MSPA fan-fiction

[Bardic Feline]

Ok, I'm finally updating The Ten things V.S. hates about T.N.!

For refernce, here are Things 1 and 2:
http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread...=1#post3966841

Next up, Things 3-5!

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3. Tavros Nitram was a SNITCH.

He’d tried to snitch on her during that one FLARP session, and if she hadn’t blocked his stuttering messages to first Aradia and then Terezi, things never would have gone as far as they had. She never would have mind jumped him off that cliff if he hadn’t gone whining to their teammates. At least, this was the version of events she told herself.

And later, while playing SGRUB, he went running…err…rolling to Kanaya for help when she’d refused to build inclined surfaces for him instead of her awesome and elegant stairs. (Chhh, yeah, just because the others specifically ASKED her not to do just what she was doing didn’t mean she was actually going to LISTEN. He was her client, dammit, and she would serve him however she felt was best for him. And he clearly needed more upper arm strength training. Much more. Needed to strain and flex those big, beefy arms…wait, whoa, where was she going with this again?)

“You whining grub, you went behind my b8ck! I 8lmost got a head full of LOAD GAPER w8ste! Why did you snitch on me to fussyfangs?”

“sORRY, vRISKA,,,i DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO, aND I REALLY CAN’T MANAGE THOSE STAIRS. bUT, I, UHMMM,,,”

“Wh8t, spit it out, Jegus you are slow!”

“i,,,uMM,,,I DIDN’T ACTUALLY GO TO KANAYA, sHE MESSAGED ME FIRST, i’M NOT SO GOOD AT, uMMM,,,LYING. sO I TOLD HER WHAT WAS HAPPENING, “

She grunted, and glared at the screen. She knew he was telling the truth. As he put it…he sucked at lying. He took too long processing reality to come up with, much less convey, a probable falsehood. She knew this and she HATED it. It reminded her too much about how easily lies came to her. And how hard it was for her to tell the truth.

Even to herself.

“uMMMM,,,I’M REALLY SORRY YOU GOT THREATENED WITH LOAD GAPER SLUDGE,”

“Shut up, Tavro8um8ass, and get ready to use 8lchemize this code I’m sending you.”

4. Tavros Nitram was incapable of seeing the big picture.

“Uggggggggh! How long will it t8k you to figure out that these puzzles are pointless, and just move on with to the next p8rt in the g8m?”

“uMMM,,,THAT WAN’T IMPOSSIBLE TO READ, sOO I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ASKING ABOUT,,,bUT HOW DO YOU KNOW THESE PUZZLES AREN’T IMPORTANT? wE MIGHT LEARN SOMETHING IMPORTANT, THAT, uHHH, hELPS US ON OUR QUEST,”

“Ugh. >:::: o”

“oHHH, aND IT’S A LOT OF FUN,”

“Idiot, g8ming isn’t 8bout fun, it’s 8bout crushing your opponents and g8inging all the levels and swag!”

“uMMM, bUT, ARADIA SAID,,,OWWW, hEY, YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T DO ANY MORE MIND CONTROL TRICKS! } “

She blinked, realizing that she’d automatically made him slap himself without even actively deciding to do it. Her face felt hot. She didn’t want to talk about Aradia. She didn’t even want to THINK about Aradia. Why did she have to be server to the idiot boy who had been…well…she didn’t have a word for what they had been to each other. Trolls didn’t have such a thing as family, or siblings. All she knew was that she didn’t really have any relationships like that, and it bugged her like anything. Not that she would ever admit this.

“Oh shut uuuuuuuup and work on your stupid pointless ‘fun’ puzzle! 8nd don’t you type a WORD of this to Fussyf8ngs!”

5. Tavros Nitram was so passive.

He just sat back and let things happen to him. He just went along with whatever the stronger and more aggressive ones told him, even if it really affected his well being.

(Ok, so he’d tried to stand up to her when she made him attempt to take on monsters that were way above his player level…errr…a that is, a perfectly legitimate challenge that he once again attempted to abscond away from because he is a coward. Ok, so he’d tried to stand up to her when she attempted to make him drag himself up all those stairs that she’d made strictly so she could watch his sweating muscles bulge…errr…that is, so he could receive a decent challenge for once and improve as a player. Ok, so if he tried to stand up to anyone ever, it was pretty much always her. The operative word was still TRIED, dammit.)

Like the thing with the robot legs…it had not been his decision. It had barely been his choice. It had taken several other trolls, none of whom were called Tavros, approaching Equius and begging, bribing, threatening him to get him to even build the damn things.

