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]

Obviously, The World decided to not give us such good fortune. It shouldn't be too terrible for us to regain levels, though!

[Whatever, Dirk, it's obvious that you can't look on the bright side of life, gawsh! Jake doesn't necessarily care since it means finally playing a fucking game with his friends.

Oh, the wonders of infinite ammo. It's a good chance to try out that skill thing he has! Don't think he didn't notice it when he was looking at his own stat page.]

Thorn Shot!

[splinterself]

...did you just seriously shout your fucking attack? [Oh. My. God.] Seriously, dude, warn me before you do that next time. I'm busy trying to fight goblins here and laughing's pretty distracting.

[hoperaider]

[Jake blushes lightly. Ruuuude, he's having fun.]

Pardon me, it was spur of the moment! If you're going to be distracted by your chortling, I may be tempted to smack you over the head with this thing!

[He's not yet sure if it'll be the blade part he'll be smacking with.]

[splinterself]

[...snerk.]

Man, I'm just saying that it's kind of distracting. That's all. It ain't nothing to get too worked up about. And hey. I'll shout 'smuppet ass' a few times while I wave this sword if it'll make you feel better.

[hoperaider]

What will make me feel better is if you kill the damn things!

[Jake is never going to hear the end of this, is he?]

[splinterself]

[]

Dude, I'm working on it. In fact, I'm actually kinda busy over here, all focused on killing these things and everything. Or at least I was before I got my attention diverted by someone I know. [And oddly, in a way, the multitasking makes him feel better. Slash slash stabbity is slashed a bit but in one of those minor ways, tis only a flesh wound, a graze, kerstab back.]

[hoperaider]

[:(]

Oh, and here I thought you were the king of multitasking. I stand corrected on that assumption.

[Okay, SP takes a BITCHING LONG TIME to regenerate at this level, which sucks since he doesn't have much to begin with. Whatever, just going to shoot at the fuckers.

Oh, score, first critical hit ever, and it's enough to take one of them down!]

[splinterself]

[Yaaay. He'd brofist you if he could, but this isn't the sort of RPG in which they're standing in a line or anything.]

No, my responder had a point about that. I've been trying to juggle too much bullshit lately and kept on getting distracted because of it.

[hoperaider]

Are you sure battling and talking is alright?

[Because seriously the last thing he wants to happen is Dirk getting killed. That kind of ruins the whole excursion and puts a hefty damper on his mood.]

[splinterself]

[I knew I should've saved that epic death icon.]

Yeah, I can talk and fight. I mean, what, it's just you, me, and these two guys. That's nothing. [Okay, fine, let's take out one more so it's not 27 tags on a level one grunt.]

[hoperaider]

If you say so.

[This is what happens when two talkative, lonely teenagers get together for an adventure. He takes down the other one with another Thorn Shot, since his SP has recovered enough to use it.

The room they're coming up to has two hallways they can meander down.]

Alright, what do you think? North or east?

[splinterself]

Let's head north. If there's nothing there we can backtrack.

[This next part is said almost absently.] I thought about heading north back home...to see Rox, I mean, but with everything going on it was impossible.

[hoperaider]

[Totally walking north, then.]

How were you planning on visiting her? [He's just curious about that.]

[splinterself]

I honestly don't know, but we were in the same world so it kind of seemed like something I should try to do. Maybe build a robot, but that would probably get shot down by the Batterwitch. [Shrug.] I mean, shit, I couldn't go see you but she was in the same era and everything.

[hoperaider]

No, I completely understand. It's rather hard to charter a plane to travel four frigging centuries into the past to some remote island, after all! [He smiles.] To be fair, I'm not quite sure you would have been able to find the blasted place, unless you placed a tracking chip of some kind in Brobot.

[splinterself]

[...um.]

Dude, I got Brobot to you in the first place, didn't I?

omg for a second I lost where Jake's account on Juggler was.

[hoperaider]

That doesn't help when you're trying to get there.

SPOILERS: DW's trolling you.

[splinterself]

Yeah, I know. Plus, even if I had fit, if I tried to send myself the same way I sent Brobot you'd probably just get a face full of paradox slime over and over again. [May have thought about this puzzle a lot.]

sob not again

[hoperaider]

No offense, but I would rather not have your slime all over the place. It's more fun talking to you.

[Well, this room has only one way to go, but there is another group of monsters here. Luckily, it doesn't seem that they realize the two are here.]

Shh, no words.

[splinterself]

[...okay, so, it's a group of three. Awesome.

With a quick glance to make sure Jake wasn't asleep or whatever, you know, ready for action, has his gun in hand, isn't staring at the ceiling, he hefts his sword which isn't is his unbreakable katana but he's growing fond of anyway. Step, swing, slash-

(Because what was he supposed to say to that? Thanks? It's fun talking to you too? fdjkls? He's a goddamn Strider.)]

[hoperaider]

[Excuse you, Dirk, he's always ready for action.

Jake's starting to get used to the more bulky bayonet. The fact that it doesn't have a kickback is really weird, too. Whatever, he just aims and shoots...and tries not to hit Dirk, even if it's tempting sometimes.]

start;

[splinterself]

[His Brobot would beg to differ.

So yes. He slashes, blocking a clumsy lunge as best as he could from a goblin and retaliating with a counter of his own and he's deeply aware that there's one thing that he could do, but god damn if he's going to shout his attack.

...from behind one of the three goblins looms and...]

[splinterself]

[And it all ends tragically.

The Prince is dead.

You lost all heart.]

finish;

[splinterself]

[j/k, bro, like I'd let this thread end just like that. No, he manages to (sort of) evade, possibly aided by potshots from the page over yonder.]

So what do you think's going to happen with the bunny?

[hoperaider]

[omg Dirk if you had died then Jake would've killed you out of worry.

Jake is indeed looking after Dirk's back. Making sure the guy doesn't die is the least he can do after years of friendship.]

In all honesty? I'm not really sure. I just know that I make it in time to get it delivered on John's birthday. Whatever happens afterward I can't say.

[All that hard work gets blown up in a green sun, but hey! Spoilers!]