Sglitch

[Karo]

-- gallowsCalibrator [GC] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] --
GC: D4V3
GC: D4V3 1F YOUR3 TH3R3
GC: TH1S 1S B4D D4V3
GC: R34LLY B4D
GC: L1K3 YOU DONT 3V3N KNOW HOW B4D
GC: L1K3 WORS3 TH4N W3 THOUGHT B4D
GC: D4V3
GC: FUCK1NG 4NSW3R M3


Sure, she was being a bit impatient, hastily slamming on her keys without so much as a pause letting the human boy respond. Perhaps the unending dings of the notifications would get his attention faster.

Terezi drummed her fingers on the worn keys of her computer, the screen smudged and smeared as usual. It wasn't as if she needed to see the screen. It didn't bother her any. The Troll girl sighed impatiently as she waited for the familiar bleep of a response.

Maybe, if she just...

Her hand moved to the mouse, the cursor hovering over her Trollian window for a brief moment. No. She needed the Dave from now. Any further ahead might be too late, and any sooner he might not have the information she needed from him.

They had been stuck in this...god awful void for too long. Nearly a sweep and a half. Or...what was it the humans called them? Years? Something like that. According to one of them it had been three of those. No real matter, though.

It didn't feel like it had been that long. But they all showed it. They were older, nearing the adult age that they would have been shipped off to conquest or whatever job had been lined up for them. But no. Here they were, the last of a dying race from a planet that no longer existed talking to these aliens that might be their only real hope for success.

Except most of the others had given up. Their session was glitched. Ruined. Nothing they could do could fix it.

There was still that faint glimmer of hope, though. At least, if this worked.

GC: D4V3
GC: 1 KNOW YOUR3 TH3R3
GC: TH1S 1S 1MPORT4NT!

 

[Ahren]

Dave laid upon his Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff themed bed as he laid his arm across his eyes in slothlike futility. There was no point in looking at the sky in the Land of Heat and Clockwork. It was and endless void of darkness, not unlike their entire game session. Calling it a game was basically just a technicality at this point, as it had evolved into their lives. Three years with only the vaguest social contact. Their world was gone and nothing was going to bring it back.

Something had happened. It was impossible to tell what, but even the Knight of Time himself couldn't seem to rectify it. That could only mean that his timeline was doomed. Proper fucked.

Their adversary had disappeared, but no reward was presented. So defeat wasn't his likely outcome. It didn't seem like him to hide, so it was almost as if he had been erased. If that was the case then there was no way to win and no way to end the session...

Dave's red plush puppet tux was a bit tattered at this point. He could always alchemize another, but what was the point? He was rarely around anyone enough for it to matter. He kept his distance from John and Jade at this point. They were still painfully optimistic and it irritated him. Rose, the only one who could possibly know anything, had been silent for the entire three years.

The large grey air conditioner whirred and rumbled next to him. This was his home now. The landscape was nothing but gears, metal, and endless lava. How appropriate that it fit many common descriptions of Hell...

He nearly missed the beeping of his iShades. Someone was pestering or trolling him, but even upon noticing he still wondered if it was worth grabbing them. He really didn't feel like talking to anyone right now. He grabbed them to at least turn off the sound notification, but when he noticed who it was something compelled him to answer...

GC: D4V3
GC: 1 KNOW YOUR3 TH3R3
GC: TH1S 1S 1MPORT4NT!
TG: oh good here we go
TG: is it tuesday again ive been losing track
TG: im excited to have this conversation again for the six hundredth time
TG: like you even have to tell me things are bad
TG: jesus christ
TG: i dont even know why you still talk to me
TG: pretty much all your other assmunch friends gave up or something
TG: if it wasnt a universal fucking felony to off someone as awesome as i am i might have done an olympic gold medal winning backflip into this lava a long ass time ago
TG: just get on with it

 

[Karo]

Ah. There he was. Even with the the obvious snark to his answer, she couldn't help but flash a fang-filled grin at her monitor. Of course things were looking bad for them, she hadn't expected his response to be anything less than scathing. Even in better circumstances, it was the response she had come to expect from him.

Perhaps it was the familiarity that kept her grinning as her fingers flew over the keys as she replied.

