to be extra hostile, just his normal levels.

He looks down at it in his hand before nodding briefly.

"Yeah. It was in my pocket."

[hearuthinking]

Jason brought his own piece closer to compare them. His eyes widened as he saw the pieces glowing even brighter the closer they got to each other.

"What do you make of this?" he asked his new companion. Jason was still on the fence on whether this object was going to help or hurt them.

[facultative]

Except Anakin isn't the best person to ask something like that to. He's flippant and doesn't really consider the question.

"I don't know. This place does stupid things all the time."

He has three grandchildren here despite being in his early 20's. He knows just how nonsensical things can get.

[hearuthinking]

Jason was pretty flippant sometimes; he recognized the tone at once. And normally he'd feel the same way, but this object was definitely something.

"Whatever this thing is, it led me right to you," he pointed out. He turned one way and then another, noting how the glow brightened or dimmed depending on where Jason was facing. "Maybe it'll lead to more people, or a way out," he suggested. It was better than standing around in the middle of the forest.

[facultative]

Anakin just wants to get out of here and offers his piece. "If you want it, be my guest."

It didn't hurt to let someone fiddle around with it as long as he wasn't expected to do the same. He also doesn't sense anything out there so it did feel like they only needed to figure out which way to go.

Corrupted (Close CR only)

[hearuthinking]

[The expedition had been going really well for a while. Jason managed to avoid the various traps along the way and fought off the beasts that sprang up. But things finally started going wrong as he ascended the steps of the tower. He could hear an eerie song play as he walked, each step making the music build and the world around him distort in weird ways. He groaned as a strange sensation came over him.

The distorted world was so much weirder now. And was that a jellyfish singing? It kept changing colors and its weird tentacle things looked kind of like snakes. Jason was mesmerized by the hallucination and got caught in the tentacles. Though he did eventually get out of the situation, what the song did to him lingered.

Jason couldn't even remember how he got down the tower and back to his house in Prufrock. The hallucinations were really bad and when he looked at himself in the mirror, he couldn't tell if the bloodshot eyes and fangs were real. So he took to the Omni to ask trusted people]

Something's really wrong. Could you come to my place in Prufrock?

[mehanizovati]

I'll be there shortly. Should I bring anything?

[hey best bud here's viktor, who has finally been taken off bedrest for his surgery and is very, very much interested in doing anything that isn't resting. of course jason's text instantly has him concerned, half expecting injury or corruption.]

[hearuthinking]

[He's relieved it's BFF Viktor. Jason can trust him with this]

i was on that expedition for the hunter academy
don't know how i got home
need you to come and tell me how bad it is

[mehanizovati]

I'll be there soon.

[yes, too worried to ask questions about what 'how bad it is' meant. he takes a thermos of the tea made with the petals from ammy's tree just in case it's a matter of corruption, at least that would help ease it.

so have a knock on the door and a call of:] Jason?

[hearuthinking]

Yep, it's open.

[For living alone, Jason's place is pretty neat and orderly. The flower that bloomed-- representing his growth-- is still looking good and sitting by the window to get some sun. Jason has some seriously mismatched furniture: a very comfortable-looking couch, an old chair, a table, some kitchen stuff. He's not really had many guests over.

He's pacing the room and stops when he sees Viktor. The "how bad it is" is clear in his bloodshot eyes and fangs. He's in a deep stage of corruption, all right]

[mehanizovati]

[viktor would typically enjoy taking a look around but his attention stays on jason for the moment, approaching with a furrowed brow that does pretty much say 'yeah, it's bad.'] I am very glad you messaged me- here, I brought some tea that should help a little.

[and the thermos is held out as he continues to assess jason- the fact he called seems a promising sign things haven't gone so far he has to drag allen or megumi into it.] What happened?

[hearuthinking]

[He understands the look Viktor gives and lets out a "fuck". Jason was really hoping that his state was just a hallucination. The fact that Esfir manifested herself and has been by his side this whole time had been enough to worry him-- she usually only shows herself when he really needs her.

Jason takes the thermos and settles on his couch. Esfir immediately settles on his lap]

I don't know. I was makin' my way through the place just fine. Then I was goin' up the stairs of the tower and I heard this music. I think that's what fucked with me. I'm not sure, I started tripping some serious balls. The corruption kickin' in, I guess.

[mehanizovati]

[esfir gets a nod of hello, thank you for your service watching after his bud. viktor takes a seat when Jason does, letting his cane rest against his shoulder as he listens.]

That sounds typical of the Trench. It concerns me you hallucinated so vividly- have you lost any time since coming home?