======> Arrive Conveniently Early
Vruasa Telash, being the KNIGHT OF TIME of his own game, is keenly aware of the things that are going to happen which are immediately relevant to him. He is FAR FROM A SEER, but so long as HE NEEDS TO BE SOMEWHERE IN THE FUTURE, he can intuit how and why with relatively little effort. So it happens that just outside of the crater — exactly far enough outside of it to not be in any danger from the impact, as a matter of fact — there is a troll seated upon a black lawn chair. He is sipping something from a blue-tinted plastic cup, which may or may not itself be blue-tinted.
The meteor strikes down in front of him, shaking the surrounding area violently. It might have been an earthquake or some other natural disaster, if it was not a mysteriously intact meteor. But the Knight of Time knew that it would be here, because he was always going to be here to greet the very important person that would turn up as a result of the meteor fall.
He looks up at the meteor.
And sips his drink annoyingly loudly while he waits.
It's a little bit before anything happens beyond smoke and steam wafting from the edges of the mostly subterranian home/spaceship. A couple minutes really. Finally though a hatch at the very top clangs open loudly and /almost/ dramatically.
A red gloved hand is the first thing to appear out of the opening, though a fair bit of grumbling can be heard for some time before that. It is mostly echoing swears and complaints about how stupid the person who made this thing was.
/Finally/, after what has probably been half a dozen paragraphs, Red's head pops into view as he sticks most of his upper body out of the hatch. His forehead is bleeding a little bit, and beneath the blatant frustration there is a hint of worry if not fear. He cautiously looks around, searching for signs of danger.
He finds Vruasa. The teenager squints, frowning at what looks like a weird imp in a stylish outfit doing something other than running around causing random mayhem for no reason Red ever could decipher. He removes his FN pistol from his Strife deck to his right hand as he climbs the rest of the way out, facing the potential threat.
"Of /course/ you have red blood. Fucking humans and your single blood type." Vruasa immediately complains upon catching sight of Red emerging from the meteor. He doesn't bother getting up, and in fact taking an annoyingly long and /exceptionally loud/ sip on his drink. Then he sets it aside on a little plastic table that apparently came with the lawn chair, which has totally been here the entire time. The knight's first reaction to the pistol coming out is to threaten, but he's pretty sure that would just escalate the situation and, frankly, he can't be bothered right now.
So he just shakes his head.
"No, I am pretty sure that is not a thing that we are going to do today." He declares confidently, laying back in his lawn chair and folding his hands behind his head like a pillow. "Personally I'd prefer to be fucking sleeping right now, but nooooo, I have to be here to deal with the goddamned falling meteors all over again."
Shaking his head he goes on, "So anyway, you can call me DL. I'm here to tell you that whatever you're going to do from here, Session 412 is the place to do it. You /do/ have a pesterchum handle or a trolltag already, right?"
God this guy is like the annoying tutorial to a video game sequel that nobody really needs.
Only you kind of do.
Oooookay then. Not an imp. Red doesn't know what the funny looking thing is, but at least it doesn't seem to be hostile. Just annoying.
"Uh-huh…" Red doesn't put the pistol back up, but he obviously doesn't seem inclined to use it at this point. He's more puzzled than defensive/aggressive now. At least, until Session 412 is mentioned. THAT gets a reaction, that's for sure. The young man looks a little stunned, surprised at what should be great news, even if it just doesn't mean as much to him as he had hoped.
He had made it. But now what?
It takes Red several long seconds to process the snark, information, and stunning revelation all at once, and a range of emotions from relief, happiness, sorrow, and anger fight for supremacy on his face.
He decides to settle on somewhat angry.
"So that's how it's gonna be. You're the psychic welcome wagon came to greet the new players, who no doubt are supposed to stumble around dumbly looking shocked and stuff, following along unable to get a word in edgewise. No. I'm not playing that role. I've got a pesterchum handle, but I'm not doing a thing unless I get a decent answer of who and what you are. A pair of initials is not good enough at this point."
Oh yeah. He is starting to look pretty angry for some reason.
Vruasa Telash blinks slowly at this pink, squishy human guy. He smiles broadly then, and begins laughing uproariously. It takes him a few seconds to catch his breath enough to speak between gasps, "Oh — my god — you actually think I — know more about this than any other — poor fucker who gets sucked into it all." Finally he regains his composure completely, or at least enough to give a proper response, waving his hand dismissively, "Nah man. I'm the Knight of Time. I knew that I'd be here and that I'd meet your angry ass but I don't know shit about why you're here or, ultimately, what's going on. Been tryin' to figure that out! Isn't working out so well so far."