She knew this because the final one had been her, and Equius had outright told her as much. As he showed her the half completed robot legs.

“Nepeta inquired about the possibility of prosthetic limbs for the guttertrash first. Aradia was with her, and…she was quite insistent that I listen to my morails council on the matter. That was enough to convince me…even before Gamzee, Kanaya, Sollux, even Karkat the Aquatic Royalty individually approached me, I’d already decided to do it for them. And still the fact that you would ask is quite…disturbing.”

“Wait, so everybody BUT the idiot asked you about building these damn things, and you haven’t said a word to anyone that you’ve actually started? What gives?”

“I do not reveal anything I am doing until I am sure it will work.” He’d responded primly.

“Whatever. How are these things going to work? Are they going to go over his existing legs, and act like a skeleton support system?” It’s what she would have done, had she known the first thing about mechanical devices.

“No. These will be true prosthetics. They will entirely replace his existing, worthless limbs. It will be a vast improvement.”

“Replace them? But to do that, you’d have to…”

“Entirely remove the existing limbs, yes. Please refrain from stating the painfully obvious. It is upsetting.”

“But how…?”

“Kanaya has volunteered her services, and her chainsaw. It will work perfectly.”


“And you haven’t told the full details to anyone besides those three? Not even to Nitram? It’s his fucking legs!”

“Why should I tell that lowblood scum? It is for his own good, he should just sit back and be grateful that I am doing him such a very large favor. Now get out…you are agitating me. I do not want to risk getting…sweat on this delicate equipment.”

She’d walked away seething. At Equius or Tavros, she couldn’t decide which. And then she’d ended up passing the news on to the idiot anyway, because…she didn’t know why she did it.

“Oh…so…uhhh…that’s why Kanaya keeps asking to take my measurements. Ok. Ummm…well this is a good thing, isn’t it? I won’t be so useless to everyone anymore if I can walk.”

“But doesn’t that scare you? You should be scared! And angry! They are going to cut your damn legs off, and weren’t even going to tell you about it!”

“…I am a little bit. Well…a lot. Well…a whole lot. But…well, at least you told me. And if it’s for the best for everyone…”

“You…IDIOT.”

“Uhhmmm…why are you crying?”

“SHUT UP.”

Sorry, once again, uncorrected first draft, so it's not as good as it could be.

Also, NOTES:

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As you can see I'm kinda experimenting with jumping around in time in this. The main comic does it, so that's all the justification I need. The next part will be back to the bits somewhere between him getting his rocket chair, and crashing into her hive. Or maybe earlier. I haven't decided yet. ^_^
So, if Vriska seems to be a bit OFF in the 5th Thing, it's because I'm largely writing the her that has already gone through the whole SGRUB experience, and has been slightly softened up by the whole experience. And she is maybe being a little more honest with herself. I dunno yet. And sorry if I made Equius too much of a jerk...I just can't imagine him being too well disposed towards Tav, and even less well disposed towards highbloods who favor him. (Although he will do pretty much anything that Ariadia, and to a somewhat lesser extent, Nepeta, ask him to do.)
I don't know why Kanaya didn't tell him about the Robo legs in this story.

Also, I couldn't resist having her admiring his muscles a little bit, and then be completely in denial about it. I'm sure that's completely out of character for her.

And in conclusion, I talk too damn much. ^_^;;

[Derp]

A fic based off http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...karkatjack.png this picture ahhh why am I even posting this orz It's not meant to be shippy but it kinda rubs off that way, sorry.

Hey guys

What up.

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You are not okay with this. You are not okay with any sort of emotion other than loathing, which you had become so consumed by since as long as you can remember. You are not okay that your barrier of anger is finally starting to crumble inside of you, making you feel empty because all that was left for you was this anger, you thought. You thought- you knew that this distaste that you built up was the only thing keeping you from collapsing from the inside, that the rage made you stronger. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be that discolored fluid pumping through it.

And then you met a stranger intent on killing you, and the hate for him was draining out of you, as if it were the liquid running between your fingers as you held onto your side, staring at the same color bleeding from his palm. You are not okay with the fact that you can barely stand up as the hate drains from you like blood and you just want to push it out of his palm to make sure that it isn’t a trick.