GC: OH WOW!
GC: ST1LL TH3 S4M3 COOL K1D 4S 4LW4YS
GC: NOT 3V3N 4LL TH4T F1R3 4ND L4V4 C4N CH4NG3 TH4T
GC: COOL K1D D4V3
GC: JUST 4LW4YS SO SMOOTH
GC: JUST L1K3 TH1S
GC: http://i42.tinypic.com/119tk0o.jpg
GC: 1 3V3N DR3W YOU 4NOTH3R P1CTUR3 L1K3 1 US3D TO!
GC: 1 TH1NK 1V3 GOTT3N 4 LOT B3TT3R >:]
GC: B3S1D3S! DONT YOU TH1NK 1 TRY TO F1ND 3V3RY 3XCUS3 TO G3T TO T4ST3 YOUR D3L1C1OUS R3D WR1T1NG?
GC: BUT S3R1OUSLY D4V3!
GC: 1 TH1NK 1 M1GHT H4V3 F1GUR3D SOM3TH1NG 1MPORT4NT OUT!
GC: W3 M1GHT NOT B3 4S FUCK3D 4S W3 THOUGHT W3 W3R3
GC: W3 M1GHT B3 4BL3 TO F1X TH1NGS


It was true. Everyone else, everyone who had made it through alive, had given up. There was nothing left for them, they were a dead race with a dead world and a dead session. Perhaps it was a wont of anything more productive that had lead Terezi to thoroughly scour their logs, their memories of their game, everything that might hold any sort of relevant information for them. The others seemed content enough to live out whatever short remainder of their lives in this dark little void of the universe.

Besides. It was an excuse to start a conversation up with Dave again. Of course, this little tidbit of information would stay carefully out of their chat logs.

 

[Ahren]

TG: i guess thats understandable
TG: what lady wouldnt want my bod
TG: sorry got cut off there
TG: bodacious red text
TG: goddamn this picture
TG: nothing cheers a guy up like a couple shitty photos ripped from google image search scribbled on by a blind alien chick
TG: you know ironically that would be sarcasm from anyone else in the universe
TG: but for some reason i mean it sincerely
TG: look at that guy the heat aint nothing but a warm summer breeze to him
TG: bet he drinks that lava like the freshest apple juice
TG: this belongs in a museum

He tried to conceal a smile. She could probably still see him through her viewport, and he didn't want to make it too obvious that he was happy to see her frantic, excitable text. Then again, she couldn't actually see him... Would she be able to taste or smell his smile? Who knew with that girl and her fucked up, inhuman senses.

He sat up from the bed he alchemized from a mattress and a Sweet Bro & Hella Jeff drawing which rested on the roof of his home. At first he wasn't sure why he put it there, but perhaps it was because he knew if he woke up every day in his room then he might delude himself into thinking things had gone back to normal. That this entire game was just one fucked up dream.

This way he could open his eyes to the black sky and immediately remember nothing had changed. Nothing changed and nothing would ever change apart from him probably dying like a chump at some point. Again.

So why was Terezi insisting she figured something out? That wasn't possible...

TG: anyway have you been snorting gamzees faygo or some shit
TG: because you must be astonishingly high or something to suggest you found a solution
TG: there is no solution
TG: we tried everything
TG: i cant even travel back and prevent it like the time you punked john into offing himself like a chump
TG: everytime i do things are already pre fucked because the anomaly is still there persisting through the timeline like an arnold schwarzenegger on a donut diet sized tumor
TG: by now were in such a doomed offshoot timeline the only way it could get any more offshot was if you aka a blind person took the rifle and fired while having an epileptic seizure during a dubstep dance party
TG: so how are we not fucked

His cynicism was cranked to maximum, and it was unlikely that anyone would blame him at this point. Something fucked up their session. Nobody knew how, what or why, but so much time had been spent just trying to salvage what they could. He wouldn't admit it, but at this point he was lonely. Still, a part of him still held onto hope that Terezi was right.

 

[Karo]

Her vaguely shark-like grin widened at his response. Sarcasm or no, his responses always had that way of earning a grin or laugh from her. She had taken less to monitoring him, any of the humans, really, but had taken fairly well to figuring out his genuine responses from his ironic, sarcastically enthusiastic ones. A smell or taste, perhaps? She chuckled at the thought; all of his writing tasted the same. It was a silly thought.

