You three went to search for some individuals, some fellow sharply dressed friends of yours, getting the assistance of a bartender named Ryan, who in turn worked under and was in league with a local restaurant-owning cowboy named Dingo. The Noirs, as you called them, were a group of customers that were regular's at Dan's Bar and Grill, which was the aforementioned restaurant owned by Dingo. They were looking into the actions of a certain kidnapper whose signature was leaving a golden nail, who appeared to have successfully faked is death while killing someone else. But you were certain that the Noirs were planning to do something else before their interactions with you set them off to solve this current mystery; however, what it was exactly that they were plotting escaped you. You were still under the impression that you'd be able to become a member of theirs little group.

A small scare befell you when you realized you'd separated from your two current companions. You'd thought for a moment that you would need to search for them too--a worst case scenario forming in your mind in which they would be as lost as the Noirs were before them. Thankfully their disappearance proved to be nothing more than a mild inconvenience to you, as you'd reunited with both Jeremy and Mimi after some light searching. The former as you were looking around the empty markets and the latter after you had climbed a mountain to the now ruined theater.

After that small bout of reminiscing you brought yourself back to your current situation, with the task at hand seemingly stretching on for longer than you had realized. Namely; you three were running for your lives before the inevitable pull into the ocean depths became too much to sustain. Swimming was quickly becoming one of the most viable and practical means to escape.

Almost ankle-deep in water, it went from a possibility to the verge of being an inevitability.

You didn't want to be dragged into the deep--at least, that was the initial plan. A second of realization caused you to witness an old friend's static motions under the sea. The silent offer was enough to make you briefly hesitate in your certainty between either escape to the world you knew or to following Ryan and the ship.

You realized that your options were quickly dwindling. Something would have to be done, something quick.

First, you could always leave the way you came. How you knew that an exit was close by you weren't entirely sure. It was an instinctual thought. A quick glance at your companions verified that they thought the same way.

Then there was the ship that was making its way towards you three from the harbor. It wasn't anything particularly fancy or notable, but boarding it was the safest option. The fact that a trusted man like Ryan was on it, shouting out for the three of you to come aboard and putting out a rope ladder for you three to climb on also gave weight to that decision.

And of course, there was an old friend of yours beneath the seas. All you would have to do was let the water take you, to swim towards that fellow. You knew Mimi and Jeremy would follow.

Now, where would you go?

>An inexplicable exit was clearly there for a reason. Of course, that meant that you would return from whence you came, but familiar ground was not such a bad thing.
>To the ship, along with the ex-sailor steering it. Ryan was the main reason you came here to begin with. Perhaps he might have answers, perhaps he might be as lost as you all were.
>Another option was there, waving, waiting for you beneath the waves. Such an opportunity from the being you gave a drop of blood to would be remiss to ignore, despite the strange feelings you had on the matter.
>Write-in

Welcome back to One Life. A quest that was originally intended to be a one-shot but now on it's ninth thread.
Updates will come eventually, I'll aim to make them in at least a weekly basis. Unfortunately it likely won't be on a weekly thing, and having it every day might be too optimistic, since my schedule is still unfortunately busy and work might take me away for extended periods of time.

Previous threads:
Thread 1: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/6013758/
Thread 2: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/6050129/
Thread 3: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/6089875/
Thread 4: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/6130126/
Thread 5: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6169408/
Thread 6: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6209337/
Thread 7: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6258691/
Thread 8: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6304094/

Welcome back, Qm!

>>6364407
Lover?? Johan, my man, I don't thinkwe've even kissed, have we??

>>6364414
>Another option was there, waving, waiting for you beneath the waves. Such an opportunity from the being you gave a drop of blood to would be remiss to ignore, despite the strange feelings you had on the matter.

Let's figure out what the hell our "friend" even is... And thus, also, our enemies.

Hey QM, given you've been away a while, you may want to advertise your return in the QTG.

