cyan_maid | Victory Road IC Inbox

By my calculations, you should be on or arriving at Route 31.
Am I correct?

If you mean there's no longer one long, unending path through the wilderness but in fact a sharp left with a hopefully shorter path, then yes.
Are you close by?

I'm standing at the sharp left and should be, theoretically, as close by as possible.

...I don't see you.
Not anywhere.
Are you sure you're at the sharp left?

Yes.
It's practically a ninety-degree angle.
It's sharp enough to perform highly advanced mathematical equations.
Where are you?

Literally where the left starts.
The trees have parted and there's no more grass and I think that's a cave entrance?
I mean, it's not right in front of me, but if I kept going straight for a while I'd be entering a cave.
Should I holler and see if you hear me?

You are describing our location without being anywhere in visible sight.
I would think a pair of Striders is hard to miss.
Holler at me, Jane.

There's two of you?!

[Oh wow she said that pretty loud. Does that count as a holler? She'll add a message as well:]

You brought your teen bro with you? Why didn't you say anything?

[He and Dave will probably be coming her way by the time she hits send, but. The thought counts.]

[ Well, that sounded real close. Is a tree blocking the view or something equally stupid? ]

Polo.

[ The best method of locating people. ]

It never came up.
I was leeching off his pokemon's 'FLY' ability.

Oh my God.

[Marco Polo, really? They're not even swimming. Let's start moving to get around these trees...she's going a bit fast, actually, so he will definitely hear her footsteps and pushing through any grass or brush if he's super close.]

Dirk? I can hear you, are you over here?

He's not, he just looks like he is. It sounds like you're here, though. Are you invisible, I thought that was someone else's thing.

[It's got to be difficult to miss a guy in a shirt this red.]

Olly olly oxen-free.

[BUT SUDDENLY, A PONYTA JUMPS OUT OF THE GRASS! Okay she doesn't actually jump so much as poke her head out slowly, calmly curious. What a magnificent creature who is also on fire.]

[~~Who the fuck is this douchebag~~

Okay so that's definitely not a familiar voice to Jane, but she does spot him just as she moves past a tree, blinking a bit owlishly. Her mouth opens, about to respond, when SUDDENLY A LIGHT SOURCE THAT IS ALSO A POKEMON]

- Whoa!

[Cue stumbling back a bit and looking at this beautiful Ponyta. And. All that fire that isn't setting things ablaze.]

O-Oh...my goodness...

That is someone else's thing. [ Roxy is a champion at hide-and-seek. How the fuck are they not seeing her?

Dirk scans the area around them without moving too far from his spot and - Oh. There she is. ]

So we almost made Jane fall on her ass with a fire pony. [ Ah. Jane. He's so happy to see her in person now. He moves a few steps closer to ~~lovingly stroke Ponyta's gorgeous head~~ properly greet Jane. The reunion is something he was looking forward too. The highly anticipated Alpha meet-up. He should really hug her or something instead of standing there like a stoic wall. Show how absolutely delighted he is that she's around.

Dirk raises a gloved hand ] Hey. [ Nailed it. ]

Edited 2016-07-29 17:03 (UTC)

'Sup.

[Dave is remembering, quite suddenly, the last time he saw Miss John's Hot Grandma 2012, so his nod to Jane is a little sideways and embarrassed. He stays close to his Ponyta and runs his hands soothingly (she doesn't need soothed, but maybe he does, a bit) along her neck, right in among the flames.]

I'm Dave, by the way. That one's paradoxical ecto-thing.

[He tilts his head at his brother, and Éowyn nudges Dirk in the back with her face, either to get him closer to Jane or maybe so she can get a better shot at eating the hem of his shirt.]

[It's a moment before Jane notices Dirk, and her huffed laugh at where he's been this whole time is tired, but genuine. Are they really that stupid? There was just a tree in the way this whole time? She hurries forward at that wave and pulls him into a warm hug. She hadn't seen him since the candy-striped idiocy incident, and hadn't talked to him since they woke up with a sugar hangover, waiting to die on their quest beds, so she is QUITE delighted to see him in he flesh and right as rain. Videos and text messages don't quite cut it, you know?]

Dirk! Hoo hoo, it's really you! [Is she bouncing on her heels a little bit? You bet she is. But she also turns to acknowledge Dave, no hint of recognition in her eyes whatsoever. I mean, besides the vague sense that she's probably seen an older, more famous version of him on the cover of some crappy tabloid in the grocery store. She raises a hand up and waves cheerily.]