GC: CMON D4V3! TH4T W4S FUNNY! JOHN W4S F1N3 R1GHT? 1 W4S T34CH1NG YOU SOM3TH1NG
GC: 1F 4NYTH1NG YOU SHOULD B3 TH4NK1NG M3
GC: DO1NG SUCH 4 B1G F4VOR L1K3 TH4T!
GC: NOT 3V3RYON3 WOULD B3 W1LL1NG TO K1LL OFF ON3 OF YOUR FR13NDS FOR YOU >:]
GC: 4NYW4Y
GC: B4CK TO TH3 PROBL3M 4T H4ND
GC: W3LL 1TS NOT N3C3SS4R1LY 4 SOLUT1ON
GC: 1 JUST S41D 1 F1GUR3D SOM3TH1NG OUT
GC: 1TS NOT TH3 S4M3 TH1NG!
GC: OBV1OUSLY WH4T H4PP3N3D W4SNT SUPPOS3D TO H4PP3N
GC: SOM3TH1NG W3NT WRONG
GC: R34LLY WRONG
GC: WH3R3 1T W4SNT SUPPOS3D TO
GC: WH4T 1M TRY1NG TO S4Y D4V3 1S TH4T TH3 G4M3 GL1TCH3D 4ND 1T SOM3HOW 4FF3CT3D BOTH OF OUR S3SS1ONS

 

[Ahren]

The blonde teen slowly stepped to the edge of the roof, gazing down to the fiery void below. It all seemed meaningless now. Everything they had done.

He proceeded to take a seat at the edge, remaining stonefaced throughout the conversation.

TG: forget about the john thing i was just making a point
TG: anyway what do you mean a glitch
TG: was jack noir crossing sessions was not fucked up enough
TG: tell me ace legislacerator
TG: or whatever you called it
TG: what did your morbid investigations discover that was bad enough to affect us both


Dave still remained skeptical, but he figured there was no harm in hearing Terezi out. As crazy as she could be, she had been fairly intelligent and even helpful during their session... at least when she wasn't getting his friends killed or even him personally...

It was a complicated relationship with many layers...

 

[Karo]

GC: OK D4V3 BUT YOUR3 TH3 ON3 WHO BROUGHT 1T UP!
GC: 1 M34N 1TS 4 GL1TCH
GC: 1F 1 KN3W MOR3 TH4N TH4T 1 WOULD H4V3 S41D SOM3TH1NG
GC: 1 DONT R34LLY KNOW MUCH MOR3 TH4N TH4T Y3T
GC: 4LL 1 KNOW 1S TH4T 1TS 4FF3CT1NG BOTH OF OUR S3SS1ONS SO OBV1OUSLY 1TS PR3TTY B4D
GC: 4ND TH4T OBV1OUSLY SOM3TH1NG W3NT R34LLY WRONG SOM3WH3R3
GC: WORS3 TH4N WH4T W3 H4D THOUGHT
GC: TH1S 1S MOR3 TH4N JUST NO1R FUCK1NG TH1NGS UP D4V3



She sighed as her fingers frantically flew over her keys. For once, Dave's sarcastic responses were becoming somewhat grating. This wasn't the time to be withholding information from him, particularly considering he might be part of the way they could fix things.

GC: 1 KNOW YOUR T1M3 TH1NG H4SNT B33N WORK1NG L4T3LY
GC: 4ND F1RST 1 TH1NK W3 N33D TO G3T TH4T SOLV3D
GC: F1GUR3 OUT WH3R3 W3 C4N F1X TH4T SO YOU C4N ST4RT HOPP1NG 4ROUND TO F1X TH1NGS 4G41N
GC: TH4TS WH4T YOUR3 GOOD 4T
GC: F1X1NG TH1NGS
GC: 4ND W3 N33D YOU TO F1X TH1NGS NOW

 

[Ahren]

Dave sighed softly. It wasn't unusual for sarcasm to drip from every word, even when it was just text being shown over a chat client, but this time he was using it to shield himself from giving away his true feelings on the matter. That things seemed hopeless at this point. Perhaps he wasn't giving Terezi enough credit, though. Somehow, as odd as it seemed at the time, she had guided him in the right direction before.

TG: alright
TG: but it sounds like you dont know much
TG: so this is just the blind leading the blind
TG: in a literal for you figurative for me sense

He decided not to respond to the part where she claimed he fixed things. That happened one time. It wasn't like he reached some arbitrary level on his echeladder donning him the title of Time Cop Buckaneer or some other nonsense. If anyone was going to fix anything it was probably John. John was supposed to be the hero.

