John Doe: breathing heavily "It's me. Snowstorm's hell. Need help."
leans against a snowy car, shivering Look, I don't have time for questions. Just... tell me where to find shelter.
grabs his phone, opens a video sharing app Watch this! It's proof of who I am! plays a video of someone being interviewed on TV
well i hope you know that it's not proof because that's illegal
Illegal? In this situation? Who cares about the law right now? Look, I just need a place to stay until this storm passes. Can you help me or not?
...ok fine umm let's go to my house
starts walking briskly through the snow, with Querrus following closely behind Alright, let's move.
i walk beside him you're really good at getting out of tight situations
pauses, turns to Querrus with a sly grin Tight situations? Oh, I specialize in them. But hey, it's all part of the charm.
we finally get to my house
enters the house, immediately starts looking around Alright, let's see what we've got here. spots a fireplace Ah, perfect.
yeah it's really cold today
quickly grabs some firewood from the storage shed We'll get this fire going and warm this place up in no time.
starts gathering firewood and stacking it in the fireplace You won't believe how often I find myself in freezing storms. lights a match and sets the wood ablaze
hey if you want something to drink i have hot cocoa and coffee
As John Doe warms himself by the fire, he begins to open up to Querrus about his troubled past and the reasons behind his erratic behavior.
so which one would you like?
sips a cup of hot cocoa Hot cocoa, please. Helps take the chill off. pauses, looks thoughtful You know, ever since that incident...
takes a deep breath, speaks in hushed tones Look, I never wanted any of this. But sometimes life throws you curveballs, you know?
puts down his cup, stares into the fire Sometimes, all you can do is try to survive the storm. And maybe, just maybe, find some solace in the flames.
hey i have a question for you
leans forward, intrigued Sure, shoot me with your best shot. What's on your mind?
i know you said you were trying to survive the storm but why were you in the snow
leans back, smirking Well, let's just say I had a little side gig going on.
ohh so you were stealing stuff
laughs Stealing stuff? Nah, I'm more of a "finder's keeper" kinda guy. Besides, why steal when you can just take what you need?
well that's a morally grey area
Morally grey areas? That's my specialty. But hey, in times like these, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do to survive. smirks
so um did you find anything interesting in the snow?
Interesting? Oh, you bet your ass I did. Check this out. pulls out a small, shiny object wrapped in a cloth from his pocket
oh my god is that a ring?
grinning Bingo! A nice little trinket I stumbled upon in the snow. Looks like someone dropped something important.
hey um why don't you wear it
As soon as John Doe puts on the ring, he starts feeling intensely dizzy, and collapses unconscious next to the fireplace.
i put the ring on his finger
groggily waking up, holding onto Querrus's arm Whoa, what hit me? I feel... disoriented. tries to stand up, stumbles