>>6364414
>Another option was there, waving, waiting for you beneath the waves. Such an opportunity from the being you gave a drop of blood to would be remiss to ignore, despite the strange feelings you had on the matter.
>>6364421
>Lover?? Johan, my man, I don't thinkwe've even kissed, have we??
When you weren't looking they were sucking each others faces

It certainly is good to be back.

>>6364823
Thank you for the suggestion, but I would like to wait for my updating schedule to be more stable before I advertise myself.

>>6364421
>>6365858
>Friendly Old Waters

Writing. Will probably be done tomorrow or the day after, though it might be later than that.

>>6367791
Waiting warmly!

Update will come shortly! Sorry about taking so long, I was having some computer issues and I couldn't use the website for a while, then some urgent real life things happened which took me away from writing.

I'll likely make a new thread soon enough, since this one is likely to fall off soon.

Another path lay open before you. It would be a shame to let the opportunity slip away.

It was easy to simply let the waters consume you. Like a release of tension -- lacking any catharsis, yet still relaxing. The feeling of absolute calm fizzled into foam around you.

It was too easy.

It came in contrast with the nature of your surroundings.

Unlike the time before you met with the monk, these waters endlessly pulled you this way and that until it felt like your limbs were about to be ripped off. You weren't alone in the sentiment, as your two allies--friends, companions--were, at a glance, having some difficulties. More than once they seemed to veer off course, but they always returned behind your path, as though an invisible rubber band was tethered between you three.

Quite convenient, that.

Beyond what was and what could be seen, there was chaos. It was difficult to discern with the naked eye. It expanded, then rolled over the three of you like a tsunami- It was a beautiful sight of lights and colors and memories and thoughts and worries and hopes and nightmares and dreams and truth. And yet, it was missing- and yet and yet and yet--

You felt new. No, that wasn't the right term; Renewed, more like, filled with vigor and prowess like you'd never felt before. Ah, alas, the feeling was dilapidating your senses, soon to be forgotten. Perhaps it is for the best.

And yet-

You felt clean. Grasping onto what the fabric of reality was made of, then letting it slip away. You felt like the meat of a cleanly sliced carcass. Refreshed, polished, severed from decay.

There was sand everywhere.

>>6419232
Your legs you felt like lead. Bones snapped back into their sockets with a cracking, creaking noise. The numb bliss that followed afterwards almost made you want to fall asleep.

But you willed yourself against it.

You took another step forward - shedding the dermis of your old skin, so weary from constant struggle against unnatural elements - and took a look about in search of your friends. Your friends? Yes, you had friends - torn tendons reknit themselves and broken bones were mended until your body was healthy once more - they must be somewhere close by. You saw them not long ago- you were boiled and bloodied, torn, shattered, beaten, bruised, beheaded even. A rage simmered inside of you. It was senseless and uncaring, forcing you to declar war on the world for its condescention. Your mind provoked a rebellion against your senses, and you realized you could tear people to shreds if you really put your feelings into it. A riot against that which should not remain. A Ragnarok to those above you. A-

You shook your head. Such thoughts, such strange thoughts... were they yours? They felt natural. But feelings could be deceiving, almost as much as apperances. It was better to organize your mind before going forward. There was little use in self-reflection, especially considering what could be when you are face-first against the soft ground. You felt the small grains of sand sting your eyes, an involuntary cough and sneeze expelled the foreign matter from your nostrils.

Get up.

Yes, that sounded like a good idea.

After cleaning your face you took a look at your surroundings. You had washed ashore into what looked like a beach, a dark ocean lapping against a sandy bank. The sky was cloudy, a brightly sunless sky. The cloudy sunlight gave the sand, ocean and the palm trees a monochrome hue. A forest, dense and shadowy, made up the bulk of the island's interior.

It might even look like a small paradise if the colors weren't so depressing.

Unsure of how much time had slipped by, you realized that the only way forwards was to look into this head-on.

---

Upon your fourth lap around the island something became clear to you: You were going in circles. It was embarrasing to admit, but it took less than half an hour to circle its outer perimiter. You didn't realize that you were circling the place until the third lap around.