Finally he stands up, captchaloguing his chair and his table, snatching his drink up out of the air before it can fall. Siiiiiiiip.
Finally he says, "Sorry, but I'm DL as far as you're gonna know for a while. Nothin' personal, I don't share my real name too easily with humans. If you've got to know what I am, though, I'm a troll. Anyway, I don't think it really matters in the long haul if I don't share /privileged/ information with you."
"I mean, seriously," He raises his hands in a grand sort-of-shrug, "what else are you gonna do? And what's the worst that could really happen if you follow my advice?"
"Don't think about that too hard." The knight adds, folding his arms over his chest with drink still in hand.
That… actually is pretty calming and reassuring to Red. The explanations, not the laughter at the human's expense. When Vruasa claims to be the Knight of Time he goes from being possible enemy to annoying ally.
"Alright, "DL." I'm Red. My pesterchum handle is NinjaSleuth." He puts the pistol back into the Strife deck, then walks over towards the "troll," hopping up over the crest of earth surrounding his capsule.
"Worst case scenario? The session fails," he replies a bit testily, his eyes briefly flashing something dark. Very dark. "Nice coat," the Seer admits though, his tone returning to normal. Normal, at this point, has become conversational. "So what's your advice?"
"Mine is deusexLongcoat. Hence, DL. I guess I'll be calling you NS from now on. The guy you're going to want to talk to is profoundBadness. He's cool. I dunno what class he is, I don't think their session is that far along yet." Vruasa scratches at his head near the base of his horns, looking a bit confused. He's still pretty early in his own session so he's kind of surprised that they're not manifesting their abilities yet. Maybe his FLARP! experience kick-started him a little but? Or maybe… well, now's really not the time to think about it all that much, he supposes.
He frowns at mention of the session possibly failing. Well yeah, okay, that wasn't really ever considered a zero possibility but he doesn't really want to think about that very much. There's no way he's going to let that happen, though. The Knight of Time has a number of tools at his disposal that should be able to prevent it! For both sessions, as a matter of fact. It's just a matter of proper implementation.
Clearing his throat, he goes on, "@s I w@s s@ying, you should get in touch with PB @nd join the memo he's involved with. There's no w@y it won't help you out. Or… m@ybe you'll be the one to help it out? I @m not sure. There's @ lot more pl@yers there."
"@lso @ bunch of stupid people, but you c@n ignore them. Do you need @ lift out of here, or @re you fine on your own?" He asks, looking back towards the meteor.
Huh. That was more straight forward and helpful than Red was expecting. Red's annoyance towards the troll (whatever that is) fades away completely after listening to him for a bit more: it seems like they're all in this boat together.
"Wait, 'their' session? Don't tell me you're from yet another session?" Possibilties tumble through his mind, with the most prominant being that this is some kind of session for people who left their own sessions. Weird.
"Most people are stupid, I've found." The question though has Red hesitating. "I'm not going anywhere in that thing anytime soon, if ever. I don't want to be gone too long though. I don't want the body in the freezer to thaw out," he says with a surprising amount of flatness, considering the implications of that.
"It's @ really long story but the short version is th@ some @ssholes from PB's session decided th@ it would be @ gre@ ide@ to t@mper with the source code, @nd then somebody r@n it. We were the unlucky winners of the @poc@lypse lottery!" Vruasa exclaims dramatically. He smiles nastily with those fangy teeth showing again, and then draws a thumb forward and across his throat in a pretty recognizable gesture. "I'm gonn@ figure out wh@ @sshole did that specific@lly and then I'm going to h@ng him upside down @nd bleed him from @ neck wound."
This is not disturbing /at all/.
CAPSULE MODUS TIMER: 00:00:01
DUMP.
A rocket-powered easy chair dumps out of Vruasa's sylladex. It is black and has a husktop in the seat. He points at it and says, "You c@n use this to get @round but you'll w@nt to check out the husktop so you know where you're going. Since you have some time-critic@l stuff going on you can just check things out l@er. Person@lly I h@ve some timeline m@n@gement bullshit to do, @nd I @lso need to get you @n invite into the memo."
"Oh, @nd if you h@ve @ body to de@l with don't w@ste the blood! It m@kes gre@ ink." He offers as /incredibly creepy/ friendly advice. Then he offers a light-hearted salute, and…
======> ACCELERATE
Fast-forwards to whatever time bullshit he has to deal with next.