While all of this is flooding your mind and making you feel physically ill he holds out his hand towards you, as if asking to shake hands. You don’t want to respond, your arms won’t move. Finally you feel something else crawl its way inside of you, something alien and completely unfamiliar. You feel ill but your arm makes its way up and grips the man’s hand, tightly. He frowns while your expression is still unreadable, even to yourself, holding the hand so tight that you can feel the joints press together beneath that soft shell encasing his fingers.

And then that filthy emotion clawing away at your insides takes control of your body and you pull his body to yours. He lets out a soft noise, obviously expecting this as much as you were, and your arms wrap around his back.

You don’t understand. You are not okay with this, you’re not okay that you need to hold onto this man- agent- dersite? You do not know but your arms are still pressing tighter against him the first person you have ever met like you and you never want to let go. He’s still just standing there and you open your mouth to apologize for whatever is coming over you when his arms loosely hang around you as well. You cannot explain what is happening to you, you don’t know what emotions are filling you all you know is that he is here and you are here and you are not alone and your vision is blurring.

Something warm starts to flow down your face. You squint, it’s unfamiliar, but your eyes are leaking. Your hand goes to wipe whatever they are away, this sensation you’d only experienced when your lusus died- but at least that made sense. Why would this of all things be able to fill you with… this…

It was relief. That was that feeling that was replacing his anger as he held on tight to the stranger’s carapace. It was the feeling that made you accept this man and cause you to never want to let go and keep crying until you couldn’t even feel your face anymore because you were so relieved that there was something else out there that had your blood. You were so relieved that finally you weren’t an outcast and had to hide behind an anonymity just to function normally to someone. And you were relieved that he was still holding you despite all of these emotions tearing you apart from the inside and despite the fact that you two were strangers until recently.

And you were okay with that.

[Ale]

A fic based off http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...karkatjack.png this picture ahhh why am I even posting this orz It's not meant to be shippy but it kinda rubs off that way, sorry.

Hey guys

What up.

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You are not okay with this. You are not okay with any sort of emotion other than loathing, which you had become so consumed by since as long as you can remember. You are not okay that your barrier of anger is finally starting to crumble inside of you, making you feel empty because all that was left for you was this anger, you thought. You thought- you knew that this distaste that you built up was the only thing keeping you from collapsing from the inside, that the rage made you stronger. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be that discolored fluid pumping through it.

And then you met a stranger intent on killing you, and the hate for him was draining out of you, as if it were the liquid running between your fingers as you held onto your side, staring at the same color bleeding from his palm. You are not okay with the fact that you can barely stand up as the hate drains from you like blood and you just want to push it out of his palm to make sure that it isn’t a trick.

While all of this is flooding your mind and making you feel physically ill he holds out his hand towards you, as if asking to shake hands. You don’t want to respond, your arms won’t move. Finally you feel something else crawl its way inside of you, something alien and completely unfamiliar. You feel ill but your arm makes its way up and grips the man’s hand, tightly. He frowns while your expression is still unreadable, even to yourself, holding the hand so tight that you can feel the joints press together beneath that soft shell encasing his fingers.

And then that filthy emotion clawing away at your insides takes control of your body and you pull his body to yours. He lets out a soft noise, obviously expecting this as much as you were, and your arms wrap around his back.

You don’t understand. You are not okay with this, you’re not okay that you need to hold onto this man- agent- dersite? You do not know but your arms are still pressing tighter against him the first person you have ever met like you and you never want to let go. He’s still just standing there and you open your mouth to apologize for whatever is coming over you when his arms loosely hang around you as well. You cannot explain what is happening to you, you don’t know what emotions are filling you all you know is that he is here and you are here and you are not alone and your vision is blurring.

Something warm starts to flow down your face. You squint, it’s unfamiliar, but your eyes are leaking. Your hand goes to wipe whatever they are away, this sensation you’d only experienced when your lusus died- but at least that made sense. Why would this of all things be able to fill you with… this…

It was relief. That was that feeling that was replacing his anger as he held on tight to the stranger’s carapace. It was the feeling that made you accept this man and cause you to never want to let go and keep crying until you couldn’t even feel your face anymore because you were so relieved that there was something else out there that had your blood. You were so relieved that finally you weren’t an outcast and had to hide behind an anonymity just to function normally to someone. And you were relieved that he was still holding you despite all of these emotions tearing you apart from the inside and despite the fact that you two were strangers until recently.

And you were okay with that.

Woah. Great job there! I thought that it was really well written, and that it played well off of the emotions. I really really enjoyed reading it

[Red Pen]

More pesterlogs with the chums back home, because they're easy and fun to write.

