Chapter Text
A young woman stands in her bedroom. It just so happens that today, the 13th of April, 7019, is not only the 7th anniversary of her friends' arrival in the new world they created, but also her brother's 23rd birthday! And though it was 10 years ago that he was given a name, it is only today he will be... He'll be.....
Okay, what has John been up to actually? You haven't really seen him in a hot minute.
> Jade: Recount current situation
As the loving audience likely already knows, your name is JADE HARLEY. You've just gotten done getting yourself ready for the day and are now preparing to send your brother JOHN his standard, lovingly-crafted BIRTHDAY TEXT. You have a VARIETY OF INTERESTS that we already know about and won't get into right now because there are OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO BE DOING!!!!
> Jade: Retrieve phone and proceed with texting!
Oh. Yeah. It's right there on your nightstand. Anticlimactic! You retrieve your phone and open good old reliable Pesterchum.
What, Snapchat? Nah, that's old news these days.
-- gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 09:48 --
GG: good morning john! happy birthday!! :)
There's a long pause.
This, sadly, has become fairly typical of your brother. As mentioned before, you haven't seen him in a while, and you aren't sure anyone else has either? He's become more and more reclusive over the years, and his responses to texts have been becoming fewer and further apart.
It's troubling, to say the least.
A few minutes pass before you see him start typing, and it's not long after that a message appears.
EB: hi jade.
... Hm. Seems he doesn't have much else to say on the matter. And the flat punctuation on his more recent greetings always throws you off. He always used to be at least faux-cheerful when greeting you!
Oh well. At least you've managed to get his attention.
GG: um.... hows it going? big day, 10 years since.... yknow! heheh...
You can't really communicate it properly through text, but that was a nervous laugh. These days it's kinda felt like Sburb's been a bit of a touchy subject for him... And his 13th birthday. And his birthday in general?? Maybe this was a bad idea.
He starts typing. Then he stops for a moment.
EB: it's been fine.
This was almost certainly a bad idea.
GG: are you sure? i....
You sigh. It.... might as well be time to confront the issue directly, then.
GG: well, not to be blunt, but you havent seemed very 'fine' in a while.
He responds far too quickly.
EB: i am fine.
EB: you don't have to worry about me.
EB: i have just been a little busy.
GG: whatve you been busy with? its been a few months, you know! :/
EB: i know.
EB: but it's important.
EB: i am trying to solve a very very bad problem here and i can not let anything distract me right now.
GG: can i at least ask what the problem is??
He types for a good while, on and off. Maybe he's just trying to find the words? Or maybe he's struggling to decide if he should tell you...
EB: does it really matter that much to you?
GG: yes!! even if you tell me not to be worried, i am! i havent seen you in so long! nobody has! and now you come telling me in the vaguest way possible that youre dealing with some big problem!?
GG: and it feels like youve been struggling for such a long time now... i just wanna help. :(
EB: you can't.
EB: i am the only one who can fix it, jade.
EB: i'm the only one with powers that can make this work.
EB: you are also not a magician last time i checked.
EB: then again, i don't exactly know this you all that well.
EB: for all i know, nanna could have taught you some things on the ship.
EB: too bad i wasn't there to find out, right?
Okay... now he's getting oddly personal. And maybe even a little mean? Though, the passive aggressive-ness of his words feel oddly hollow.
EB: it doesn't matter.
EB: the point is i am the only one who can do this
EB: so no you can not help.
GG: magician...?
GG: i still want to at least *know* what youre doing!
EB: a magic trick.
GG: a magic trick.
GG: what kind of magic trick?
There's a very long pause this time. For a moment, it seems like he isn't going to respond to you at all, content to ghost you and go completely AWOL for yet another 3 months.
But then... He does respond.
EB: a disappearing act.
GG: a.... disappearing act!! sounds cool!
GG: i guess ill leave you to that, then.
... Nothing.
The messages are marked as seen, but there’s no response. Not even those three little dots letting you know he at least thought about it.
Nothing.
