Devil's Port catch up

'Fuck man, when d'ya think Indigo'll get back?'


'I have no idea. Why?'

'I'm fuckin' starvin', we runnin' low on grub.'

'That's it? You just want her to make you some food?'


'The fuck d'you mean, "that's it"? I ain't a fan of starvin', y'know!'

'You're capable of finding your own food, as am I. I've got a few apples, why don't you have one?'

'Your apples taste like ass. I want some real food. Somethin' hot, not some fuckin' frilly-ass fruit.'


'..."Frilly"? But as you're not a fan of starving, you can surely agree that fruit is better than nothing, even if it doesn't taste the best.'

'Man. I miss Indigo's food.'

'If you give up the cigarettes, you could put the money saved towards some meat and other ingredients and perhaps make your own food.'


'Yeah, I know, I know, fuck. I get the message, jus' sayin', havin' a genie round spoilt me.'

'I noticed.'

'Good food shouldn't be a fuckin' luxury.'


'Neither should living in a safe, crime free environment. Neither should having a roof over one's head. Unfortunately lots of things that shouldn't be luxuries are in this accursed city. Let's just be grateful for what little we do have.'

'Fuck all.'

'Now that's not true -'


'- Oh yeah, shit, my bad. I'm grateful havin' to share a cramped tent that don't keep the feelin' of the cold-ass ground completely out. I'm grateful for havin' a toilet that's barely fuckin' better than shittin' in a hole in the ground, I'm proper grateful for the half rancid food, an' I'm extra grateful for the extra fuckin' mouth we got to feed that Indigo dumped on us an' fucked off fer us to deal with alone.'


'Leave him alone! The poor boy has clearly been through something traumatic, the last thing he needs is you being terrible as well.'

''E's weird, I don't trust 'im. 'E talks to 'imself.'

'Talking to your cigarettes probably counts, given that they're an inanimate object that can't talk back, yet that doesn't stop you.'

'That's diff'rent! I don't expect 'em to fuckin' talk back, but this weirdo talks to thin air like 'e's 'avin' a full conversation! Wi' gaps for replies an' everythin'! It's weird.'

'Trauma takes people in different ways. You know he's seen terrible things inside ORTOS, Indigo and her friends said so when they brought Zane to us. Or did you forget that?'


'...Maybe 'e's a fuckin' schizo.'

'Oh my God. Stop. Just stop.'

'What?! 'E could be dangerous!'


'I know you're not genuinely trying to be offensive, but you're managing it anyway -'

'- 'Ow the fuck's that offensive?!'

'By labouring under the delusion that A) he's schizophrenic in the first place when he may "just" have PTSD from being kept in a cage inside a laboratory with a dangerous alien entity. By B) assuming that if he is schizophrenic - and not "a schizo", Daniel - he'd be dangerous. I'd like it if you left now. Go to the library, find some books on schizophrenia and educate yourself.'


'What if he comes back an' gets lairy?'


'If Zane starts acting funny or violent, I will cast a spell to keep myself safe. Just go, Daniel, I am disgusted by your lack of empathy and understanding.'

'No way, you'll need 'elp.'

'So help me God, Daniel, if you're not out of here within the next five seconds, I will conjure enough rancid apples to fill an orchard and insert them one by one into your rectum.'


'...I'll go.'







'Oh, hi.'


'Hello. Interesting attire.'

'Oh, yeah. That crappy "shirt" was irritating me so I took it off.'

'And the hat?'


'Found it in a bin. It didn't seem to be in too bad a shape, so I took it. I figured... it's probably best if I change up how I look, I don't want to be recognised. Or worse, re-captured. Not after all the effort that went into freeing me in the first place.'

'That makes sense.'

'I didn't disturb you or Daniel when I left, did I?'


'Not at all, I didn't notice you walking about at all, and as for Daniel, he does a perfectly fine job of disturbing himself.'

'Heh... Where is he?'

'I told him to go somewhere else for a bit, he was getting on my nerves. How are you, anyway?'


'A bit sweaty now. I feel okay.'

'And mentally...? You don't have to answer, obviously.'

'...Confused. And pretty messed up. That's no surprise though, is it?'


'No, sadly not. You must have gone through a lot of traumas. If you want to talk, I'm willing to listen.'

'Thanks, I might take you up on that.'

'Please, feel free.'

'Is it okay if I vent a bit now then?'

'Absolutely.'


'I feel horrible for the people who died in that lab. I don't think that a lot of the scientists in there are that bad, despite the ominous reputation ORTOS clearly has here. A lot of the people there seem to be scared, trapped maybe?'

'Presumably it's the higher ups who are less... pleasant, to put it lightly.'

'Yeah. I find myself wanting to know why I was there, what they had planned for me. But on the other hand, I might not like the answer. I've been trying and trying to remember something, anything about who I am, or was? Is my name really Zane, or is that a moniker the facility gave me? How old am I? Do I have family? Friends? I don't even remember what hobbies I have.'


'I'm so sorry.'

'Maybe I should stop trying to remember and build a new life for myself. The harder I strain to recall anything about my past, the worse I feel afterwards.'

'It must be very taxing on your psyche.'


'It hurts physically too though, that's the worst thing. I've been getting a lot of headaches, or sudden loud ringing noises in my ears. Then when I go to sleep, I dream about the lab. Or about Yahzoputl breaking free -'

'- Oh, what a horrific thought!'

'I think it's best I leave the past where it belongs. Behind me.'