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audio; un: jk21a

[This is one of those posts where the person means for it to go out to the network but doesn't know how to filter to a single person. You know the ones. Anyway, have one really annoyed-sounding man, Trench]

Salim! Where the fuck are you, man? Don't tell me you ain't figured out how these fuckin' things work yet.

[There is a short moment of silence] You didn't find him? No, it's fine, we'll just keep lookin'. He's gotta be here somewhere, right? [There is another short silence. Having a mental conversation with his omen here, don't mind him] Fuck, I know we ain't found Rachel yet, either. But Salim... He wouldn't have just fuckin' left without sayin' anything!

[But then uncertainty creeps in. The need for that connection, that friendship, is almost painful. He can't have lost it]

Salim, you fuckin' asshole.

[ooc: Just putting this clip here so people know what Jason sounds like. Tried to pick one that wasn't too spoiler-y]

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You tryin' to make the entire city help you find this guy? Because that's exactly what you just did.

( sorry to tell you. )

You sure your friend's even in this place?

That ain't a half-bad idea. [But if any of them hurt Salim because of it, Jason won't be able to forgive himself. He'd better say something now] Look, if you see him, just... he's good, okay?

And yes, I'm fuckin' sure. I found him on the beach where all the new people show up.

Hey, I don't know. I don't go out and do the welcome wagon shit when it happens. I'm too old for that.

( or too grumpy. )

He's good? You have to reassure me he's good? What he's look like?

He... [A short, frustrated noise] He's got short, dark hair. Got a fuckin' metal pole, probably strapped to his back somehow. He's a soldier, but he ain't hostile.

[He can't help flashing back to when he was told this and he ignored it. He really hopes this guy chooses to listen]

Just tell him to turn his fuckin' Omni on when you see him.

Edited 2022-02-02 13:35 (UTC)

Metal pole? Interesting choice of weapon.

( maybe they had little to choose from or maybe the metal pole was more than it seemed. he's not asking. )

If he's in the city, he ain't going anywhere, at least. Not like any of us can leave this wonderful place.

[Jason seizes onto that statement eagerly]

We can't leave? You sure?

People disappear but you're not going to be able to just mosey on out of here if that's what you're hoping for.

( unless something had drastically changed. )

Kind of stuck.

Disappear to where?

Don't know, man. I'd say back where you guys came from but it's never happened to me.

( he's still here and all. )

Okay. That... if that's what happened, that's okay.

[Salim told him they got out, that there was no air support. That means he's going home safe to his son. Jason can live with that]

But I gotta make damn sure he ain't here, first.

If he doesn't know this place, could be anywhere.

( not comforting but still. )

Would he gravitate towards people? Buildings that look familiar?

[He thinks about this. Would Salim go toward people? Hard to say]

Maybe we'll check the Lumenarium. That's like a hospital, right? Maybe he's there.

Think so. Never been but yeah.

( blood ministers were creepy as hell. )

He injured? Might go there or some apothecaries in town.

Fuck, I don't know! He could be.

[And if he was, it would be Jason's fault. Because he was the shield and he hadn't been there by Salm's side]

Calm down, man. You getting worked up ain't gonna help him. Check the hospital first.

( it was familiar across most universes, after all. )

If he's there, he might not be able to reply to this message.

[This guy is right. He's got to get his shit together]

Yeah, I'll head there now.

If he's not there, it's not the end of the world.

( so, don't go wrecking the hospital or anything. )

Place is pretty big. He could be anywhere.

That's just fuckin' great. [He's quiet for a moment and sighs]

Yeah, Esfir, I hear ya. [Another silence] Hey, uh, if you see him first, tell him Jason's looking for him.

I will.

( amos nods, giving him a little salute. )

Good luck, man.

[Oh hey, it's Weird Light Guy.]

Um, I think you hit the settings for everyone, sorry.

[But, oof, this sounds...bad.]

Where did you see him last?

[Oh, it's the ~~kid~~ young adult he met when he washed up here the first time]

I was takin' him to the blacksmith. We were gonna go look for someone else who showed up here. Then... that fuckin' snake started goin' around town.

Ah right. Lady Generosity.

[Hmmm, this is worrying. ]

Well, it might be that he shed and he changed? That's happened to a lot of people. He could be in a younger body, or an older one, he might be a woman now- it seems to be pretty random.

Didn't think of that. This place is so fucked up.

[He takes a moment to think this through. If Salim changed into his younger self, he might not even understand English. And then there are all the weird detail differences in his, Salim's, and Rachel's memories concerning the House of Ashes]

Can the shedding fuck with your memories?

That's putting it nicely, yeah.

[This whole place was a goddamn nightmare circus every single waking day. ]

It definitely can. I've seen it make people believe they've always been the way they are post-shedding, even if they...definitely weren't.

Fuck.

[Well that just made things a million times more complicated. He's been searching for a certain version of Salim. If the guy is shedding, that version might not currently exist]

He better not have lost that fuckin' metal rod of his.

[That is literally the only defining feature that could possibly be consistent post-shedding]

[Sorry, Jason, the world is just...shitty like that sometimes.]

Well. Do you think he'd carry it around with him if his whole personality changed? or say...he was suddenly five? Do you have like...features we can work with? OH! Or- you can check his name on the Omni? He should still show up on that as himself.