<Session 412> deusexLongcoat Vruasa Telash says, "hey i've got to make this quick because i am neck deep in time bullshit"
A fellow player from a doomed session who wants to murder the people who are responsible for it? That's enough to get Red to smile for the first time since he landed. "I think we're going to get along just fine, DL," he says with his own savage grin.
Though the part about saving the blood was pretty creepy and gross.
<Session 412> crowravenWolfmoon Summer Powers says, "Yeah?"
<Session 412> deusexLongcoat Vruasa Telash says, "but we've got another new guy who rode in on a meteor or something i don't even know what his deal was except that i was there"
<Session 412> deusexLongcoat Vruasa Telash says, "his chumhandle is ninjaSleuth"
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone | NinjaSleuth NS has begun pestering Session 412 S4
<Session 412 - OOC> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "feh. Stupid brackets."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Ok. So is this the group DL said was full of idiots?"
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Well"
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Not FULL. But the majority."
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "There are a few idiots, yes. I don't know about majority."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "That was surprisingly diplomatic. You're not a gamer, are you."
<Session 412> sailorSadist Raven DeVanos says, "… He's a gamer of sorts. He just plays the kind of high stakes games that are for keeps."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "That's called "life""
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "A gamer, no. A player of the Game? At times."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Wow. Aren't you the cryptic secretive type."
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "Quite."
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "To be fair, a lot of the secrets I know are dangerous, maddening, or both."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Oh. Seer of the Void, huh?"
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "What? No. Sort of. Ancient Wizard."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Oh right, you're not a gamer. You're probably one of those other people who are helping for no explained reason."
<Session 412> gameGladiator Deelel says, "… I think I owe Lupita one…"
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "I'm mostly here because They whispered to me and I was intrigued. Since then… well, this game is father interesting."
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "*rather. Stupid crystal ball."<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Well if video games have taught me anything"
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "it's that you're probably going to backstab us at some point"
<Session 412> sailorSadist Raven DeVanos says, "Oh, don't worry. I don't think he'll do that. Y'all are all too interesting to him alive for now."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Betrayal doesn't necessarily involve killing us"
<Session 412> hellsQueen Tshallandria sighs. "They would have to be quite the pertinent point for that to happen. Given the fact that most of us are protecting you from the negative kind of outside interference."
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "I am disinclined to indulge in betrayal unless it outweigh your value as potential clients."
<Session 412> gameGladiator Deelel says, "NS welcome to the madness we're all a little nuts here."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Yeah, most gamers are."
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "*outweighs. Since I am not part of the game, there's not much I can gain from it."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Oh really? That's what you're thinking?"
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "More importantly, I keep being told I'm 'end game' or something like that."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Pardon me if I'm a bit skeptical that the guy who chats with Noble Horrorterrors and does their bidding can be trusted."
<Session 412> crowravenWolfmoon Summer Powers says, "…Wait, so. We have another Player here now?"
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon | prismaticAconitum [PA] began trolling Session 412 [S4]
<Session 412> hellsQueen Tshallandria says, "Apparently CW."
<Session 412> gameGladiator Deelel says, "PA I owe you one."
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "Does their bidding? Please."
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "like okay so not all rainbow things are good. i hate that! \w/"
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "I mean I've tried listening to them and I am pretty sure if I kept doing it I shouldn't be trusted."
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "I'll admit I might just be chatting with them."
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "damn right you owe me! \w/ now make me a sammich or whatever it is you female human things are supposed to do."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Is that a troll?"
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Or do we have other races too?"
<Session 412> gameGladiator Deelel says, "I'll see abou the sammich but I'm not human my self I'm a Program."
<Session 412> hellsQueen Tshallandria says, "I'm a demoness."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "I'm betting we have elves. Somebody ALWAYS picks an elf."
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "i am indeed a troll. i am Alpha Backbeast Moonfray."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "oh"
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Pix or it didn't happen"
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "*sigh* I'm human. Or… close enough, for now."
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "and im fuxcking hungry because this stupid world's stupid things turn into whatever the fuck those things are that aren't meat and vanish when you touch them! \w/"
<Session 412> gameGladiator Deelel says, "I think we do have an Elf around here, we got trolls, several uplifted monsters, humans, faries, prorams half angels…"
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "One of the trolls calls me the Fashion Wizard."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Was it DL?"
<Session 412> gameGladiator Deelel says, "As in deusexLongcoat?"
<Session 412> hellsQueen Tshallandria says, "Well. You do have a rather nice goatee US."
