apocalypsehowcomm | Don't know that I will but until I can find me (Open Catch-All for Feb)

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Don't know that I will but until I can find me (Open Catch-All for Feb)

Who: John Sheppard and You!
When: February
Where: Here and there
Summary: Some TDM prompts and monthly catch-all
Warnings: blood, knives, cutting, spiders again probably, auditory hallucinations, decay, rot, filth, mold, blood sacrifice, violence, possible self-harm and harm to animals, obsession, possession, codependency, altered mental states; stalking; unwanted romantic advances; toxic romantic relationships, possible discussion of cosmic horror; induced madness; fugue state; body horror; PTSD; disassociation; paranoia, supernatural compulsion

A. TDM Prompt: Arrhythmia - OTA

cw: blood; knives; cutting; spiders again probably; auditory hallucinations; decay; rot; filth; mold; blood sacrifice; violence; possible self-harm and harm to animals

It is the beating of his hideous heart!

[John's always enjoyed the Tell-Tale Heart. He much less enjoys it happening to himself in real-life, and turning his room into an unlivable, rotten mess. Admittedly, the aesthetic works with the creepy heartbeat, but he also likes his bed not being sunken and moldy, nor his things covered in dust, nor his foot slipping through crumbling floorboards, webs everywhere...

He's also had enough of spiders in his pants for a lifetime.

Waking up in actual rags was his breaking point. After managing to find intact clothing, he stumbles outside with a knife and casually asks the next person he runs across in the hallway of the apartments.]

I need your blood.

[He holds up a knife.

It's probably fine, coming from him especially.]

B. TDM Prompt: Love Potion Number 9 - Closed to Rodney McKay

cw: obsession; possession; codependency; altered mental states; stalking; unwanted romantic advances; toxic romantic relationships

[It's probably unfortunate that he brought the box of chocolates of with him while going to see Rodney, with a bright red RC car and its controller under his other arm. He doesn't think anything of it, really, though later on he will make a note to be more careful about free food around here. Again.

It's also probably unfortunate that he was already in love with the man before this happened, and his cat-like Hunt instincts already prompting him to be quite attached to him.

He knocks on Rodney's door, bored and having a bit of a sweet tooth, so he opens the chocolates (not that he was gonna give them away to him or anything) and pops one in his mouth. Then another. Then another.

Eh. He's had better chocolates.]

Rodney? You better be in there...

C. Open Prompts for around ADI - OTA

[John is still working on recovering from everything that happened in Dogtown and can be seen around ADI either working with Security, or Investigations.

Sometimes he can be found at the Gym, sparring with two Bantos Rods or at least the nearest equivalent he can find. He's never really been good with them but it reminds him of Teyla, who he dearly misses, and on the off-chance they make it back, he'd also like to win at least one match against her or Ronon.

He knows that's pretty much impossible, but at least he'd like to give it a good shot.

He can also be found at the Canteen sometimes, having a bite to eat (probably a turkey sandwich) or setting up a game of chess, or working on a Sudoku puzzle. If you're nearby and he has no takers on his chess game, he might try to coerce you into playing. Or just grab some checkers instead. Sometimes he'll have his back against the wall and his feet up on another chair playing with a Nintendo DS he found at a secondhand game shop.]

D. Wildcard - Anything goes!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That's so close.

John, that is so close.

Rodney opens his mouth to complain, to tell him to cut it out because his hair is brushing against his face but it sort of dissolves in a flustered stutter because his hair is brushing against his face and that's suddenly arms that are going around his body.]

Do I?

[They haven't really talked ever since they came out of their amnesiac spell. It's just been... ]

I, uh. You, uh. What are you trying to say exactly?

I’m saying that I just wanna be…here right now.

[He nestles against him, content, a hand running up and down the side of his arm.

Oh yeah, they should probably talk about that.]

I love watching you work, y’know. When we’re not in a life-or-death situation and you’re taking too long.

[He grins.]

You look good.

Oh.

[Rodney exhales with a sense of relief because it looks like they're not going to talk about feelings. Very good. This is the way.

Except then John says you look good and all of that goes out the window and for a moment he bristles. What is this? What does that even mean? Is he making fun of him? He's probably making fun of him, isn't he. His eyes glance down, is something the matter, coffee stains on his shirt, is his fly undone, what could it be--

And then John's hand goes ahead and does that. Rodney looks over at him. It's the longest look. Eyes shifting down, that is a hand. Touching. Moving. Up and down his arm.

That is not How John Sheppard Behaves™.]

Oh God, you're affected by something again, aren't you. Seriously, can you go one day without being the Entity's beef jerky?

Wow, really? I say you look good and the first thing that you think of is he must be under the influence of an Entity?! Come on, Rodney.

[He leans in, nuzzling his neck, a purr rumbling in his chest.

