Do I Know You? Déjà Vu [ Snow / Jackdaw ]

Splish Splash.

The steps of Jackdaw trudged through the marshy bogs of the Bellows.  


Every footstep began to feel heavier; was it because of the muck and quagmire?


His whole body shouldn’t have felt this weighted, nor should it feel prickly and hot.


It couldn’t have been this foggy air either.  As troublesome as it was to see through the murky veil he doubted it was because of that.

Splish.  Splash.

Soon enough his stomach felt as if it erupted into flame.  With that realization he must have mistaken one of the wild, toxic, flora for an edible one.  Immediately he forced himself to wretch in an effort to expel whatever could have possibly remained in his stomach.

It felt the same inside coming out.  

Howling in pain, his innards turned into an inferno, his own body rejecting himself, he slowly staggered to a tree and slumped beside it.    His surroundings began to spin violently around him, sending him into a nauseous state so he forced his eyes shut, his own brain barely able to hold a train of thought.  To think, he spent a lifetime surviving a demonic apocalypse, only to be done in by a simple mix up of wild edibles.

“FUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKK!!!”

To say he was happy to be back in the damp and dark world that was the Bellows was an understatement. After his adventures out in the Dryrange he more than welcomed the oppressive, cold, and uncomfortable atmosphere of this place that he called home. It calmed him and the very place acted as a balm to his body that felt like it was about to shatter into a billion bits thanks to all that heat and sun. Upon arriving in the Bellows he took some time to sleep in his home to recover and put away the thing he had retrieved from that miserable sun cursed place. Once he was able to get back on his feet, he would go back to wandering about passing by the strange residents of the place. Some feared him and ran away, some stared blankly at him, and some stared with a look of pure delight at the skies above...and yet upon glancing up there was nothing to be seen with the naked eye. Everything was shrouded in a veil of fog and darkness. Yet something was here that was for sure. Though what it was, the pale skinned man hadn't a clue, but one day he figured he'd discover the truth.

Besides he had other things to occupy him for now thanks to his encounter with the demon merchant at the docks and other things that had been going on along with the stirring of something deep within that threatened to take him if he was not careful. There were many things to address, but for now he choose the most basic of these things: the matter of food.

So on the hunt through this strange land he went. The familiar skull headed crows that were with him flying off ahead in search of whatever caught their eye. It left him alone for the moment as he moved through the swamp going more out into the wilder parts where old buildings sunken by water gave way to muck and trees.

He stayed in the area catching a few odd lizards and even a small fish that made for a quick meal. He was in the process of finishing the small fish when he heard the loud curse from near by.

That was....

Well strange to say the least, but also something about the sound drew him to it outside of just curiosity of why such screaming was necessary. As for said reason well...

He finished the small fish in one chomp and swallow as he followed the painful screaming his sights soon landing upon a white haired man that was quite out of it as he slumped against one of the twisted trees of the swamp. As he saw the guy, his eyes would narrow before there was brief flash in his mind.

He couldn't see it clearly, but he saw brief images of this guy in his mind like he knew him from somewhere. Like faded pictures he couldn't quite make out or grasp...why?

He supposed something had been causing him to move during that process because as he came back around he would find himself at the guy's side kneeling down as he looked over him with deep concern.

"Hey can you hear me?" he would ask, his hand going out to attempt to touch the other to check for temperature or injuries. What was making him act this way and had him so sick? He wanted to know, but how difficult that would be would depend on if this one could even give him answers or understand him at this point.

A voice swam through the yelps of pain and sickening sensations Jackdaw experienced. There was something behind that voice that cut through everything and pierced his mind directly. Something distant, unable to reach, but familiar all the same. Forcing one of his fuschia eyes open and into focus, he caught a brief glimpse of a face that sparked more of that familiarity with the voice- until his sight blurred and then there were five copies of that person kneeling beside him.

“Ate… poisonous plant,” he choked out in gasps, a combination of pain and nausea. His chest began to sharply rise and fall in labored breaths. “Wrong… edible. Help.”

