11th pokéball

[ghostytrainer]

Characters: Johtostuck John Egbert and you! (also Rose Lalonde, Dave Strider and OU John in the closed prompts)
Format:
Setting: Various floors
Summary: Catch all for Route_29 John for the event.
Warnings: nothing that i can really think of at the moment save for swearing?

A: Tuesday CLOSED TO ROSE AND DAVE
[It began with three. For the entire first day, they hadn't said anything. They just followed him, smiling, and somehow seeming unnervingly familiar. John did his best to ignore them, and for the most part, it worked. But as the whispers grew louder it became harder and harder for even John, with years of experience in tuning out unwanted sounds, to ignore.]

[Especially when he realized just WHY they had seemed so familiar.]

[John had accepted a while ago that he, Rose, and Dave were not all actually from the same instance of Johto. But this fact was unspoken and John never even gave it much thought.]

[But he couldn't ignore it now. None of them could, if Rose and Dave were going through the same thing.]

[For the millionth time since arriving here, John cursed the fact that their Pokégears did not work in the tower as he ran up the stairs to the second dorm block, his three shadows sticking close. Or at the very least, could the admins have given them walkie-talkies? Would that be so fucking terrible?]

[He knocks on the door of Rose's dorm room, hoping she's actually in there because he is really not in the mood for a game of tower-wide hide and seek right now.]

Rose? Rose are you in there?

B: Wednesday OPEN (floor of your choice!)
[With the help of Rose and Dave, John had managed to overcome the Rose and... Dave (and also Jade). Okay, yeah that sounds a little weird when you put it like that, but the ordeal was hardly a laughing matter. And for the remainder of Tuesday, John was relieved. If that's all he had to worry about, then it wasn't so bad after all. Haha, screw you, tower!]

[But things can never be that easy, and the next day John found himself followed by even MORE shadows than the day before. The Other Father, Luke Triton, Aradia, Jake, Jane, and... Vriska.]

[Hers was the worst. What a terrible moirail he was! She really should have known better than to enter that relationship with a human. You were supposed to protect her, John. And look at all that's left of her now, thanks to you!!]

[John can be found on various floors throughout the day, just wandering as he tries his best to ignore the shadows. It's not working though, as the blue in his collar (and his body itself during the glitches) gets lighter and lighter; and John himself looks more and more tired as the hours tick by.]

[Kid was pretty damn attached to Johto, and it shows.]

C: Wednesday, 10pm: CLOSED TO OU JOHN
[Maybe going to bed earlier will help with all this. Not that 10pm is really all THAT early but whatever, it's earlier than NORMAL and that's what counts. Maybe if he hadn't trudged his way up here so slowly, he would have gotten up here sooner. By now, his collar and body are both a rather alarming shade of pale blue. Because even if he did manage to have some upswings earlier in the day with the help of his friends, he also managed to attract one last shadow.]

[Scratch what he thought earlier about Vriska's being the worst.]

[Because John is positive that there could be nothing in this world worse than listening to his dad accuse him of not looking hard enough for him. Of forgetting about him entirely. He's not proud, son. He's not proud at all.]

[John can't even bring himself to care enough to open the door to his room. Instead, he falls back against the wall next to it and sinks to the floor.]

[Fuck. Everything.]

Comments

[longwinded]

It's pretty light. Clear almost. But that just means you need your stuff changed right? We could probably get one of those dumb units to do that for us, right? They wouldn't possibly let you die over some collar shit. Come on we're gonna go do that and everything will be ace.

[He awkwardly maneuvers so that he can get the other John on his back.] We can talk about your manga fantasies when you're not sitting over there with some freaky ass clear liquid. [John is physically upset as he hoists his alternate self up. Tears already threatening to escape his eyes. He's holding it back.]

[ghostytrainer]

Did you know it's clear by default? Or at least it is when it hits the air? Dave stole a jar of it and a bunch of other people did too...

[Once again, he doesn't protest at the change in positioning, and it's all too easy for John to get his smaller alt self onto his back.]

Maybe this isn't such a bad thing.

[longwinded]

Interesting. But that means we need to get you somewhere and fast. It's cool man, we're gonna make it, and you're gonna be okay.

[John will have to take the elevators, right? Yeah that would definitely be the quickest way down.]

What, dying isn't so bad? No it's terrible.

[ghostytrainer]

No, I mean... losing the color. Maybe it's not a bad thing. Maybe I won't die. It's not like any of us actually know what this shit does, after all.

[Augh, elevators. John hasn't been on one of these in months. (being in the empty elevator shaft a few weeks ago totally doesn't count, okay?) But it's not like he cares enough to argue right now.]

[The small cluster of shadows follows them in, smiling and milling around the two boys. They're still talking to John, telling him a number of things that he doesn't want to hear and the little smile he had on his face previously disappears once more. He grimaces, making a small, strangled noise as fresh tears start falling again.]

I'm so tired, John.

[longwinded]

But we don't know that so why don't we play it safe and not be stupid. I'm not going to be able to live with myself if I let you die. So for once, hey! I'm suggesting we don't do something outlandishly stupid!