<Session 412> sailorSadist Raven DeVanos says, "I'm one of those 'not human' things. in that I used to be human, but now I have phenominal cosmic powers of 'Get kids food so they stop trying to kill each other'."<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Yes."
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "No, the purple one he hangs around with."
<Session 412> gameGladiator Deelel says, "He's around yes. he's got almost as many time tricks as the Doctor…"
<Session 412> sailorSadist Raven DeVanos says, "what was that called again? Oh, right."
<Session 412> sailorSadist Raven DeVanos says, "I'm a mom."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Uh-huh."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Just how many good samaritans are there in this little group?"
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "More than there are players."
<Session 412> gameGladiator Deelel says, "Around 35 or more."
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "uhm. fuck if i know. ^w^ im not just good im >GRRRREAT.<"
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "Although I haven't helped all that much. Well, aside from giving the one kid a page of a Grimoire for his alchemy."
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "I'm utterly certain that won't end up being a problem in the future."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "35?? what the hell"
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "also like. when we get out of this place, CW, i hope you don't mind if i drag LS back to our home for a while so we can get our eat on, right? shes the only one can make the food thingy work right."
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "and i could >SO< kill for a faygo."
<Session 412> hellsQueen Tshallandria says, "There are four players for this session, at least two other human ones, and at least three troll sessions. However … Most of us are … not from sessions. We're outsiders who are … less then interested in the idea of meteor storms wiping out all life on our planets."
<Session 412> gameGladiator Deelel says, "CW befriended some of us before the rain happened. We kinda came to help and have stuck around since."
<Session 412> royalSubjugglator Arerth Rialth says, "three troll sessions??? I think you mean three trolls in a session!!!"
<Session 412> royalSubjugglator Arerth Rialth says, "although technically we were twelve last I heard!!! if none of those suckers died yet"
<Session 412> hellsQueen Tshallandria says, "Which brings me to three questions. One: Do you have a syalladex and a fetch modus? Two: Do you use something called Boondollars? Three: Do you have a ladder based leveling system? …Ahh. I apologize. I must have gotten a bit confused."
<Session 412> royalSubjugglator Arerth Rialth says, "boondollars are for grubs!!!"
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "meh i dunno if id be all that angry if my home planet was gone. i mean, i was trying to get the hell off it when our ship crashed!"
<Session 412> royalSubjugglator Arerth Rialth says, "boonbucks are the shit, yo!!!"
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "as long as I got LS and >AB< im good! .. oh and faygo. cant have life without faygo."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "Yes; yes, but you can't have any, and yes."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "If you people aren't from a session, why are you in danger of meteors?"
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "thats a very good question! i dont know why they are, but me and LS ran into meteors and they crashed our ship!"
<Session 412> hellsQueen Tshallandria says, "I don't know that we are in danger of a session. However, learning more about this helps us determine whether or not that's true. Besides, my father raised me to be an adventurer. …Things kind of got a bit out of hand but… …It's sort of fun passing that on."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "oh"
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "this is good"
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "so we've basicly got a ton of lemmings"
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "whats a lemming?"
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "gamers who flock to whatever seems cool at the time with no regard for whether or not they should actually be there"
<Session 412> gameGladiator Deelel says, "A lot of us were involved when the meterors fell we did whart we could for the people of that earth. We been involved since then."
<Session 412> hellsQueen Tshallandria says, "My. You do have a bit of a mouth on you, don't you?"
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "oh. uhm. i didnt flock here. CW told me to come! ^w^ *tailwagging*"
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "Well."
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "In my case, I've mostly come to observe."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "There's a reason for it, HQ"
<Session 412> unluckyStargazer Loros says, "And see what becomes of all this. It's proving to be interesting."
<Session 412> hellsQueen Tshallandria says, "Mmm… There may be indeed. However, you needn't worry. I'm more then capable of pulling my own weight, and I"m not interested in solving 'this problem' for any of you. Helping you solve it yourselves, or grow stronger, that I am interested in doing. But what you and yours do with your power is your own buisiness."
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "good to hear"
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "aw man about damn time! were back at the station time for >FOOD<! meat, glorious meat!"
<Session 412> ninjaSleuth Red Stone says, "I need to go turn the power back on in the kitchen now though before everything in the freezer thaws"
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon says, "see you doodes later! ^w^"
<Session 412> prismaticAconitum Lupita Auryon | prismaticAconitum [PA] ceased trolling Session 412 [S4]
Log Notes: This was a relatively short scene because it was late, and I was tired. This was Red Stone's first scene, and introduction to the Homestuck cast at large.