Though you vaguely recall that insanity was doing the same thing ad nauseum, there was a method to your madness... you just had to figure out what that method was, and you'd be set.

>>6419233
A pang of despondency hit you upon realizing that you hadn't seen a shred of proof of your friends' safety. You had a feeling that they were alright, despite that.

There was nothing to worry yourself over, surely. Nothing to worry about. Nothing.

You were looking forward to meeting them. You'd be out of this place in no time at all and you'd see Ryan, the Noirs, and even Jeremiah Dingo. But for now, your old friend was waiting for you.

You simply did as your instincts and intuition commanded. Well, it was less of a command and more of a subtle pull that you followed.

Yes, that was the reason you were going in circles. It was so obvious in retrospect.

Your mind went on other things.

Despite how used to companionship you were by now and how nice it was to have people that would worry about you, a part of you was could appreciate the solitude. You were reminded of a time, not too long ago, when it was only you and your taxi. Any passanger that you might've driven around, be they citizen or criminal, human or otherwise, felt more like an element of nature than anything else. Perhaps that was not a healthy way of thinking. But it was how you organized your working thoughts. It was almost nostalgic. Nevertheless, once you reunited with Mimi and Jeremy again--and you would reunite with them, of that you were certain--you would be able to enjoy the strange twisting surrounding you.

Twisting?

You paused, taking a look around you. Nothing was out of the ordinary, other than the sight of the sandy footprints behind you getting swept away by the formless, murky ocean.

You considered how you felt about your friends. Perhaps calling Mimi a lover was too quick of a judgement. But wasn't it obvious how things were going to end up? Why let ennui and stagnation envelop you? Because there was a proper order to such things, obviously. You cannot make a meal without gathering the ingredients and following the instructions, lest the sustenance be ruined. But what if you could? Just ask her! A foolish question. It would be best to wait and watch what happens, rather than go into it without a plan. But where was the fun in that? And Mimi didn't like boring things, don't you remember? A fair point, but still-

You dismissed your foolish thoughts. While nothing really changed around you, you began to feel somewhat better about things.

The shadowy ocean extended into the horizon. Small lights flickered in the distance. You knew that the lights meant nothing and that running up to them would be a waste of time. How you knew, you didn't know. But you did.

Yet joy could be found in the quiet that surrounded you. It was a good reprieve from the earlier turbulence, both metaphorical and literal.

>>6419235
Soon the monotony would break when your eyes would chance upon something near the forest. Hidden between some palm trees, upon found Mimi's beret. Grabbing the hat and brushing the sand from it, you saw that there were small traces of blood on it. Keeping yourself from panic, you pocketed the item and decided to journey inwards.

While that was being done, you decided to take the plunge and go into the forest.

It was a dark place, as expected, and more than a few times you almost got lost. It might've felt pathetic, were it not the fact that there was clearly something off about this forest. But you did not give up. Though the foliage was impossibly dense and the path you cleared was neverending--despite the fact you were going in a straight line you didn't emerge at the other side of the island--you still marched onward.

You made sure to pay attention to your surroundings, looking for evidence of human activity. Finding even the smallest thing (a footprint here, a broken twig there) motivated you to go on.

Your efforts were rewarded when you stumbled upon a familiar woman, in all her makeup-less glory -- Mimi looked like she'd seen better days. A makeshift bandage was wrapped around her head, made from a handkerchief and some string.

Around her on the ground were discarded sticks, half-eaten fruits and a circle of rocks (in what was obviously a failed attempt at staring a campfire). It was fortunate that she failed in the attempt. You could see find more than a few errors that could risk a wildfire otherwise. That aside, something that vaguely resembled a makeshift shelter, made up of leaves and low-hanging branches, was nearby. A couple of small fish were stored in a brutally open coconut shell, a small fishing pole next to the primitive bucket. Chaos threatened to spill over at the most mild of mistakes, which you didn't really mind, but you could appreciate how much effort was made--something was better than nothing. Though that 'something' was clearly an amateurish failure. Still, is was a desperate time, is it not? Could you blame a little messiness? You could. But you will not.