This was not good. The yelps and the way the other looked probably would have made others either very uncomfortable or feel very bad for the guy and while the ping of discomfort did go through the pale skinned man it was quickly overridden by the familiarity with the situation. It was like he had dealt with the sick or dying once upon a time, but when and where that had occurred was unknown. Just like he couldn't place this guy's face or why it felt like he had been in a similar situation where he either saved the guy or the guy him. It was very confusing, these tugs and pulls in his mind, but right now he pushed that mess away as he focused on what he could do for this guy.

Pain, nauseated, didn't seem to be focusing well...Definitely signs of...Mhm. He would hear the words the guy spoke that confirmed he was indeed poisoned. He said he had consumed a poisonous plant of some sort and needed help. "Plants can be a tricky thing indeed; however, tell me what you are feeling and about your vison," he would say, his tones serious, yet soft all at once. The guy was still conscious and he'd wanted to do what he could to keep him from succumbing to sleep for now and the only way he could think to do that was keep him talking despite his condition as he monitored him. As he spoke he would dig into his robes that held hidden pockets of useful items when he did not have his box with him. He didn't have the proper medicines to cure the guy completely on hand, but at least he had some medicine and a little water that could help calm some of the symptoms and perhaps give the guy some relief until he could get him back home where the proper meds were. He would pull out a small packet and a small container with clean water in it. The container was enough for a few sips, but that would be enough for what he needed provided nothing horrible happen like it being knocked away or spilled. He would move with quick yet well practice ease as he opened the container's top and then carefully opened the packet. Creating a small funnel, he'd pour the contents of the packet into the water of the container, swishing it around as he moved closer to the other, positioning himself to help the guy sit up some as he moved the container towards his lips.

"I will do my best to aid you, but in order to do that I need you to try to drink this. It should temporarily help with with discomfort until we can get you somewhere safer and properly treated." He would say as he attempted to pour some of the liquid into the guy's mouth keeping careful watch on his reactions and breathing.

As for the mixture within the container, it certainly wasn't the most flavorful of things. It was a very bitter medicine that never failed to make people who did trust him enough to take it to either make some rather twisted faces of disgust or gag in some way. Hopefully, even if that occurred, he hopped he could get some if not all of the medicine into the guy, so it could work on him and try to stabilize him for a short while. For now time would tell how all this panned out.

“Insides… burnin’. Eyes… blurry. Prob’ly ‘cause… I’m nauseous as fuck. Everythin’ hurts,” sputtered Jackdaw in an effort to tell the stranger what he was experiencing. That was a positive sign at least- the stranger was taking into account his symptoms in an effort to properly diagnose the problem. Even then Jack’s fingers clawed into the dirt, as his body consisted of nothing positive at this moment.

As he writhed in pain the stranger procured a temporary relief, words he desperately wanted to hear. Words that sounded vaguely familiar, especially with that same voice. Unable to concentrate on that strange coincidence, Jack was given the stopgap, a strongly bitter liquid. Once it hit his tongue he nearly spat it out, but knew the benefits would quickly outweigh its negative and swallowed it down as quickly as he could.

Despite the pain he experienced his face still managed to wince at the medicine he ingested. For several moments he waited, until the fiery sensation lighting him up began to dull in intensity, and the swirling feeling in his head died down as well. With a weary eye he forced it open, still finding his vision a bit blurry.

“...Thanks. Why the fuck does a medicine taste worse than poison,” Jack laughed- then winced in pain.

He would listen to the other, locking the information within his head to use when they were back where he could scour his medicines for the right solution to this issue. "That is unfortunate, but we will see what we can do stop the burning, pain, sickness, and vision issues," he would respond his voice calm and soothing. It was something that just felt natural to him even if at times he questioned himself being natural at all. Anyway..."Do you recall what the plant looked like that you ate?" he would ask as he worked, taking note of the other's hands digging into the dirt. However, he'd keep his focused and delivered on his promise to help.

He worked with the other, giving him the medicine and actually feeling relief that the guy's instinct to spit the horrible stuff out was restrained. The guy actually chugged the stuff down instead. Good. At least all the medicine went in so it's full strength could be used to try and fight the current issues. Once the container was empty, he'd cap it and put it away in his robes before refocusing on the other, watching how he reacted to the medicine and just how much of effect it had on him once it was in him. He'd keep track of his pulse via a method of tracing it using the wrist, while he kept temperature and other things in mind as he waited for the effects to kick in.