TG: i guess i never considered my time travel being broken
TG: i thought it was just the result of whatever we fucked up
TG: but if it can be fixed then yeah maybe i could go back and stop whatever glitched us out
TG: but i dont even know where to start
TG: this is the part where i would ask rose
TG: and shed drone into some fucking lengthy perfumy monologue like some rotting victorian poet slash mental patient
TG: instead of just telling me where to go like a human being
TG: or even a troll being

That had been part of the problem. Rose was the Seer of Light and had access to all sorts of otherworldly knowledge and shit he didn't quite understand. That and she was just generally a pretty intelligent girl.

But three years ago when everything started going bad... well, worse... she disappeared. She had gone dark in the Trollian viewports and wouldn't respond to any messages. John had been the last one to see her. Said she was acting strange and speaking like a cat coughing up a particularly nasty hairball. After being ambushed and stabbed by Jack Noir, John was lucky enough to have already reached God Tier status. He came back to life, but neither Rose or Jack were anywhere in sight.

TG: hey youre the seer of some shit too right
TG: got any suggestions

 

[Karo]

GC: D4V3 NOW 1SNT TH3 T1M3 FOR BL1ND JOK3S >:[
GC: BUT Y3S
GC: OBV1OUSLY 1F YOUR T1M3 TR4V3L STUFF 1SNT WORK1NG R1GHT
GC: 1TS BROK3N
GC: TH3R3S SOM3TH1NG GO1NG ON H3R3
GC: W3 C4N F1X 1T W3 C4N TRY 4T L34ST


This hopeless vibe she was getting, this non-motivation to even try and fix things. It was just like all of her friends on this meteor. They had given up, set to live out whatever time they had left just floating through this void. No goals, nothing to live for, nothing to die for even. Just...waiting around until their time was done and they'd be long forgotten.

The idea itself was just so depressing.

Not that she hadn't been guilty of it herself. Hell, she wasn't even sure if they could even come up with a plan that would get them out of this mess. It had started simply as a distraction to keep herself from going crazy waiting for the inevitable.

GC: Y34H 1 GU3SS 1M SUPPOS3D TO B3 4 S33R OR SOM3TH1NG
GC: BUT DONT YOU TH1NK 1D H4V3 TOLD YOU 4NYTH1NG 1 FOUND OUT W1TH TH4T STUFF 4LR34DY?
GC: 1 C4NT JUST G3T 4NSW3RS OUT OF NOWH3R3

 

[Ahren]

TG: alright alright
TG: listen give me some time to think
TG: ill get back to you

-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering gallowsCalibrator [GC] --

Dave switched off the chat client and sighed again. It seemed that Terezi's Seer powers were a different sorts from Rose's. That was too bad, because right now there weren't a lot of options and they could really use some faux-intellectual pseudo-omnipotence right about now.

The rouge-suited teen rubbed his forehead cluelessly. So what next?

DAVESPRITE: you finished arguing with your girlfriend
DAVE: holy shit
DAVE: dont sneak up on me like that
DAVESPRITE: sorry its not like i can make ominous footsteps or anything


Dave turned suddenly to see an all-too familiar face. His own. Though considerably more... orange. Davesprite floated with wings subtly flapping as he crossed his arms in idle curiosity.

DAVE: i guess i should apologize
DAVE: you went back to save us
DAVE: prototyped yourself
DAVE: and suffered through me being called real dave for nothing now
DAVE: just another doomed timeline
DAVESPRITE: lifes a bitch and then you turn into a floating orange bird person
DAVESPRITE: but it could be worse
DAVE: how do you figure
DAVESPRITE: well you could be stuck on that meteor with karkat sandyvag
DAVESPRITE: its a miracle terezi hasnt gone fucking crazy yet
DAVESPRITE: well
DAVESPRITE: crazier
DAVE: thank god for small miracles i guess
DAVE: shit the juggalo one was right all along
DAVE: miracles all around us
DAVESPRITE: yeah anyway whats your plan now
DAVE: dont know
DAVE: was kinda hoping to ask you actually
DAVESPRITE: my sprite programming doesnt tell me about shit
DAVESPRITE: other than informing me the shit is broken
DAVE: well terezi seems convinced the time travel is fucked in a way separate to how everything else is fucked
DAVE: maybe shes right but where would i even begin to know where to fix that
DAVESPRITE: huh cant say i even considered that option
DAVE: well neither did i
DAVESPRITE: no shit maybe thats because were the same person
DAVE: sometimes i forget
DAVESPRITE: you and everyone else
DAVE: sorry
DAVESPRITE: nevermind
DAVESPRITE: it gives me an idea
DAVESPRITE: go to the denizen of lohac
DAVESPRITE: hephaestus
DAVE: oh right the inexplicably grecco roman deity just hanging the fuck out in our game
DAVE: assuming hes even still there
DAVE: what good will going to him do
DAVESPRITE: he can fix things
DAVE: fair enough
DAVE: so fucking glad you dont do the cryptic vague bullshit the other sprites do
DAVESPRITE: yeah
DAVE: youre a pretty awesome guy dave
DAVESPRITE: i know