Part 1: http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread...=1#post3880657
Part 2: http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread...=1#post3882155
Part 3: http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread...=1#post3899736
Part 4: http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread...=1#post3904475
Part 5: http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread...=1#post3927875
Part 6: http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread...=1#post3956414

Unhinged - part 7

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The message arrived suddenly and then she was gone, logging off before they'd even had a chance to ask her if she was alright.

TT: I'm not an unreasonable man.
TT: I have something you want. You have something I want. And we can make a trade, if you can be reasonable too.
TT: If not, you'll still get her back. I just can't vouch for the condition she arrives in. Accidents happen sometimes, understand?
TT: Take some time to think about it.
TT: We'll be in touch.

Davesprite, who'd been hovering with his back against the door to keep the hoards of game enemies out of his room and away from his past-self's sleeping body, read it with a sour expression. The words were civil enough, but there was an air of menace behind them, and it had everything to do with the fact that Rose had written them with Jack Noir breathing down her neck.

And a few seconds later, predictable as clockwork, there was John.

-- ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at ??:?? --

EB: hey is dave still asleep?
EB: i mean are you still asleep?
TG: yeah
TG: im out like a light over here

He was also mumbling a bit and drooling all over the pillow, but John didn't need to know that.

TG: so she sent it to you too?
EB: and to jade and other dave probably. this is so stupid!
TG: what
EB: were all just sitting around and shes sending us messages like that and its stupid! we have all this gear but we cant do anything and jacks laughing at us and making her tell us stuff!
TG: chill out john
EB: its stupid!
TG: i said chill out. its stupid. no one said it wasnt stupid
EB: its like a big stupid prank that stopped being funny forever ago!
TG: wait
TG: are you seriously counting this toward your messed up pranksters gambit thing
TG: egbert you need a hobby
EB: no i am not!!
EB: have you rescued rose yet or what?
TG: well lets see
TG: were having this conversation
TG: so yeah it was obviously an overwhelming success
TG: and dream rose and i are partying it up over here
TG: we just didnt tell you
EB: eff you, dave.
TG: okay hang on
TG: this whole thing is stupid
TG: but if rose were here shed probably tell us not to flip out about it
TG: so maybe we should both just take a deep breath and think about this for a minute
TG: before we start trolling each other like idiots
TG: so what is it we have that jack wants?
EB: um
EB: self control? charisma?
TG: the ability to not look like a huge freak?
EB: actual friends?
TG: higher brain functions?
TG: okay no seriously
EB: haha, yeah.
EB: its probably the bunny. not the one you gave me but the other one.
EB: well, kinda the one you gave me. theres some time travel involved but i guess the short version is that i got it from jade and she tricked it out and gave it a bunch of cool weapons and stuff!
TG: and how bad would it be if jack got ahold of the bunny?
EB: pretty bad!
TG: on a scale of one to ten
TG: one being a trip to ice cream sunshine land
TG: and ten being con air
TG: how bad is pretty bad?
EB: hey, no, con air is awesome.
EB: but i think its how he broke the game the first time, and the only reason he hasnt used all that power to kill us is because i have it now. so thats pretty bad.
TG: okay
TG: so when he contacts us again we tell him were not gonna give it to him
EB: but what about rose?
TG: i hate to say this
TG: but between that bunny and roses dreamself
TG: i think id rather have the bunny
EB: he said he would hurt her!
TG: her dreamself
TG: its not even the real rose
TG: im not gonna hand the game over to noir so that rose can frolic around on derse while she sleeps
TG: there are more important things
TG: and she would say the same thing
EB: he said he would hurt her!! how is anything more important than that?
TG: chill, john
EB: i want to talk to our dave. he wouldnt say that kind of stuff.

Something huge and heavy pounded on the door, and Davesprite whipped around, wrenched it open, and blasted a sulfur ogre to oblivion before slamming it shut again, breathing heavily.

TG: well YOUR dave is asleep
TG: so you get to talk to redundant fifth wheel dave from the timeline where you didnt listen to YOUR dave and then you died
EB: you know what i meant!
TG: hey
TG: dont even worry about it
TG: rose and i had a blast without you guys
TG: it was just party central all the time
TG: nonstop fun
TG: cant help it if youre the wet blanket
EB: dave im sorry. but youre talking like you dont even care about rose!