-- ectoBiologist [EB] is now an idle chum --
.........
Yeah you're definitely going over to check on him right now.
> Jade: Exit hive.
You immediately captchalogue your phone, run out the door, and kick off the ground, flying in the direction of his house.
It’s a kingdom away, resting gently within the Salamander Village. Luckily for you, you’re a literal goddess of SPACE and can get there in under 10 minutes. Unluckily for you, it’s raining like crazy out today, and you’re already completely soaked.
It’s not long before the house is in sight. The BREEZE around it is upset. Your brother is on the balcony.
Something is very, very wrong.
>Jade: Descend.
You make a beeline towards him and land on the balcony.
JADE: john! what are you doing out here, youre gonna get a cold!
Near instantly, upon hearing his name, he freezes, halfway through climbing up and onto the railing. He looks over his shoulder at you.
JOHN: oh.
Shocked doesn't quite describe his expression. He doesn't seem to be surprised that you're here. No. His expression is... well, like a deer caught in the headlights, but... one that doesn't seem all that phased by the danger of an oncoming car?
Maybe that metaphor doesn't make any sense, but it doesn't matter anyway, because he's quick to cover it up with a smile that doesn't look quite right.
JOHN: hi jade!
John turns himself around to face you, opting to sit on the edge of the railing. His eyes dart around frantically, and you can tell just by looking at him that he's seconds away from doing the windy thing and becoming one with the raging winds around you.
JOHN: i
JOHN: already told you what i'm doing!
JOHN: i'm... uh
JOHN: fixing the problem!
JOHN: that was kind of my thing, remember?
JOHN: i
JOHN: fix things!
JOHN: well, i guess i never really 'fix' anything.
JOHN: i just... make the problems go away! they can't be problems if they don't exist, right?
JOHN: and then nobody has to think or worry about them ever again!
JOHN: so you can just
JOHN: go home!
JOHN: i'll make this problem go away and then
JOHN: you
JOHN: won't have to worry about me anymore! everything will be fine!
JADE: what are you talking about!? what 'problem'??
That forced smile grows ever so slightly wider.
JOHN: me, jade!
JOHN: i’m the problem!
JADE: youre--
You grimace. It felt like this point had been coming for a while, but you just couldn't bring yourself to accept it. And now that you've been in denial for so long, the moment's come, and you aren't prepared.
JADE: john.... we need to talk.
JOHN: talk?
JOHN: but there isn't anything *to* talk about, jade!
JOHN: i have it all figured out already!
JOHN: *i'm* the one that is keeping everyone else from happily living their new lives!
JOHN: because they are too busy being worried about me!
JOHN: so if i just
JOHN: stop being here
JOHN: then they can go back to enjoying our ultimate reward!
JOHN: and no body will have to be sad about me being gone either!
JOHN: because i will still technically be here!
Your brother holds out his hands in front of himself. The skin is glowing that familiar blue color associated with his aspect, the edges of his fingers fuzzy and wispy as they partially become one with the wind.
JOHN: i will just be
JOHN: something else!
JOHN: it is a win-win for everyone!
JOHN: no body will have to worry about me and i won't be sad!
JOHN: everything will be perfect! like it was supposed to be!
You grab him by the arm before he can leave. It feels kinda weird and terrible when he's only half-solid like this, but it's the burden you have to bear for the sake of things.
JADE: or *maybe* we can talk it out and solve the problem *together*?
JADE: because if you just left us like this, we wouldnt be worried, but wed still be up to our knees in *grief*??
JOHN: but you wouldn't!
JOHN: because i won't be dead!
JOHN: i am not killing myself here, jade, i'm just
JOHN:
JOHN: i'm just
His smile begins to falter before giving out completely, leaving behind nothing but a scared, tired, and defeated boy in its place. He grabs your arm with his free one, his grip hard enough to leave a bruise.
JOHN: i...
JOHN: i can't do this anymore, jade.
JOHN: i can't.
JOHN: there's no other way out.
JOHN: let me go.