Hello! It's nice to meet you, Dave! I didn't know you were coming. [She notices him petting the FIRE HORSE.] Gosh, is that Ponyta yours?

[ They thoroughly embarrassed themselves in front of Dave with that stunt. That was sheer stupidity. Dirk glances back and down at Éowyn at the nudge. Before he can figure out if that was to give him a social hint or to engage in typical pony behavior like ruining this really good shirt of his, Jane's got a hold of him.

Hugging Dirk is like hugging a cold pole for the two seconds it takes his brain to figure out what to do about it. He was all about this hug a moment ago and yet his spine goes straight and he just stands there with her wrapped around him. He needs to get better at this. The famous scene from Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff: The Moive props into his head, in which Wilson and Stiller initiate the bro-hug-bump with ridged oddly positioned limbs and a demeanor unlike those of actual people. A brilliant masterpiece, really.

That probably shouldn't be relatable right now.

He hugs back and squeezes her tightly, keeping her in his arms and as close as physically possible. Clinging to Jane because she means the world to him and he didn't realize how lost he felt here without any of his small group of friends until now. He hopes he returns how warm and comforting her hug feels. But maybe he hugs too tightly? Too suffocating?

She's free after enough hugging time to be just short of awkwardly long. He looks to Dave, because Jane's addressing him now. Note to self: Tell him about that scene. It'll be funnier now. ]

He named her after a Lord of the Rings character. [ Best name. ]

[D'awwww. Look at them. His li'l-big brother's all grown up and hugging friends.

(It's kind of weird. Should Dave be looking away, or is that weird? Maybe he'll just kind of half-look away, take advantage of the plausible deniability an impenetrable pair of collectible aviators gives him.)

He jumps a little when he realizes they're both looking at him and clears his throat into his fist.]

Yeah, well, you helped pay for her, I had to name her something S-class nerdy.

[Éowyn nickers and shakes her head, and Dave pets her again, nodding to Jane. Careful, careful. Maybe she doesn't remember him? Jade didn't remember being a bad dog, maybe it's like that.

Thank Christ.]

He'd've tried to walk here all by himself if I hadn't put him on a bird, so. Figured I'd come see the girl who merits such an extreme unspoken compliment with my own eyes and such. Plus I'm tight with your grandkids. I mean, your--

[Shit shit shit MOUTH, CONTROL YOURSELF]

Your ectobiological...John. And Jade. Your ectobiological those clowns.

[fRICK]

Oh, that's so nice! So she's...Galadriel?

[Have pity on this poor girl, she may be able to quote Murder on the Orient Express backwards to you, but all that high fantasy stuff just goes right over her head.

And Dirk the cold pole? Whatever. Even if that IS true, which it isn't in the slightest, he's still Dirk and she's still going to hug the dickens out of him until he wants to let go. Gotta respect boundaries and all that. It's a relief just to see a familiar face here, he can hug how he likes.

She mock-gasps at Dirk at the walking comment, but before she can chide him for even thinking of that (it's really okay, he'd already gone out of his way so much so far, she wouldn't have allowed him to really walk the whole way), but then her mind snags on two things. One, the unspoken compliments - because that's complete bullshit, they may have put the stupid romantic entanglements of Jake English behind them, from her perspective, but Dirk directing unspoken compliments to her? Oh good gosh and golly.

Two: grandkids. She knows John and Jade are...related to her, through the ectobiology whatsis. She knows it distantly and hazily, having been explained to a few times before and yet finding it too much to apply terms like "son" or "daughter" to either of them, even if they were true in the purely technical, genetic sense. For Dave to just whip a word out like that? It's so fucking weird. It's too fucking weird. It's-]

...Uh...you mean...my teen Poppop, and Jake's teen Grandma. I...figured you were. Friendly with them, I mean. You were all on your way to our session before I came here, right? So - yeah, I'd guess you'd have to be friends!

[Her words spill out stilted and awkward, but they ARE an attempt to not make things stilted and awkward. So. Uh. You tried, Jane.]

Éowyn.

[ Because everyone knows who that is, right? It's not nerdy, it's being well-versed in classic literature. Like a scholar.

He presses his lips together tightly at her mock-gasp. Dave totally blew up his spot about being willing to walk all the way to her. He doesn't mind the unspoken compliment part because he assumes that went without saying. Jane knows he has a high opinion of her but without knowing too much, right? (How do people actually share feelings?)

