First Specter; Text/Action

[grislytragedian]

Text A;

I find it a little weird that I was supposedly saved from the apocalypse when the apocalypse already came and went several hours ago.
Little late to the party there, mysterious letter-writer.
But whatever.
Accidents happen, nobody is perfect, and by the way: you have horrible taste in accessories.
To be honest, I am slightly more concerned with the fact that I appear to be alive again.
So I am guessing that I was either lied to or some other, outside force interferred with the way things were supposed to go.
Because this place seems like a far cry from what I was promised.
Or perhaps this is

[Nope, changed his mind apparently, abrupt subject change is a-go!]

Dave, Rose, Jade, please let me know if you ended up here as well, hopefully the four of us together will be able to figure this shit out.
And if someone would be willing to give me a more in-depth low-down of this place, I would appreciate it.
The letter was informative and all but I think a first-hand account might be better in this case.
In addition, I seem to find myself in need of a blacksmith or anyone who deals with weapons repair.
Alternatively: the location of the nearest alchemiter.
It seems that our kind, anonmyous host decided to break my weapon and shove it into a trunk when they saved my life.
And I would really rather not be caught unarmed.

Oh, and one more thing.
If anyone happens to run across a larger-than-average, bipedal, yellow salamander, please let me know.
Losing functionality of my sylladex seems to have made me lose track of Cheryl again.

Action B;
[A short boy in a rather dark outfit can be found wandering around the dormitory levels. It seems that he doesn't want to stray too far and chance getting lost or losing terminal access in case somebody answers his questions. He's clearly looking for something, pausing at every nook and cranny and looking behind every terminal he passes. Fortunately, he refrains from trying to barge into anybody's room. The search for his loving daughter salamander hasn't gotten quite that desperate yet.]

[Won't it be sad when he finally realizes she isn't here?]

[Feel free to bother him, it's not like he has anything that's actually important to do right now.]

Comments

[papshooshing]

SO MUCH FOR HOPING FOR A FACE I'D ACTUALLY *KNOW.*

[grislytragedian]

I seem to be pretty good at that.
But I promise it isn't intentional.
Though I could say the same thing, you know.
It feels like I have heard from every version of my friends except for the ones that are actually from my timeline.
So who are you then, grey text is a new one on me.

[papshooshing]

GET USED TO IT.
IT'S A THING THAT HAPPENS AND WITH SUCH FREQUENCY THAT DISAPPOINTMENT AND YOU BECOME BEST FRIENDS REAL FAST.
ANYWAY, I'M KARKAT.

[grislytragedian]

Good to know, I look forward to these fast and friend-filled times.
Still have no idea who you are though, I think I would remember a name like Karkat.
What language is that anyway?
And I have to ask...Is your capslock key stuck or something?

[papshooshing]

THEN MY GUESS IS THAT YOU'VE NEVER ENCOUNTERED ANY TROLLS
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I AM, A TROLL.
WHICH ALSO MEANS THAT NO, BULGESUCKER, MY CAPSLOCK KEY ISN'T STUCK.
IT'S A *QUIRK* WHICH WE ALL HAVE.

[grislytragedian]

What, you mean like the things that live under bridges?

[papshooshing]

IF I EVER HAVE THE MISFORTUNE OF MEETING YOU IN PERSON
REMIND ME TO PUNCH YOU FOR THAT STUPIDLY OVERUSED ASSOCIATION.

[grislytragedian]

Well that's what they are!
I suppose there's always an internet troll but last I checked, they weren't so much a species as they were just antagonistic dumbasses on the internet.
So enlighten me, what other kinds of trolls are there aside from the mythical Scandinavian creatures, jackasses on the internet, and those ugly dolls from the 60s?

[papshooshing]

[ flipping on video. ]

This kind, nookwipe. The kind that doesn't even exist within your universe because oh hey there, we made it!

[grislytragedian]

[Sticking with text, sorry Karkat.]

Is that some kind of joke or are you speaking literally here?
Because the world being created by a grey kid with horns is a new one on me.
Nice horns though, they are pretty cool I guess.

[papshooshing]

I'm speaking very literally. That's how it works, you see. One Sgrub/Sburb what have you session creates the next universe in which another game session takes place.

[grislytragedian]

Huh.
Learn something new every day.
Funny all the books left that part out, or maybe I just didn't read enough of them.
Or maybe it just didn't really matter since doomed timelines can't win the game anyway.
And making a new universe kind of sounds like a successful end game to me.
So what, you're some kind of alien then?

[papshooshing]

It sounds like it is, but that doesn't necessarily mean shit. I'm starting to learn that now.

But whatever. Yeah, alien. Yada yada yada. What books?

[grislytragedian]

Oh, yada yada, cool then.
I always knew aliens were out there somewhere.

The books I found in a library on LOWAS, detailing everything about our session.
Or, well obviously not everything because I found no mention of trolls or universe creation.
Most of it was about the four of us as we should be and repeated mentions of "You're doomed, you're doomed, you're doomed, sucks to be you, none of you were ever meant to exist."
Though in much more flowery puzzle-language because that's just how the game works apparently.

[papshooshing]

Have fun in the dreambubbles?

I don't pretend to know what constitutes an alpha time line and a doomed one.

[grislytragedian]

Never made it there, unfortunately.
That was the plan, but after dying I woke up here instead.

[papshooshing]

Wow. You really got fucked over.

you didn't see that

[grislytragedian]

Yeah, pretty much.
So what's your story then?
Aside from creating our universe, how do you figure in to things?
Or did I misunderstand your initial comment?

'course not

[papshooshing]

It's long and fucking complicated. Also it's not a thing that's exactly over. When I left, we were sailing through paradox space, fleeing one session and hitting another game session.

At least, that was the plan according to Rose Lalonde.

[grislytragedian]

It's stillkind of funny to hear that.
Rose Lalonde.
Hehe.
Sounds like things really did go pretty far south though, if session hopping was involved.
I didn't even know that was possible.

[papshooshing]

Honestly? I didn't think it was either. Yet the Jack that was in the alternate version of your session managed to do it. It's probably because it was meant to happen. First Guardians get their powers from the Green Sun. If the explosion of my universe and your universe is what causes the Green Sun to even be, then yeah...

Fuck, it's making my think pan ache.