--

In the dark recesses of The Veil, the remaining trolls continued to spin about their doomed asteroid. The glare of a video feed reflected off the face of one in particular. His lip quivered as credits began to roll on the screen. Quickly he glanced around, making sure no one was there to see his emotional reactions to the human film. He had to maintain his composure. It may have been over a sweep since things had gone bad (Well, worse) but he wasn't giving up. The leader never gave up. He just needed something to inspire him. Even if that meant viewing countless hours of human romantic comedies.

It was getting a bit lonely though... He pulled up the Trollian window in order to contact his friend in the quickest manner possible, despite her not being terribly far away...

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC]

CG: TEREZI. COME WATCH THIS HUMAN FILM WITH ME.
CG: IT'S CALLED 'EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH' WITH A SURPRISINGLY FUNNY HUMAN NAMED DANE COOK.
CG: FUNNY ENOUGH TO WHERE I ALMOST DON'T WANT TO PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE A MILLION FUCKING TIMES.
CG: THE KEY WORD THERE BEING *ALMOST*.
CG: I KNOW THAT TITLE DOESN'T TELL YOU FUCK ALL WHAT IT'S ABOUT BUT JUST TRUST ME IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.
CG: BUT HOLY SHIT HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS ARE SO ONE DIMENSIONAL. LIKE I ALMOST FEEL SORRY FOR THEM AND THEIR SHALLOW, PATHETIC ROMANCES.
CG: I'D SOON RATHER TAKE A RUSTY SPOON AND DISEMBOWEL MYSELF, PLACING MY ORGANS INTO NICE, LABELED JARS BEFORE TRYING TO EXPERIENCE A LIFE WITH ONLY A SINGLE QUADRANT.
CG: BUT JEGUS, HOW'D WE GET STUCK WITH THESE BUCKTOOTH SHITSTAIN HUMANS IF CHARMING SPECIMENS LIKE THIS DANE COOK EXIST? I FEEL LIKE FATE DECIDED TO JUST DECIDED TO GIVE US ONE BIG MIDDLE FINGER IN THAT ASPECT.
CG: SO COME WATCH IT WITH ME. WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE TO DO?
CG: AND IF YOU TELL ME YOU'RE TALKING WITH STRIDER AGAIN I WILL LET LOOSE A SONIC EXPLETIVE THAT WILL SHATTER THIS ASTEROID APART.

 

[Karo]

-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering gallowsCalibrator [GC] --

Shame their conversation had ended so quickly. Even if it was a far shot, Terezi truly believed there was a way to solve this problem, to maybe turn this session around. At least fix things so they weren't all stuck like they were.

She ignored the accusations that she was simply using this research time to have more conversations with the Dave human.

The chat window was closed quickly, and she watched the icon on her screen for a short while. Of course, watched wasn't exactly the word for it, but she knew where it was. Maybe if she just...nudged it forward a bit...

Another chat window interrupted her thoughts. Damn. Seemed it would have to wait.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC]

Not exactly the troll she wanted to talk to at the moment, but he was a friend, after all. A least she should give him a bit of her time. She had been somewhat neglecting her companions on this meteor quite a bit lately.