It was a tense few moments, but when the other's condition seemed to improve a bit, he felt some of the tension leave him. Good. It wasn't so bad or late that this temporary fix couldn't do something. That was good considering things could've been a lot worse. With some relief given, the other seemed to be able to speak and laugh. The mannerism despite how things were, was oddly familiar and warm to the pale man as he found himself giving an easy smile in response. "Perhaps you should trust the more bitter things to avoid future poisonings," he'd tease with a soft chuckle, the action feeling natural and like he had done it before, but like many things when it came to his past he could not place the why or when this came from. In any case, he'd shake his head a bit as he continued on a bit more seriously. "Don't thank me yet. I still need to get you out of hot water. Do you think you can stand?" he would ask staying close to the guy. He could determine how to approach moving the guy based on the answers he got and also what the other showed him.

“So you’re tellin’ me to trust rubbish rather’n my own tastes, yeah?” Snickered Jack in response.  Not only was this stranger calm, their own sense of levity helped keep a more composed and easygoing situation, instead of a life-threatening issue.  It was oddly… reassuring.  A sensation Jack wasn’t used to.

Opening his fuschia eyes again, the blurriness was hardly there any longer.  Now able to get a good gaze at his savior, their face wasn’t recognizable.  Yet something ate at the back of Jack’s thoughts; he felt like he knew this person despite his gap-filled memories told him otherwise.  Again those features on the stranger’s face felt familiar, in fact everything about this scenario was bizarrely similar.

With some semblance of strength returning to him due to the pain being dulled, Jack wearily rose to his feet, using the base of the tree to stabilize his back.  “...Outta the boilin’ pot’a water, into the fire.  I ‘ppreciate whatcher doin’ for me, frien’.  The name’s Jackdaw, but you can call me Jack.”

A weak smile revealed sharpened fangs, a very honest gesture to the stranger.

“...Right, so that plant I ate was its root.  White and tube-like, had a watery inner.  That was my first mistake, thinkin’ ‘cause we’re in a marsh was the reason the root had too much liquid inside.  Not to mention it was off taste.  Kinda peppery.”

To the response given, he would chuckle softly as he shook his head. "Well your own taste landed you here, so I would say the rubbish is safer." He'd stick his tongue at the guy teasing him a bit while somehow keeping his focus and professionalism when dealing with the situation. After all, he rather the guy be relaxed than overly tensed due to the issue at hand.

In any case, the guy was opening his eyes again and was able to stand even if he was leaning against the tree and still rather weak from it all. This guy...where had he seen him before? Why couldn't he pull place or time? Or even understand why it felt so natural to react and speak with the guy the way he did? Every time he tried to search his memories for why there was nothing, but frustrating static screens there. It was annoying to say the least, but the pale male wouldn't let it show or distract him as he got to his feet.

"I am just glad to assist. My name is Snow. It is nice to meet you Jack," he would respond back giving the other a gentle smile back, unphased by the sharpened fangs that was revealed when the other gave his own smile. In any case, he'd focused on what the other said about what he had eatten. After getting a description of it, he'd give a nod and hum.

"Sounds like you got ahold of the Bellows lovely hemlock," he would say stepping towards the other and reaching out in a way that if the other wanted he could grab onto him and lean against him. If the guy took his offer, he would begin the trek back to towards his home going at a pace that was easy enough for the other. Thankfully his home was not too far away. As they moved he spoke. "How much of it did you eat? And what brings you to this place?" his voice remained calm and collected the whole time.

“Well fuck me, I wasn’t expectin’ quite the delicacy.  Hemlock, what a bloody amateur move.  I only ate a couple’a ‘em.  Figured the water inside would carry me long enough to a better source.  I forced myself to vomit the moment I felt the symptoms.” Jack shook his head, more so humbled and upset about the blunder than anything, while he took to the smaller Snow carrying a bit of his weight.  There were a wide variety of wild edibles he had catalogued and known to eat, along with which ones to avoid.  In fact he knew of some that had medicinal value, but nothing to counteract his current situation.  Above all he was grateful for Snow.

While the name still didn’t register anything in his thoughts, it was Snow’s presence, his demeanor, everything about him that felt safe.  As if Jack had trusted him with his life before, like he did right now.  That unshakeable feeling of having been here once before, even though his memories revealed nothing.