Failing that you can ask your omen to contact his- omens are probably the most reliable source of contact we have here.

He better fuckin' have it after the trouble we went through to get it outta the ice!

[He's scared now that he won't be able to find Salim. He doesn't know what Salim might look like as a kid!]

Wait. The omens can do that? Esfir! Why haven't we been tryin' that?!

Wow, that really must be some pipe. I'm sure you can grab another- the Willful Machine is full of parts like that. Unless it's...enchanted or something.

[Which he wouldn't be surprised if that WAS the case, honestly. ]

They sure can- they can be kinda picky about it, but if you ask they should do it for you. If you don't get a response...well, it might be he went back into the ocean.

[Nope, nothing special about it. And Salim could skewer a monster with one metal stick as well as another. It's the principle of the thing, dammit!

Jason is quiet as he has a mental conversation with his omen. He doesn't even want to entertain the idea that Salim has gone back to the ocean. That he's gone]

Fuck.

[And that's all there is. This month sucks]

[Ah. Well, that tells Varian all he needs to know. He wishes he could offer words of comfort, but he knows there are none. He's done this song and dance more times than he cares to count now. It never gets any easier. ]

...I'm sorry. This place just...messes with people like this all the time.

( It's clear this person didn't mean to broadcast the messasge to everyone, and maybe it'd be more of a courtesy to pretend like she hadn't heard it. But the concept of so desperately searching for someone in this place strikes too familiar in Rose. As does the upset in the man's voice. Maybe it manifests as anger, annoyance, but it stems from the same place, she thinks.

Fear. Fear to lose someone precious, and maybe especially to lose them again. Yeah, she knows what that's like. )

You saw him here? Salim? How long ago?

[Welp, she sure did nail it in one. He is scared of losing Salim, and is just expressing that through anger. He's calmed down somewhat now that he's got a plan of action in continuing the search]

I don't know, a while back. I saw him on the shore where all the new people turn up. I helped him get his weapon and we decided to go look for someone else who'd shown up here.

( There are a lot of possibilities here, each as upsetting as the last. It could be that the sight of this person was some cruel trick by this place, but that might not be the case at all. There've been people kidnapped by fucking organ-stealing cultists in the streets, after all. Maybe this person of his is in danger. )

Have you checked the kinds of places he might usually go? When I was searching for my daughter, that's what I did.

I know that maybe sounds... too obvious, but it could be that he's just not sure how to get back in contact with you. And this place is a lot bigger than I thought.

Yeah, I'm startin' to get that. I looked where we met, and a few other places. I'm checkin' the hospital next in case he got hurt. I also got my omen lookin' around for him, and she's gonna let me know if she finds him before me.

What's he like? Physically, but also personality-wise.

( Because that can matter too, when it comes to finding someone. And Rose has plenty of experience tracking down a lost loved on in the middle of Hell itself. She'll absolutely help this man as much as she can. )

I'll look around too, see if I can find him.

Short dark hair, kinda round-ish face and clean-shaven. He'll likely be carryin' a metal pole, probably on his back. About six feet in height, more or less.

[He takes a moment to think of how best to describe Salim's personality]

Salim's real calm most of the time. Brave, clever, can be a real smart-ass sometimes, and... patient. Man's got some serious fuckin' patience.

Got it. I'll keep an eye out. Probably not a lot of guys wandering around with metal poles on their backs, so he should stick out in a crowd.

( There's the little note of a smile in her voice, a friendliness. So many people helped her look for Sharon, and she's ready to try to help others, too. Hopefully his Salim is still here. )

Have you known him for a long time, back in your world?

I appreciate it, ma'am.

[He tugs on his cap a little with an awkward shrug]

Not long, but we went through some shit together. Kinda like the shit that goes on here.

( Immediately, she thinks of Cybil when he says that — the woman who'd helped her through Silent Hill just before this place. Going through things like that together... it does form a particular bond with someone, something rooted in trust. )

I know how that is. Sorry to hear you've gone from a place like that to somewhere like this.

( From one Hell and into another? That's how it feels for her. )

I'm Rose, by the way. Rose Da Silva. Been here a few months, but I haven't met many people yet.

First Lieutenant Jason Kolchek. But just "Jason" will do just fine.

It's nice to meet you, Jason. Are you pretty new to this place, too?

Yes, ma'am. Showed up, hunted that fuckin' fire snake, and have been lookin' for Salim.

Fire snake? Okay, I didn't know about that one.

( She'd somehow missed out on serpent-y madness. )

Did they have things like that back in your world? I'm not entirely new to... monsters, but it's not exactly my norm.

Yeah, I ain't new to monsters, either. My team and I fell into this old temple and ran across some fuckin' vampires. It's how Salim and I met: I was separated from my team in the catacombs, and he and I agreed to work together.

Vampires...? Shit. That's a new one for me. Sounds really lucky you both survived such a thing.

There was a fair amount of luck. And Salim and I fightin' well together. We ain't out of it yet, s'far as I know.

[He was told they made it out safely and he wants to trust that, but with so many conflicting memories it's hard to be sure]

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audio; un: jk21a

( audio | un: burton )

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un: trienemybest; voice

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voice | un: Da Silva

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