GC: 1N C4S3 YOUV3 FORGOTT3N
GC: TH1S COOK GUY DO3SNT 3X1ST 4NY MOR3 31TH3R
GC: SO W3R3 STUCK W1TH TH3 HUM4NS TH4T W3 H4V3 FOR NOW
GC: 1 M34N 1TS PROB4BLY GO1NG TO B3 4LL W3R3 STUCK W1TH BUT YOU KNOW WH4T 1 M34N
GC: 1 DONT S33 WHY YOUR3 SO CONC3RN3D W1TH 4 MOV13 NOW
GC: 1 M34N 1F YOUR3 JUST GO1NG TO S1T 4ROUND 4ND W4TCH YOUR SH1TTY ROM4NC3 HUM4N MOV13S TH3N F1N3
GC: BUT 1 DONT G3T WHY YOU TH1NK 1TS SO 1MP3R4T1V3 TH4T 1 COM3 TH3R3 TO P4RT4K3 1N TH1S M1S3R4BL3 L1TTL3 P4ST1M3 W1TH YOU
GC: 1 GU3SS 1 C4N HUMOR YOU FOR 4 WH1L3 THOUGH
GC: 1F 1TLL M4K3 YOU F33L B3TT3R
GC: 1LL SHOW UP 1N 4 L1TTL3 WH1L3 1 GU3SS
GC: M4YB3 1TLL B3 OV3R BY TH3 T1M3 1 G3T DOWN TH3R3 >:]

gallowsCalibrator [GC] ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG]


She purposefully left out the details of her conversations with Dave, or that they happened at all. Karkat would be true to his promise of the epic flipout that would happen if she had been conversing with him again. Oh, well. Perhaps he'd find out soon enough, but until then, leaving him hanging was at least a bit of amusement for her.

She grabbed her cane and adjusted the glasses that sat on the bridge of her nose before heading out of the little room she had claimed as her own. Despite being friends, spending over an entire sweep with who remained of their friends would be testing on all of them if they didn't have a way to escape from each other on occasion.

Not quite the same as her long-destroyed respite block back on Alternia, but it was better than nothing.

There was a hollow tapping on the ground as she made her way to where Karkat was most likely holed up with his dumb movie. While her other senses often made up for her lack of sight, it was still helpful to have something to make sure there wasn't anything she was about to trip over on the ground in front of her.

 

[Ahren]

Dave deployed on his rocket board, looking rather ridiculous in his matching red suit. It didn't really matter. He wanted to get where he was going quickly, and it wasn't like anyone was watching him anyway.

-- ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] --

EB: woah dave! looking super cool, buddy! pchoooooooo!
TG: egbert what the royal fancy king of fucks
TG: how are you seeing this
EB: jade's 8-ball glasses, remember? i seeeeeeee evvvvvvvverything! wooooooooeeeeeeeeoooooooo
TG: kinda weird youre spying on me
TG: i mean
TG: i know im irresistible and sexy but still
EB: yes, that is exactly why i am watching you. i love you, dave.
TG: thanks
EB: j/k haha you are actually really ugly and no one loves you.
TG: good one
EB: seriously though, where are you off to in such a hurry? why don't you come chill out with me and jade?
TG: im going to the denizen
TG: i need to fix my broke ass time travel
TG: so i can fix our game
TG: once and for all
EB: dave, you're not even god tier yet! you'll get yourself killed!
EB: doesn't this sound all really familiar? some stupid guy rocketing off to get his face messed up by a really tough dude?
EB: and the much cooler, sensible guy talking him out of it?
TG: consider me fully informed on the irony of the situation
TG: john im not going to fight him
TG: davesprite told me that hephaestus knows how to fix things
TG: if he can fix the time travel then i can go back again
TG: i hope
TG: i mean who fucking knows anymore
TG: rose would probably
TG: just trust me ok
EB: alright........
EB: but at least promise me you'll get out of there if things get too heavy
TG: yeah as soon as things start looking like they might get heavier than the ass of a fat lady who inherited a chocolate factory ill peace out
TG: but im done sitting around wasting away in this fucking place
TG: something has to be done
EB: i know........ hey, do you want me to come with? back you up?
TG: no i think this is something i gotta do on my own
EB: ugh, when will you get over that! we're friends! we're supposed to help each other!
TG: ill talk to you later john

-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] --

The blonde teen continued his upward movement into the dark horizon toward the seventh gate. A red spirograph hovering in midair awaiting the Hero of Time to enter and face his denizen. Unfortunately, Dave didn't quite know what to expect. Davesprite had informed him that Hephaestus was a bit angry the first time he approached. Kept going off about some sort of Forge. Turned out the guy was just super frustrated when it appeared Jade wasn't entering the medium. The forge was important to completing the game.