JOHN: please just let me go.
JADE: i-- no!
JOHN: jade, let me go!
JOHN: PLEASE, jade!
He’s shouting at you now, and yet... despite his insistence you let him go, his own grip only gets tighter. It's almost like he...
JADE: john....
JADE: you dont really wanna go, do you?
JOHN: ...
JOHN: what choice do i have?
JOHN: to rot alone in my house until the sun explodes?
JOHN: or to just... hurry it along already?
JOHN: i'm so sick of waiting to disappear, jade, i just want it to stop!
JOHN: you have to understand, i don't have another option!
You start tugging him back down.
JADE: yes you DO!!!
JADE: YOU HAVE AN ANOTHER OPTION AND IT'S CALLED *TALKING IT OUT*!!!!!!
JOHN: NO!
The wind gets stronger, blowing the tears off both of your cheeks.
JOHN: god, no i can't!
JOHN: i don't want to keep being a *burden* to *EVERYONE!*
JOHN: i don't want their pity!
JOHN: i don't want YOUR pity!
JOHN: i just want it to stop!!!
JADE: then *STAY*!
JADE: running away WONT HELP!! THE ONLY WAY TO END THE PROBLEM IS TO FACE IT!
JOHN: i-
John breaks eye contact with you for a moment to look up into the storm brewing above you.
JOHN: i-
JOHN: i'm-
JOHN: i'm scared jade.
JOHN: what if staying doesn't work?
JOHN: what if i can't be helped?
JADE: just....
JADE: think about how many people *youve* helped.
JADE: even at our most hopeless moments, you pulled through for all of us!
JADE: i think.... it might be time that somebody did that for you.
JOHN: i-
Thunder cracks in the distance, making him flinch. He blinks a few times before looking down at his hands.
Slowly, you feel his arm become more physical under your hand and the winds around you start to calm. Shakily, without another word, he slides himself off the railing and back onto the balcony proper with unsteady feet.
Grounded.
Safe.
And immediately pulled into a hug, of course.
He's shaking under your hold. It takes him a moment to return your embrace, and when he does it's desperate; holding on to the fabric of your dress like a lifeline and burying his face into your shoulder. There are more than just raindrops soaking you through, now.
JOHN: i'm sorry, jade!
JOHN: god, i'm so fucking sorry, jade!
JADE: john, no! ugh!
JADE: its my fault too!! i *knew* something was wrong and i just... didnt wanna believe it. i didnt want to think that youd actually....
JOHN: *please*, god, do *not* blame your self for this!
JOHN: please...
JADE: i mean! it was terrible for me to ignore the issue for so long.... :\
You sigh.
JADE: we.... need to go inside.
JOHN: yeah...
He releases himself from your hug, but decides to take your hand instead.
JOHN: we're... going to get a cold just standing out here.
JOHN: heh.
Aw. You give him a soft little smile as you lead him back inside, and—
JADE: um. hold on, you might wanna stand back.
You let go of John's hand and immediately and very intensely shake yourself off. Dang dog instincts!!
JOHN:
John lifts a hand and
Well
He uses his aspect as a glorified hair dryer, blasting himself with enough wind to dry himself off.
Well, mostly. His Heir outfit is still fairly damp.
JADE: you should probably change out of that...
And as for yourself, you pull out your phone and open your trusty WARDROBIFIER APP, and switch to a nice comfy set of pajamas. It's nice to have that kind of convenience on the go these days. Also it was kinda distracting to be talking your brother out of drastic acts of self-destruction while dripped out to go out for lunch with your friends.
JOHN: i don't
JOHN: think i have anything else that is
JOHN:
JOHN: clean. :(
JADE:
JADE: ill work on that.
JADE: you just...!
You glance towards the door to John's room. Probably not the best place for this state of mind??
JADE: go rest on the couch, okay?
JOHN: okay.
He skips going down the stairs by simply flying down into the living room. He then unceremoniously drops himself face down on the couch.
...
You get the feeling this is going to be a very long day.