But it's generally stupid to go traversing the entire map by himself. He knows. She was about to scold him, wasn't she? A friendly scold but a scold nonetheless. Jane doesn't get to because Dave is saying unfortunate things.

What. Don't embarrass Jane. She's trying so hard. ...Shit. Now he's thinking about Jake as a grandpa again. Why is that such a tantalizing image? He's so fucked up.

Jane does remind him that she's not from the same point on the timeline again. Or the same timeline at all. It would make far more sense if she was from where everyone else seemed to be enlisted from and simply doesn't remember. Dave would catch on to that now, probably. How do you fill her in without causing pain? ]

"Have to." As if he had no other choice. Accept the friendship or face the consequences of rejecting the Crocker family tree.

[All unaware he just did the embarrassing dad thing with the compliments, Dave just puts his hands in his pockets, shrugs a little, nods.]

You know, it was kind of like that? Never try to tell the J-team "no" about friendship. They're hardcore. I'm shakin' in my boots at the very thought.

[Agh no why is he going more Texan, holy shit, mouth, stop that. Maybe no one will notice. Maybe Jane's used to it, Dave's pretty sure Dirk sounds more Texan than he does 90% of the time but then again Dave doesn't really hear himself when he talks. Which is probably a blessing, really, if he always sounds this stupid.]

Speaking of them, I bet they'll be real excited to see you again, too. Or...meet you for the first time, or meet the non-old version of you. I admit even I'm kind of confused about when what was supposed to happen for everybody, the timelines are hella fucked.

[And hopefully she's not from the most hella fucked one of theshhyyyeah right, the odds are not in their favor, here.]

So, yeah, I'm here to offer you a ride back with us, like. You know, if you want to? ...And if you're okay with heights.

Ah, okay. I must've missed her.

[Jane is, unfortunately, not as well versed in the ways of Middle Earth. Hobbits and Elves just don't have the right kind of mustache game. And yes, she was going to gently, kindly scold him. And then thank him. Because that's what friends do.

Frankly, Dave's internal debate over which Strider is the most Texan and Dirk's timeline dilemma are not picked up by Jane. She crinkles her nose and smiles, her previous awkward feelings forgotten for now.] Please, don't ask me about timelines, okay? I'm lucky I can keep up with the linear stuff! Let's just call it a...first reunion, I guess.

[A shrug, and she pushes the memory of clinging to Roxy's waist and dangling over the ocean on Dirk's rocket board far, far back into her mind.] As long as I've got a firm grip on whatever I'm on, I don't mind heights. So yes, I would indeed like a ride to whichever place you've come from. Goodness knows I'd be half out of my mind if I tried to walk!

[ The inability to tell the J-team no is from Jane's side. He'd jokingly state that out loud but that would require reminding her about the genetics. And thinking about what would come from Jake's side.

There's been enough awkwardness for the day concerning that specific topic, thank you.

The timelines are hella fucked. Dirk can't stop thinking about it now. There he goes, half paying attention because he's deep in thought about this. Drawing up the outline to the new plan. He's really going to have to figure out how to place Jane. Assuming Jane's simply behind on his is out of the question because surely a discrepancy would pop up and throw everything completely out of alignment, raising questions for her and perhaps causing a panic or she'll skeptically never believe him when he explains and start living a lie. He'll have to ask her questions. Gentle probing and once there is enough data to accurately determine what went on, he can decide how best to approach. The most apparent question would involve the sprites, as Vriska had been the one to pop up to put something in his, he's going to assume she had some say in the three other ones. Her existence would be the differentiating point, yes? Or not? Was she in the other timeline?

It suddenly occurs to him that he knows absolutely nothing about what went on in either timeline because Jade punched him and popped him into the fucking veil. He will have to gently probe everyone, stepping around uncomfortable topics, find the discrepancies and figure this out. Leave Jane out of the loop for as long as it takes and solve this on his own. Yes. Good plan. ]

Yes, you would be half out of your mind if you attempted walking. [ It seems he's half out of his mind? Well. ]

Here's the first bit of our new radio drama! Casting is listed at top, we'll record through the week. It's called The Black Cofagrigus of Death, and it's appropriately spooky.

Attached file of script.

Oh my goodness, this is lovely and so wonderfully spooky! I'll be practicing with my Pokemon in the meantime, Miss Fitz, don't you worry! I'll be the best Mrs. Sawyer you ever heard!

Thank you. I can't take the credit, it's a show that I remember from home. But Mr. Jack helped me with editing and cleaning it up, and making more geared toward this world's audience.

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