Except.

He thinks about the chocolate.]

Did you get some mystery chocolates?

Yes.

[It's dry, matter-of-fact, and his brows furrow as he continues with the Look.

And then.

And then there's nuzzling and Rodney jumps, his face turning crimson.]

Mystery-- no? There wasn't-- I have regular chocolate but there's no mystery attached to... to them.

I guess that’s fair.

[What if more nuzzling, tho.]

I got some mystery chocolate. They were probably cursed or something. They’re on the table.

[He should probably be more worried about this.]

Well, that must be it!

[... That must be it. John would never get so close to him without being cursed.

There's a certain sting in that, the idea that some Entity curses him to hug Rodney like it's a terrible punishment. Hilarious.

His face falls a little and he pushes him back, taking a step to the side to bring some distance between them.]

We should probably get you to medical. Or have you sleep it off.

[Rodney pushes him back and John grumbles, annoyed and confused.]

No, I don’t want to. I wanna be next to you.

[He tries to get close again, practically trying to headbutt his shoulder.]

Yes. Because you ate cursed chocolate.

[He's so unimpressed and tries to hold him back.]

Medical it is.

It's not like it's doing anything bad to me.

[There's no way you're gonna convince him this isn't an emergency, buddy.]

I don't wanna go.

[He tries to put his head against his hand, a growly purr in his chest.]

Well, too bad. Because we're going. I'm not locking you in a room again, you completely shredded it last time.

[h u f f]

Look, you need to stop with the cat behavior or they're gonna get suspicious.

That was pretty rude.

[He’s still not over that, by the way.]

There’s nobody here right now.

We’re fine.

[What if another purr, another nuzzle against his neck—]

You were pretty rude.

[So there.]

Okay, stop. Sit down.

[He grabs him by the shoulders, trying to push him on the couch.]

You were rude first.

[No, he wasn’t, but he just feels like being contrary.

He plops down on the couch when Rodney pushes him down.]

Okay, okay, fine.

Now. Obviously I can't take you to medical if you can't control your instincts because I'm pretty sure they're going to find out whatever was in the cursed chocolate? Doesn't exactly turn people into felines.

[Another h u f f.]

So you will stay here until you're back to normal. I will run some tests and try to fix this. And then we'll talk about this.

[Or probably NOT.]

[This is a lot of huff.]

...that's a good point.

[He flops over on the couch, purring a little, daring to reach out to try and grab a hand.]

But I wanna hang out with you.

... Fine.

[If only to keep him in here and keep him docile until this is resolved.]

Just don't be so... not you about it.

Okay.

[Sounds good to him!]

...wait, not me?

[He sounds offended by that.]

I could be cuddly when I'm back to normal if I wanted to!

But you don't want to. You never did anything like this until this whole alignment mess started.

[So all of this is probably just stupid cat instincts and nothing more and why is he only realizing this now? Stupid.

He scowls, grabbing his tablet to bury himself in his work.]

Whatever. Let's just... wait it out.

I know, but...

[Wait, Rodney's right. He doesn't. And right now his affection and attention on Rodney is maxed out, and it's difficult to do any proper self-reflection, but he does know...that.]

I guess I'm just not a cuddly kinda person. But I like it, at least, I'm getting used to it. And just because I'm not always cuddly doesn't mean I don't wanna spend time with you.

[He's going to quietly die about this conversation later.]

It's just, uh, strange. You being so physical.

And what if it's just this place making you think that? We're gonna go home and you're gonna be back to normal and you're gonna realize that...

[That you don't really want any of this, probably...]

I know, it’s wild, isn’t it? I never thought I’d be…like this…

[He trails off, his inhibitions still lowered by the chocolate.]

That I don’t wanna hang out with you? That I don’t like you?

Rodney, haven’t you noticed that I always hang out with you, all the time? That you’re my favorite person to be around?

No, I-- I know you do that? Hang out and uh, like me? I know that. That's not, I mean we're friends, I know we're friends.

[His hands come up, gesturing a little desperately in search for words.]

But things have been different since we came here [and you turned into a cat and started purring against his neck and they kind of lost their memories and thought they were boyfriends and sortofkindofmaybekissed and wow they haven't really talked about this at all have they] and it's really confusing?

I guess...things have been.

[He goes quiet a moment, torn between what the chocolate is making him do and what he wants to say. Right now he can't tell what's what, what is prompting him to do or say what, and he's not sure he should say anything, he doesn't want to give Rodney false hope or anything.]

I know you probably can't believe me right now but I really, really like you, Rodney. I have for a long time now.

You have?

[Should they be talking about this? They shouldn't be talking about this. Nothing good can come from conversations brought on by cursed chocolate, he's pretty sure.

He can't believe him right now. He really wants to believe him right now.]

Because I, I really like you too.

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