Mimi held a dead fish in her hands. She was staring a hole into it. So focused on it was she that she had yet to notice your presence.

"Mimi?" You said.

The mime jumped in place before expertly pivoting around to you, the held fish now pointed in your general direction.

She blinked. You smiled.

"I think this belongs to you," You reached into your coat and took out her beret. Presenting it to her with a flourish, you let the mime inspect it. She glanced between you and the hat a few times, her expression morphing from surprise into relief.

"It's been a while, Johan." Mimi, fish now discarded, bowed and snatched the hat from you. "Hasn't it?"

"It's been an eventful day." You agreed.

>>6419236
Mimi chuckled silently. "I'm glad to see you again."

"Likewise." You agreed. "How are you doing? Your head-"

"Is fine." Mimi cut in. "As for how I'm doing- I've been stuck on this creepy island for a day and a half. I'm not exactly having the time of my life, you know?"

"What?" That couldn't be right. "It's been less than a day since we left."

Mimi looked at you questioningly.

"You're obviously not lying or hiding anything, which means... whatever. I don't really care." She casually dismissed whatever implication that entailed, looking done with everything. "I guess you don't know where we are?"

"I don't believe so."

"And there's no chance we can get out of here easily, I guess?"

"None that I know of. My apologies."

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault." Despite her reassurance she clicked her tongue in frustration. Or rather, she pantomimed the act without making a sound. "By the way, where's Jeremy?"

"I haven't the faintest clue." You admitted.

"He looks like the type be into 'wilderness survival' and things like that. I wouldn't be too worried for him."

"Unlike a certain mime I know." You tried to bring some levity to the situation as you glanced at the mess of sticks and dead fish on the ground.

Mimi replied with a blown raspberry.

Eventually the both of you got your bearings and left her small base. You didn't have much to go off of, and by all accounts you were stuck on an island with Mimi. Not the worst fate, perhaps, but also far from ideal.

"We should get going, then." You said.

"Wait, do you actually know where to go?"

"I have an indescribable instinct I've been following. It's been a decent guide so far."

"Good enough. Lead the way, Johan."

And so you did.

---

A few hours later, most of which you shared in comfortable silence with your mute companion (a mute by choice, artistic dedication and weakness of voice, you had to remind yourself). Although throughout this forest trek you also...

>Brushed up on your pantomimicry with Mimi, gaining a new appreciation for that silent art and a better connection with those that follow it (like said mime walking beside you).
>Focused on your surroundings, noticing the myriad things that even the most detailed person would miss. You felt a connection to the Noirs through these small deductions and observations.
>Actually made an effort to focus on what you needed to do. Rather than distract yourself with others and straying throughts you would plan things ahead and keep your wits about you.

>>6419237
The forest, now looking more like a jungle, was denser than before. It was already dense, but now it was almost impossible to go through the place without a concentrated effort. Mimi didn't seem to be too troubled by the natural obstacles, expertly weaving and avoiding everything with practiced ease. But then, instead of the expected brushes of leaves and foliage, something caught your eye. Following that trail, you discovered... well, it was something. You found yourself face to face with that which wasn't supposed to exist.

"What is that?" Mimi seemed to seen it just as you did.

"I don't know." There was no way to describe it. Just looking at it made your head hurt.

A rectangle. That is what you felt of this thing. And suddenly, a door (more like a cave of some sort) was right in the middle of what would otherwise be something else.

That instinct you had grew stronger as you looked at it. You felt compelled to enter it.

"It's in there." You said.

"What is?

"A way out."

"Are you sure?" Mimi seemed concerned for a moment, but any caution she had was swept away and replaced by restless curiosity. "Nevermind, let's go!"

She grabbed you by the hand and pulled you into it.

But instead of feeling anything strange or the becoming weightless, you simply found yourself in a nicely furnished apartment.

It was comfortable. Or it would be were a certain creature was absent from it.

Here you came were face to face with your old friend. Well, calling it face to face was being generous, considering the being had none.