I care about Rose, he wanted to say. There was a lot that he wanted to say, and his pride wouldn't let him. I care about Rose, but I also care about you and me and Jade, and I'm trying to keep the four of you alive because I'm the only defense we have against a future where the game is unwinnable and everyone is dead. And just because I stopped it once doesn't mean it won't happen again. So I will fight to the last breath for our real bodies, but our dreamselves are expendable and should not have to be my problem. Too many things are my problem already.

TG: yeah
TG: well
TG: maybe rose can handle herself
EB: maybe youre a big jerk. tell me when the other dave wakes up.

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

Davesprite slumped against the door and let off a heavy sigh. It was a horrible, horrible thought and he hadn't let himself think it before, but... John was getting hard to talk to. They didn't have a lot in common anymore, and that four-month gap stretched between them like a chasm of decades.

He took off his iShades, viewing the room with fireheart-orange eyes for a moment while he wiped them on a wing, and then put them on again to find that Jade was pestering him.

-- gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at ??:?? --

GG: dave are you ok??
TG: uh huh
TG: sure
TG: super
GG: no, i mean is past-present other dave ok?

A quick look towards the bed, where past-present other Dave Strider was still drooling like a leaky faucet.

TG: hes super too
TG: both of us as an entity are super
GG: ok good! i got that message from rose and i was really worried about you!
GG: um, or him?
GG: youre both dave so i guess i was worried about both of you!

So soon after arguing with John, it was unbelievably comforting to see Jade word it like that.

TG: yeah, were fine. why wouldnt we be?
GG: well...
GG: if jack noir is sending us a message like that, then it means he knows that we know about rose, so hes not trying to hide that hes watching her pesterlogs anymore.
GG: and i think the only way he could have found that out is if he knew your dreamself was coming to rescue her. so i thought maybe you got captured or something even worse! :-(
TG: that
TG: jade i didnt even think of that
TG: crap
TG: should i wake myself up?
GG: no!!
GG: you could be doing something important on derse like sneaking around or flying really high up in the air or something else that could get you hurt if you woke up!
GG: youre probably ok though. so dont worry about it too much just because i was worried.
GG: i worry about silly things all the time! :-)

"Sure, and that's not going to make me a bundle of nerves over here," the sprite muttered to the empty air. But if his dreamself was in danger, there really was nothing he could do but protect his other body and wait for himself to wake up. Something was pounding on the door again.

TG: hey jade?
TG: next time you talk to john
TG: tell him im sorry for trolling him like an idiot
GG: im not really sure what that means, but ok! :-)

-- gardenGnostic [GG] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] --

He could have gone back to slouching moodily against the door, but instead Davesprite opted to start in on the various creatures prowling around his hallway. Blasting imps apart easily with his game-given powers wasn't exactly thrilling, but it gave him something to do - something to think about that wasn't practically every other thing he had to think about.

But still, the thought kept surfacing. Jack knows I'm on Derse.

I wonder what I'm doing right now.

Next time we'll get back to what Dave is doing right now. (Link to the next chapter in my signature.)

[Solaris]

Red Pen, you can disable smiles in the Go Advanced, it is under like, everything else.
god i miss the kids so fucking much.
And poor Davesprite.
I've said this before, but no matter what happens to sprites at the end of Sburb, it will suck to be Davesprite.

[foxesforsale]

Yeah, Davesprite has it tough. Another great chapter, I'm absolutely loving this Red Pen

[Sushi Database]

Eee, more Unhinged! I-I don't know if I've said this before but Unhinged is my favorite series. I like how Jade managed to think of something Davesprite hadn't. Sometimes he's a little too dismissive of her and John.

[VagabondRaiser]

Well, this turned out longer than I expected. Well, for better or for worse, here it is:

Flavors, Part Two: Blackberry Red Lime

When the world around you was seen through scent, and sound, and touch, you found certain aspects of the world to be distinct. The dull sounds of a moving body, the ungiving hardness of metal, the sweet kiss of fresh air... much of the world around you was a smorgasbord of sensation.

Even the act of riding piggyback on a man with the capability and occasional gumption to headbutt boulders as he sprinted down a long metal hallway had its' own distinct charm, a near weightless feeling reminiscent of falling sideways. Scent and touch and sound screamed by so fast the mind couldn't process anything beyond fleeting spikes of lucidity.

Despite his rough demeanor, Equius could be trusted, and Terezi had to be thankful of that. He wasn't stupid. Even if he didn't feel her hands clamped into his shoulders in a vice-grip, or the way her legs held to his sides hard enough to crack the ribs of lesser, fleshier beings, he could likely tell she was entirely at his mercy. At these speeds, she truly was blind.