“I dunno what’s so nice ‘bout havin’ to haul ‘round a dyin’ bruv, but I’m damn well thankful to have metcha Snow.”  Sincerely he beamed another grin at Snow, laughing a bit, only to reflexively clutch his chest.  “Anyway, I’m jus’ travelin’.  Thought I knew better ‘bout gatherin’ food too.  Guess this was a lesson.”

Snow would give a soft chuckle to the other's word choice amused as he took on some of the guy's weight and began to walk him towards his home. "There are many surprises when it comes to plants. Even more so with hemlock since even the experts make the mistake of thinking it is edible." It was easy to mistake poisonous hemlock for the other plants that were edible if one wasn't careful and despite being in a wasteland, the plant thrived and only adapted to become more hardy in the shifted world. "Though I can understand your logic and perhaps it would have, had it been any other plant." Some plants were indeed useful in that they could carry something helpful within. "Ah I see. Well, at least you tried to help yourself with the action." Though he bet that wasn't pleasant considering that forced vomiting wasn't always wise when it came to poisons. He'd have to do a more thorough check once home to make sure no extra damage was done.

Even with the errors of eating what he did or force vomiting, he felt no need to fuss at the guy too much about the matter. He was pretty sure this event was lesson enough without a lecture on top of it all. All he needed to do now was to make sure that the guy survived the symptoms and make getting through those as comfortable as possible for him. He could counter some of the symptoms, but the rest would be on the guy to fight off. In any case, the other didn't seem upset and he wasn't fighting against him, so maybe despite it all this patient wouldn't be hard to handle...and if he was, something within him told him he could handle the guy. Though why that was was just as lost in the static of his mind as many other memories he tired to dig up. Deja vu without even knowing why.

That annoyance aside though, he would keep a grip on the other as he shook his head a bit as an easy smirk came to his lips revealing a small bit of his fang like teeth. "Eh. It is not so bad. Besides, at least you have an ally against Lady Death, Jack." Didn't guarantee he'd live, but still one had a better chance when there was aid there. "As long as you learn from the lesson then I would say despite the error, you shouldn't beat yourself up about it." Snow would say keeping his breathing and steps steady in this foggy wetland . "You say you were traveling. Any particular direction you were going?"

“Good to know I ain’t a complete dumb fuck,” Jack shook his head in response.  It was reassuring to hear that experts were prone to his same mistake, but even then he was thinking Snow said that to make him feel better and not dwell on it too much.  Which he was going to do from this point forward- to never make that mistake again- and carry on with a strong mindset.  A survivor’s mindset, which Snow would later reinforce.

“Outta alla the ladies in the world, Death’s the one that’s gotta be on my ass, huh.  S’pose I’m too pretty to live, yeah Snow?” Another chortle broke out from Jack, but ended quickly due to the pain in his chest.  Trying not to shift too much of his weight onto the smaller Snow he continued, “I’m headin’ nowhere in particular.  I go where my feet take me.  Speakin’ of which, where we goin’ Snow?”

That question held a bit of caution in its tone.  For all Jack knew Snow could have been some deranged fellow, only putting on a kind front to later deceive Jack.  Then again in his current condition there wasn’t much of a fight he could put up against Snow. However something gnawing at the back of his mind told him to not be so cautious.

There was a soft chuckle there. "Nah. You're cool," he would say softly as he continued to move. Something about this guy's presence and way of speaking was comforting and familiar to the point he didn't really mind his mind not giving him the why for now. He was okay knowing somehow this guy was not a threat for the moment and probably not at all for him according to the feeling within.

That aside, he would give a light smirk as blue eyes looked over at the other. "Well, I can't say she has bad taste. You are rather a nice catch look wise and I am sure your personality would keep her entertained." It was easy to play off the guy's words. It was like he had traveled with the guy before and did something just like this and yet still his mind refused to give him details. It was a bit sad, but he would not let it drag him down as he kept ahold on the other. "Take it easy," he would say as he saw the other was in pain from just laughing. As for that question and caution, the pale man didn't seem to mind. It was only natural in this world to be cautious, even more so of the friendly. He could very well be thinking of eating the other for dinner, but luckily for the guy he wasn't plotting such things and genuinely wanted to help, so it was rather easy for him to respond back.