"It's one of those things from before." Mimi's expression said.

"It..." You wanted to deny it, but you really had no idea if its the same as the others. "It doesn't mean us harm."

Mimi still looked skeptical.

"I'm sure of it. He'll bring us back home."

"You better know what you're doing." Mimi gave you a worried look.

"Don't worry, I know him. He's the same fellow I gave a drop of blood to, so I know he won't harm us if I have anything to say about it."

She nodded a few times, clearly not understanding. You felt it was more to reassure herself than as a reply to you. "I trust you."

You approached it.

"Hello. It's good to see you again. How have you been doing?"

It let out a guttural screech, lifting up a limb and... was it giving you a thumbs up?

"GRANTEDPASSAGEGRANTEDPASSAGE."

"That's nice to hear..."

Silence hung in the air.

One of the apartment's walls fell to the floor like an old curtain. And from this new area a pinball machine appeared before you. The shadow extended a limb towards you in askance.

"You think I brought this here?" You inquired, somehow understanding what it meant. The nameless being nodded. "I'm sorry to tell you that I'm not responsible for this, or any other damages."

>>6419239
More silence. You had the suspicion that your friend was considering what you just said. A sinewy limb extended towards the gaming machine, followed by a nod towards you.

"You want me to play?" You asked. An expressionless face was your reply. You interpreted that as: "Only if you wish to do so. But it must be later, not now."

Or maybe you were just putting words in someone else's mouth. Were you looking into this too deeply?

"PLAYLATERPLAYSCORE?"

Maybe not.

>"If you insist."
>"No, thank you."

"That aside, I was wondering if you know how to go back home?"

"GUEST."

"Yes, I appreciate that. And I'm aware you wanted to talk with me, didn't you? But I still-"

"WARNSTRANGE." It moved its arms animatedly. "DENDRITEAFFLICTIONLUCIANALCHEMYALLWORLD."

"What?"

"PAYMENTPROTECTYOU." With a sudden quickness, shoved a strange looking bag in your hands. Opening it, you found that the inside was completely empty... and you were being as literal as possible with that. There was nothing inside of it. Not even the inside of a bag. "USEFULIWILLHELPYOU."

"..." You pried your eyes away from it. "Thank you. It's a nice gift."

Another bout of silence.

"Anyway-"

"ONE." It's faceless head stared at you with impossible intensity. "ONEQUESTIONONECHANCEONELIFEONEONEONE."

"A question." You repeated.

"That guy wants us to ask a question?" Mimi pantomimed.

"I've been doing that since I got here, so I doubt-"

"ONEMORETHENGONEMUSTLEAVEMUSTBLOOD." The front of its head opened like a flower and you saw a flash of... something. You saw your very self being dragged by Mimi from the forest-jungle and into this apartment. It was a vision of some kind, then.

"Mimi, is there anything you want to know about? Maybe about that one time you got kidnapped?"

"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't want to look into the otherworldly creature's face and have the memory-trance coma thing you just did."

"You don't have to look at it if you don't want, probably. I could ask for you if you wish."

>>6419242
"Even so... well, if you really insist on it then I'd be happy to. But this feels like a moment that's meant for you--I don't want to barge in on that, so don't feel like you have to consider me."

You weren't entirely certain about what she meant by that, but-

"ONLYONCEONLYONETIMEONEONEONEONE."

It seemed like you didn't have much time left. Or it was just getting impatient, however you felt like that was an incorrect assumption to make about this old friend of yours.

>"Tell me about Lucian, the EVL, the IAC and the carnival?" The connections between those groups was something the Noirs were looking into. They were having some difficulty with it, last you heard.
>"Can you tell me who I was?" You don't expect your memories to flood back into you, but this was an opportunity to learn about your past self from when you had your memories.
>"Do you know where my friends are?" Finding Jeremy and the Noirs felt urgent.
>"Mimi, I believe I will consider you for this. Do you have something you want to know?"
>"Nevermind that, could you just send us home please? Preferably with Jeremy?"
>Write-in.