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"Do you mind too terribly if I ask why you have need of my services, or would that be overstepping my bounds?" Equius snarked flatly, barely audible over the pounding of adrenaline in her ears. For someone covering such vast distance, Equius certainly showed his endurance; he didn't sound winded in the slightest.

"Something brought one of the human kids here," she said at length, gritting her teeth at the phantom pain of her body straining to resist the forces placed upon it by hanging onto the perpetual powerhouse. "When I saw him on the monitor, he wasn't moving. We're going to go get him."

"WHAT!?"

Equius skidded to a halt abruptly, an act that caused Terezi to nearly fall off of him. As it was, his head served to stop her forward momentum, although it felt like being kicked in the gut. When the haze of pain subsided enough that she could draw breath again-- what felt like ages-- she slapped the top of Equius' head with her palm, mindful of the broken horn.

"What do you think you're stopping for? We gotta hurry!" Another slap. It stung her a bit, but at least she was working out a little anger over his rough treatment. She was certain to have some choice bruises after today.

"You honestly expect me to assist one of those-- those-- those apes!? I refuse! I will not be accessory to such a stoopid request!" None-too-gently, Equius reached up and behind himself, picking Terezi up by the top of her shirt and deftly swinging her to one side to set her down, despite her protesting squawk and a few well-placed swats to the face from her cane.

"You can assist the human yourself, Pyrope," he snarled, turning and stomping back down the hallway, fists clenched at his sides. He needed to break something. Or visit Aradia. Yes, spending time with his beloved would be preferable. He grumbled a few choice words under his breath, pointedly ignoring Terezi's diminishing complaints.

"If that human dies, we're all fucked! You know that!" She stomped a sneakered foot out of frustration; the musclebrained horselump wasn't listening. "Equius!" He rounded a corner, and she was alone.

She didn't even know where she was in the complex; her senses were still reeling from the gutpunch of his abrupt stop, and the fact that he very nearly strangled her with her own shirt in picking her up that way didn't help matters.

Seething, Terezi lashed her cane out at the wall.

"WHOASHIT!" CLANK!

...walls didn't sound like people. They certainly didn't fight back, either.

Terezi drew a deep, slow breath, and her blank eyes widened behind her ruby shades at the burst of lime and blackberries that assaulted her nostrils. Whipping about, she sniffed hard, and an image appeared in her mind's eye, of peach under licorice atop lime and--

"GC?" John blinked owlishly behind his glasses, lowering the Wrinklefucker. Twin flickering almonds in the peach of his face, a cherry-bellpepper cloying sweetness streaked down one cheek. A scent very similar to another she'd smelled in the past. Rage and gray giving way to a brief spurt of candy-red delectably bright against the darkness...

Snapping herself from her brief memory trip, she frowned at John, and folded her arms, turning her nose up and her head to one side.

"Some gentleman you are!" She huffed. "Go disappearing off on your own, worry me to no end, show up unannounced-- give me one good reason why I should be nice to you!" She knew she was laying it on thick. She told herself it was for his benefit. Certainly not to hide the relief she felt at the fact that John hadn't wound up suffocating in the Void, nosirree.

To his credit, John was oblivious to her ham-handed acting. He was more interested in the fact that this was his first time encountering one of the trolls face-to-face. GC quirked an eyebrow, and sniffed, turning to focus her attention on him again, only to find him staring dumbly at her. "What?" She suddenly felt self-conscious, and nervously adjusted her shirt, patted an imaginary stray hair back into place on her head.

"You're really pretty," John said, almost immediately. Bluegreen warmth rushed to her face, and she made a choking noise.

"I mean, I saw your picture before, but it was small, and I couldn't really tell, and-- what's wrong?" He tilted his head a bit. GC was abruptly very interested in the floor, or so it seemed. His eyes wandered to the two short, sharp orange horns atop her head. Tentatively, he reached out to poke one of them, and yelped when she slapped his hand away, a guarded look on her face.

"What do you think you're doing?" She snapped at him, and he cradled his hand like a wounded animal. That had stung quite a bit. It felt like she was wearing some sort of hard glove or something. He flexed his hand experimentally to make certain she hadn't broken anything. "Sorry, I just--"

"You just what? Just thought, 'Oh, lookit me, here I am being all cute and making a girl blush so I can try and cop a feel! I'm so witty! Blar blar!' Well you can just stuff that thought, buster!" She poked him in the chest with a finger, bringing her face close to his. John found himself staring into GC's blank, unseeing eyes, unable-- or unwilling-- to look away.