"Just floating about, eh? That is dangerous, you know," he'd begin as strange structure appeared within the fog. "You see, now you have to suffer the price for that as I am kidnapping you and taking you to my home now. On top of that you made my job easier. Didn't have to drug you or anything." He give the other a fangy grin that was charming despite the fact it scared many. He was poking at the guy as they continued to get closer to the structure pausing at the door to balance the guy's weight before pushing it open with his foot.

The inside of his home was dimly lit by odd lanterns made of metal and other things he had managed to mesh together. In fact, the whole place was a mixture of natural and things picked up in the waste making it very much a strange place to observe with all its odd nick knacks and items. It could be consider creepy to some, but to him and the birds that lived with him it was home. Guiding the other over to the back of the home, he would help the guy sit on the odd bed he had created that was surprisingly comfortable despite it looks...

“‘Course she would.  If Lady Death caught me she’d never wanna let go, heh.”  Jackdaw of course alluded to more lewd thoughts, but wouldn’t delve much further than that and keep the conversation light.  Which turned slightly off putting by the following words Snow had to say- a declaration of kidnapping for something far sinister.  However that smile Snow gave afterwards was a toothy and sharp grin that Jack often gave others, so he understood the joke.

How bizarre, how comfortable he felt with this stranger.  As if he had known him well.

“No shit you hafta drug people, after takin’ ‘em to this arsehole ya call a home,” teased Jack with a snicker on the cobbled together scrap heap of Snow’s shelter.  There was far too many odds and ends littered about to name or describe them all, and while some would indeed consider it a trash heap, Jack figured Snow simply liked to collect things.  Or at least that’s what his instinct told him.

“I hope ya got some meds buried underneath alla this… stuff,” Jack was about to label his surroundings as “shit,” but didn’t want to offend his savior.

Snow would give an amused "hmp" at the comment about Lady Death not wanting to let Jack go. "Of course," he would say, picking up on the guy's implications there as he shook his head...and yet he wasn't bothered by what the guy was saying or the silence given to his rather bad attempt at a joke. It was strange, but something told him the guy understood him in a way a good friend one hung and clowned around with did. How strange. They had just met so how, could that be?

And what was this? He wasn't even getting offend about the other's opinion on his home. He'd click his tongue at the guy as he settled him on the bed before moving off. "Such a shame that you have no sense of good taste. This place is work of art," he would say as he gave what could appear to be a stuck up nod, but in the end he was hardly serious about this matter at all. Wherever that went, it would go as he moved around the chaotic place with ease knowing exactly what he was looking for. As he moved, he would hear the comment.

"Oho. Trying to be nice now, huh?" he'd tease and then becoming a bit more serious as he continued to dig for what he sought. "I have many a thing within here. So don't worry your pretty little face over it. I gotcha fam." Now where the hell that last bit came from, he would not know, but it felt natural so he'd go with even if it was not in line with his usual softness. Anyway, unless something started crawling or what not, then he'd say the guy would have something to worry about, but luckily for the guy the only thing living in the place for now was just him and the odd man he was with. After some digging, he'd find what he was looking for before digging up one of the flask he had hidden around the place with water in it. Pausing to take out two pills and wrap the rest back up and stash them, Snow would come back over to the man on the bed.

With the flask in one hand, and two roughly made pill like objects in the other he would hand the items over.

"These pills will help ease the symptoms more than the temporary fix and allow you some rest, provided nothing else comes up. Go ahead and have the water, but be careful not to drink it all at once. I unfortunately have a limited supply there." And it took a while to make more clean water in the end. While he would be fine without it, he was more concerned about the other in this case.

“I’m always nice.  ‘Sides, Snow, art’s pretty damn subjective, yeah?”  Jackdaw cackled, then clutched his chest as it flared up in pain again.  He then  blinked several times in mild confusion at Snow’s casual calling of him as “fam.”  Not expecting the vernacular, he shrugged and said, “All right then blood.”

Once Snow finished rummaging through his hoarder piles to produce some pills, an extremely elated Jack beamed in response.  Immediately he downed the medicine, and on Snow’s suggestion, took only a couple of gulps from the flask.  He wiped his mouth and handed the flask back.

“When I ain’t feelin’ like complete shit I’ll fetch us some water.  And grub.  I really fuckin’ owe ya, Snow.  Thanks.”