But that was in another timeline. The forge existed in this timeline as Jade had successfully made it in. So perhaps he'd be a bit more willing to chat this time around...

He couldn't help but feel nervous either way.

---

Meanwhile, the former so-called leader of the troll party grumbled to himself as he read Terezi's response. Most of his irritation came from not being able to respond before she promptly logged off. For all he knew, she had no intention of watching movies with him and just wanted him to stop bothering her. It wasn't until he heard the light tapping of her cane down the hall that he perked up and moved to the door. He tried to keep his jubilation upon seeing Terezi approaching to a minimum.

KARKAT: YES, EXCELLENT. I KNEW YOU WOULD COME TO YOUR SENSES.
KARKAT: MAYBE YOU'RE FINALLY WILLING TO ADMIT MY SUGGESTION WAS A GOOD ONE.
KARKAT: OKAY, I'LL CONCEDE THAT THESE HUMAN FILMS ARE BARELY BETTER THAN A ROTTING HOOFBEAST UDDER BUT WHAT FUCKING CHOICE DO I HAVE?
KARKAT: I'VE SEEN ALL OF OUR FILMS.
KARKAT: AND IF I HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH A PARTICULARLY AWFUL ONE THEN I'D PREFER TO DO IT WITH A FRIEND.
KARKAT: SO EXCUUUUUUSE ME FOR NOT WANTING TO SPEND EVERY SECOND OF THIS MISERABLE EXISTENCE ALONE.
KARKAT: SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION: YES, IT WILL MAKE ME FEEL BETTER.
KARKAT: THANK YOU.

The past sweep had done little to mellow out the crabby troll, who still spoke loudly and obnoxiously. He ducked back into the room which he had claimed for himself. The strange laboratory that occupied their meteor was full of confusing contraptions, large closets and hidden passageways that they were still discovering even now.

This particular room was dark and off to the side so he wouldn't be bothered most of the time. It was littered with trashy troll romance novels and movie posters now, but Karkat didn't give a shit. They lived here so might as well make it like the hive.

KARKAT: OKAY, LET ME CATCH YOU UP ON WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE MOVIE SO FAR.
KARKAT: I WAS NICE AND PAUSED IT ONCE YOU STATED YOU WERE COMING DOWN.
KARKAT: YOU'RE WELCOME.
KARKAT: OH BY THE WAY I'M PERFECTLY AWARE YOU WERE TALKING WITH STRIDER.
KARKAT: I CAN TELL THIS BECAUSE OCCASIONALLY I STILL CHECK ON THE HUMANS.
KARKAT: PRE-EMPTIVE FUCK YOU TO WHATEVER YOU WERE GOING TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
KARKAT: THE SMUG PRICK SMILED AND HE ONLY SEEMS TO DO THAT WHEN TALKING WITH YOU, THESE DAYS. IT'S SICKENING.
KARKAT: BET HE'S ALL MOPEY AGAIN NOW THAT I DRAGGED YOU AWAY. SERVES HIM RIGHT. HE SHOULD BE BOTHERING HIS IDIOT HUMAN FRIENDS.

Karkat waltzed back to his computer and curiously pulled up the Trollian window. He hoped to bring up Dave's viewport and prove himself right about the moping, but was instead greeted with the sight of a flying coolkid blasting off into the sky toward a dangerous looking gate. His eyes widened in surprise almost immediately.

KARKAT: SWEET BLEEDING JEGUS.

Karkat quickly looked back to Terezi. Okay, that was probably not the right reaction to have. Damage control time.

KARKAT: I MEAN
KARKAT: OH, THERE HE IS. BEING AS FUCKING LAME AND BORING AS USUAL AND CERTAINLY NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT LOOKS BORDERLINE SUICIDAL.

Karkat smacked his forehead. That went about as well as expected.

--

As the gate swiftly approached, Dave fired up the chat client once more. Perhaps it would be wise to inform Terezi of the plan. After all, she was essentially his partner in crime. For once, however, he was having trouble thinking what to say.

-- turntechGodhead [TG] began trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC] --

TG: okay so i came up with an idea
TG: and by i i mean davesprite
TG: who is me so i do still mean i
TG: its a bit dangerous but itll be fine
TG: you there tz?
TG: guess youre busy
TG: okay well i might not be able to reply very much soon so
TG: you know
TG: thanks
TG: for setting things in motion again
TG: anyway later

-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC] --