Part of her regretted it. This close, the scent of that sticky red streak filled Terezi's senses. He'd hit his head in the landing, she realized; that was blood, from a small cut on the side of his head, just beneath his hairline. The realization that humans apparently all had the same blood was slow in coming. So was the fact that their lips were mere inches apart. All it would take was a single, 'accidental' nudge forward... just a little, small step across that unfathomable gap--

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, YOU STUPID BLIND BITCH!?"

GC snapped to attention at the irate shout, and spun about, taking a wheezing deep breath as she did so. Her cane thunked hard against John's leg, and he uttered a yelp, his legs swept from underneath him. Reflexively, he reached out to grab the nearest thing he could.

A soft, warm hand gripped Terezi's arm abruptly; before she had enough time to register the pull, her 180 turned into a 360 and she yelped in surprise as the world upended, her balance lost. The wind was knocked out of her by the landing, and for the third time that day, the world as she knew it went black.

Stars flickered in the darkness as her mind struggled to register what the hell had just happened. Her head was resting on something soft and warm; she could hear a low, rhythmic thumping. As her lungs filled, the world flared green in her mind's eye.

John groaned, one hand clutching the back of his head, a dull throb beginning in his skull. If the game didn't kill him, he was certain to die of brain damage from all these hits he was taking. He lifted his head, looking down at the black blur on his chest. "Sorry," He mumbled sheepishly, and dropped his head to the floor again with a sigh. Today wasn't going well.

---

Karkat grumbled to himself, running a hand through his hair as he stomped down one of the corridors of the laboratory. Even if it was his idea to have Sollux give him a trim, he hadn't expected a whole damn lecture on the merits of hair care and proper combing.

It still felt damn weird, but at least he didn't look like he'd just crawled out of the recuperacoon all the time. He still couldn't figure out why Nepeta started giggling at him when he walked past her earlier, though. Or why Kanaya had made that crack about him 'obsessing' over the humans.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets to keep himself from playing with his hair further, he rounded a corner and almost plowed into Equius, who waas storming up the hallway from the direction of the lab's main entrance, looking as pissed as always. Karkat sprung to one side as the taller troll stomped past, growling something under his breath about Terezi and humans.

"Watch it, horse-ass!" He snapped, but got a dismissive and insulting hand gesture as his only response. Grabbing the reinforced door to the room he shared with Aradia, Equius snatched it open and slammed it behind him, causing the ground to shake. Karkat glared at the door, and started to walk away when he heard it swing open again.

"What in the name of... nevermind." Equius just shook his head. "Your matesprit attempted to corral me into assisting her with some loodicrous matter involving the humans. She said one of them was here in the Veil. I would advise that you keep that Pyrope woman in line. She means trouble."

Karkat's eye twitched. A human, in the Veil? That couldn't happen! There was no way, he had seen their timelines, he knew it wasn't possible--

Wait a damn minute.

"TEREZI'S NOT MY MATESPRIT GODDAMMIT!" He raged impotently at the closed door. There was no response. He could feel his head beginning to pound, that familiar angry flame burning in his mind as he turned and stormed up the hallway, ranting at the walls. He was going to get to the bottom of this.

Storming through the corridors, he angrily brushed Gamzee aside ("What the fuck's up, my motherfuck-AGH!"*thunk*) and took a shortcut through the computer room. He was a troll on a mission, and boy was he pissed.

Ducking one of Tavros' horns as the Taurus came around a corner, he swung into one of the lesser-used hallways of the lab.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, YOU STUPID BLIND BITCH!?" he roared into the hallway. Merely a moment later, a yelp and a clatter brought his attention to another hallway, and he snapped his head toward the noise, snorting angrily. Teeth grit in a perpetual grimace, he stomped purposefully around the corner, and came up short, his rage falling short in the face of absolute confusion.

There on the floor before him lay that damned John boy, his glasses and that stupid steam-iron-hammer lying off to one side. Next to them were Terezi's cane and glasses; the troll girl was situated on top of John as if they had abruptly decided to take a nap in the middle of the hallway.

She was absolutely oblivious to Karkat's mounting ire, acting like she was deliriously surprised by the fact that she was so intimately tangled with the human boy. For some reason, that just pissed him off even more. Sentences refused to form; all he could do was sputter.

John lifted his head, blinked a few times at the angry gray troll, and uttered a flat groan before letting his head fall again.