[He knows this is a stretch. The tower has so many floors. Getting to where they needed to be was probably really far away and it would take a long time no matter how fast this elevator was going to go. He squeezes his alternate self's leg and shakes his head. He can feel the fresh tears on the back of his neck and he can't help but to give into it a little more and start letting actual tears flow.]

Whatever you do man, don't sleep. Just. Don't. Please.

[ghostytrainer]

[John shakes his head, sniffling. The tears are definitely messier now than they were before. None of that silently falling stuff now, his nose is even starting to run a little. Sorry about that, alt-self. Not that this should really surprise you.]

No, not like that. I'm tired of all this, of everything about this stupid shitty fucking tower. I want to go home.

[longwinded]

[He feels bad that he keeps misinterpreting his alternate self, but there were so many meanings that could be put to one sentence. He doesn't mind that the other is crying all over him though. It's just the way they are.]

I want to go home too. But we can't. Not until we find a way to overthrow them.

[ghostytrainer]

[He hiccups before just outright breaking down entirely on John's shoulder, his father's words about what a disappointment he is ringing in his ears. For months, John has done everything he could to keep himself moving forward. He didn't have time to break down, and it's not like that would fix shit ANYWAY so what was the point?]

[All this time, he's been trying to keep himself upbeat and strong for the people he cares about. Because somebody has to do it. Somebody has to try and hold things together, even with the odds stacked so highly against them.]

[But in this elevator... he's alone save for himself. And try as he might to stay strong for his alt self, it's just not working anymore. A person can only take so much. At least other John won't judge him for it, right?]

I know! God I know just... fucking...

[John doesn't even know what he's trying to say anymore. For the first time since February, he feels completely and utterly helpless. And he hates it.]

[longwinded]

[He wants to set John back around and just hug him. But he can't. He won't. He has to keep a steady hold on him until they can get somewhere that can help him. It was John's duty to protect the other while he was at his weakest. Even if he was physically and mentally becoming more and more upset himself.

The weight of what John was dealing with was coming down on him as well. He feels the stress. He feels the weight of all the odds against the other. He would go as far as to say that they have some twin telepathy. He knows how John is feeling and it is pretty fucking miserable right now. John is suffering not in a painful way, but an emotional way.]

We'll figure it out, John. We have to figure it out. It's going to be alright.

[ghostytrainer]

[John says nothing, opting instead to spend the next few minutes just crying his eyes out while he can. Because once they're out of this elevator and move past this shadow hurdle? It's back to all smiles all the time. Back to trying his best not to let anything bother him. Or at least, not letting it show when it does.]

[Eventually the tears become little more than dry sobs as John shudders against his alternate self. But still, he remains silent for now.]

[longwinded]

[He comforts as he can. He doesn't know how to help someone who is already this far gone emotionally. But he definitely doesn't want to give up either. But it is getting way too quiet. He doesn't like that.

So he nudges the other's leg.]

Hey, John?

[ghostytrainer]

Mmmm? [Well that's typically what happens when someone is dying. They start getting really quiet after a while. You did the best you could, John, but he's not going to make it all the way down to the second floor in time to get his fluid switched, if that could even help. And with him still refusing to talk about just what it is that's bothering him...]

[The shadows continue to prowl the edges of the elevator box, gazes fixed on the two boys, smiles never faltering.]

[I thought I raised you better than this. I hope you're as disappointed in yourself as I am with you, John.]

[John's grip on his alternate self's shoulder tightens as he chokes a little, shuddering again while squeezing his eyes shut. As though this could possibly help shut that deep, familiar voice out.]

[longwinded]

You gotta keep talking to me man. You can't go quiet like that.

[But the weight of John's burdens were getting heavier weren't they? John can feel it. He can feel John struggling to keep a hold on reality. He didn't want John to go like this.]

What is bothering you? Why won't you tell me? John, please. Just talk to me.

[ghostytrainer]

[John isn't normally one to give up in instances like this. But even he has his limits...]

[He shakes his head against the other John's shoulder. Nope. He's going to be stubborn about this.]

[longwinded]

Stop being so stubborn, I don't know how to help you cope until we get there.

[John is tearing up again, he isn't sure he can handle it if John dies right now. He isn't sure he can handle John being stubborn either.]

John...

[ghostytrainer]

[John swallows thickly. When he finally does speak, his voice is quiet, almost a whisper. And frailer than it has likely ever been.]

It's too late for that now. Maybe... maybe if I'd tried a little harder earlier. If you'd gotten back a little sooner...

[His grip on the taller John's shoulders starts to go a little slack, his entire body seeming to become less tense as he continues.]

I'm not blaming you, and don't you dare blame yourself either. This was just... too much.

[The tears are starting to fall again, and when John resumes speaking, it almost doesn't seem like he's talking to his alternate self anymore.]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I didn't... d-din't want for any of this to happen I just. But I didn't forget about any of you, I could never... not in a million years could I ever... I just. I'm sorry!

[John's body starts to get heavier, his eyelids drooping as he spends his last few breaths on a whisper, perhaps to everyone in the elevator this time.]

I'm sorry.

[Sorry doesn't fix anything, sport.]