It...seemed like a good idea at the time.

[splinterself]

[So after getting the "Where is this, who are you, what is going on?" out of his system, Dirk Strider was purposefully and boldly exploring Mac Anu and was...kind of bemused by the fact that the city wasn't done up in purple and black.

...just saying.

He had ended up at the harbor and there he paused in his wan- purposeful exploring, as...you know what's incredibly distracting? Actually only having one self (at least for the time being) that he was aware of. Also the clothes. Also the fact that he still had no idea what the hell was going on, and, more importantly, what was happening with Roxy.

There was a certain irony in him spacing out just as badly as he did when he had multiple selves to juggle, one which was lost on the guy as he was spacing out, brooding.]

...

[Yeah, this was getting him nowhere. (And shit, the lack of purple really was throwing him off.) That was when he shook his head slightly, turned to the nearest person, and said:]

Hey.

[So verbose.]

Comments

[hoperaider]

They're things I want to do, and if it's with you, then all the better. However, I will understand if you'd like to go off on your own for a bit.

[The narration is currently unsure of where the fuck these two are. So, major exploration of the rest of the map plus six dead goblins later, and Dirk and Jake find themselves back in the room where the gun giant is. They've also discovered Jake's range with the bayonet, which is somewhere in the 20-30 foot range. Unfortunately, the gun giant is only barely out of range from the hallway.]

Well, I could step in and try to step out, but I'm not quite sure if the devil will activate the moment I get within range.

[splinterself]

Yeah. [Hm.] I could always act as bait. I distract the giant and you focus on killing it.

[hoperaider]

How many healing potions did you gather? I, ah, wasn't exactly paying attention. [It's almost sad that he's already used to Dirk breaking shit already.]

[splinterself]

[Yeah, just a bit.]

Just two. [But he's speculatively eyeing the giant and not giving Jake his 100% undivided attention. Hmm...]

[hoperaider]

[Well, Jake is going to basically shove two of his three into Dirk's pocket, whether he wants them or not.]

Now you have four.

[splinterself]

[...oh. ...regrettably, Jake had a good point with that.]

Alright. So I act like a spazzy douche and get the giant's attention and you concentrate on hitting it as hard as you can. And...if things get dangerous get the hell out, don't try to be a hero.

[hoperaider]

[Yes, Dirk needs these more than him, man.]

I'll make an attempt to not be a hero so long as you don't die. Bargain?

[splinterself]

[Jake's willingness to invade a person's personal space is admirable.]

What, me, die? You seriously think I can stand still long enough for that thing to hit me? [And he's getting ready to enact the spazzy douche plot. Limbering up, a bit of a stretch since he'll be moving pretty quickly once he's inside and he's a lot slower here than he's used to being. Probably gonna go for it in a ta- moment or so from now.]

[hoperaider]

[Yes, well. This isn't about to go away. At least not with close friends.

He rolls his eyes and starts getting into his own place. Dirk does have a point. He's much too ADHD to stand still for very long without fidgeting!]

[splinterself]

[That's so totally not true, although thinking about it that may be because if one of him was standing still another of him was moving around so technically he wasn't standing still at all...

He sprinted in. The giant, as giants had a predisposition to doing, stared.]

Hey.

...oh mother fuck. Hey! [Acting like a spazzy douche was kind of hard, okay? Plus, he had to keep the giant's attention on him and let Jake fire away from a distance in peace. If only he had a smuppet to shoosh his ass with. (Note to self: fix that later.)

He took a few vague stabs but mainly focused on evasion because...yeah, he'd probably only survive a handful of hits given the level 5 versus level 1 difference god damn note to self: fix that later.]

[hoperaider]

[Dirk. ADHD advocate.

Jake is, indeed, firing away at it, though his bullets definitely aren't doing as much as they did with the goblins. He's praying the giant doesn't try to take a swing at him, but at the same time hoping Dirk gets some breathing room if he has to heal himself.]

[splinterself]

[He's busy doing his best impression of Jake English going berserk on various other ghosts, robots, and other such creatures.

Him being on the defensive and Jake taking the offensive didn't seem to be exactly working, though: Jake's shots weren't as effective as he hoped. Something a bit more proactive may be called for.]

[hoperaider]

[How flattering.

Jake's close-range probably does even less, so he's feeling a mite useless right now.]

[splinterself]

[Only the best, bro, only the best.

Okay, going to do something a bit more aggressive right about...now.]

[hoperaider]

[Not much for Jake to say, really, other than just pelting the damn thing with as many bullets as he can.]

[splinterself]

[And he takes the first hit, a glancing blow which neverless stuns him enough that the second of the hits connects solidly. The first of the health potions is chugged down.

Strife strife strife.]

[hoperaider]

[He can't help wincing in sympathy at the second blow. That had to hurt. Luckily, he's not distracted enough by it to stop shooting.]

[splinterself]

[Good, because now's not the time. Fight fight fighty fight fight. It's tense and exciting. Filled with peril! Fill- that was close.

...he really misses Lil Cal right now.]

[hoperaider]

[And Jake is missing his twin pistols so that he can fucking run and shoot at the same time. Standing around with a bayonet in his hand in one place in order to land a decent shot is not his idea of a good time. Jade would fair better, most like.]

[splinterself]

[And after a series of violent attacks which won't be related because of how painful they look but would entail cracked ribs, Dirk chugs down the second of the potions.

God damn. Is it dead yet?]

[hoperaider]

[His face is grim, but concerned when he sees Dirk getting pummeled like that. He's been keeping track of the amount Dirk's been using to heal himself, and he's pretty much going to ignore the thing about not being a hero if he feels he has to.

Its health is a little over half of the way depleted...which doesn't exactly bode good tidings.]

[splinterself]

[What, no. No, he doesn't. Don't be an idiot. Dirk's totally fine over here. Look, he's busting out that one attack which entails shouting - don't say anything - and is in the process of kicking ass. He's used to this.

It'll be fine. Even if that thing is a little over half of the way depleted.]

Why did I use this icon? Because I can.

[hoperaider]

[Dirk, relax. He can totally rush over, do a somersault under its legs, shove his last health drink into the guy's mouth, and then book it back to the hallway before he gets pimp slapped to oblivion. S'aaaaall chill, bro.

Still, Jake's prepared to act when necessary. He'll just keep shooting in the meantime.]

If we're going to use icons just for the sake of using them...

[splinterself]

[What, no. That's the sort of stupidly reckless shit that'll get him shanked and then Dirk shanked in one hell of a TKO. Chillax over there, ok?

And he'll keep stabbing. Stabbing, dodging, getting glancing blows but nothing of the sort he got hit with before, now that he knows what that giant's capable of. At least so far, until he gets careless again.]

omg I love that icon.

[hoperaider]

[Jake is a live wire, yo. Cannot be tamed and all that shit. It's why he's fucking glowing in this icon.

Anyway, yeah, plz to not get careless, Dirk. It will not help matters of being a big damn hero with this guy. Okay, maybe more like a martyr who willingly risks everything for his friends' lives, but details.]