Terezi sniffed, once, twice, and turned to face Karkat, a dark seafoam blush rising to her cheeks. "Um... hi."

Elsewhere in the complex, Nepeta briefly awoke from a nap to the sound of a bloodcurdling scream of pure rage and anger. Sleepily brushing at her eyes, she sighed and curled up a little further into a ball. Karkat really needed to find an outlet for all that rage. He was going to give himself an aneurism one of these days.

There's something strangely cathartic about writing for Karkat. Guess it's just the general idea of working out any anger you have, say, at how contrived you think a situation is.

Truthfully, I really just wanted an excuse to put John and Terezi in a compromising situation that would end with Karkat blowing a gasket.

In case it wasn't readily apparent, I attempted to hop back and forth from John and Terezi's points of view, which is why I alternated between her names. (After all, he still doesn't know hers.)

Why did he whip out the Wrinklefucker instead of the Fear No Anvil? Better for defense, doi. Lots of edges to catch incoming objects on. Totally not because I forgot about the Fear No Anvil until I started formatting this into the reply box, nope.

Meanwhile, in the land of not-Raiser's-blatherings:

Holy nerts. Stories, stories, everywhere. Unhinged and Windows are my two big favorites running now.

But Derp.

Derp, dude.

Dude that was awesome.

For every five Karkat-goes-ballistic stories, there needs to be at least one awesome Karkat-not-having-a-coronary story. That was a great one.

A quick, simple poll: Who else writes up their stories in Notepad? Or is it just me? My desktop has like seven or eight .~ath files sitting on it now, to the confusion of a few of my friends. Probably helps that they don't have an associated program.

[Bardic Feline]

I liked it, Vagabond. ^_^ Somehow, I not the least little bit surprised at Equius's reaction to the suggestion that he help one of the humans. (Wait 'til he learns that they all have RED blood. I'm sure we'll get to see the miscellaneous mechanical parts fly then!)
Also, poor John...he's been through so much lately, and now to be found in a compromising situation with a lady of a different-yet-humanoid species...tsk! The scandal. Although maybe Karkat will calm down a bit when he sees what color his blood is. Or not...you never can tell with Karkat, and his perpetually about to explode temper. (I...I actually am having a hard time picturing a story where he's not about to burst a blood vessel or something...at least not one that doesn't somehow involve illicit drugs of some sort.)

As to your poll question: No, I write mine in Microsoft Word, because that's the word processing program I'm the most familiar with. Although copy/pasting my stories from it can get to be a bit of a pain, because I always have to do some reformatting in the transfer.

[PaulPower]

A quick, simple poll: Who else writes up their stories in Notepad? Or is it just me? My desktop has like seven or eight .~ath files sitting on it now, to the confusion of a few of my friends. Probably helps that they don't have an associated program.

I tend to use Notepad for anything that uses markup (so Homestuck fanfic, but also any HTML work I've done or articles for the Internet I've written), mostly because it's easier to keep all the forum tags in check with monospacing. My original fiction work mostly gets done in Word.

One way to check is to see what the quotation marks look like: if it's "" then it's either Notepad or directly into the reply box, if it's “” then it's going to be something more advanced like Word.

[Solaris]

Yeap, if Karkat saw John his level of anger would probably rip through Paradox Space.
It would be hilarious.
I love me a pissed off Karkat.
Awesome as always Raiser.

[northernVehemence]

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WEll, at the end of this stroy
http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread...=1#post3908526
i have a spoilered section with "Ow!" "uhh, sorry, low ceiling" Basicly, Nepeta is riding Tavros shoulders and bonks into the door frame, or something of the link

Haha, this was so much fun to do!

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@VagabondRaiser: ANYYYTHING?? 8D
I'm sorry I'm boring, but I haven't had much time lately to draw or write anything (except for the above pics), but I put out a request a few pages ago for a backstory to this first image. knsumrall already delivered with flying colors, but I'm curious about what your take on it would be. I know, I'm super boring.

ANYWAY REVIEW TIME!!

@Bardic Feline: adorable as always. I can totally picture Vriska lying on her bed painting her toenails and writing angrily in her diary about how much Tavros pisses her off, with lots of exclamation points and angry doodles. Awesome work.

@Derp: What. What did I just read. Something awesome, that's what. I'm so used to AUGHHHRAGE Karkat --this piece was a welcome departure from his usual anger. Please write more!

@Red Pen: Yayyy! More Unhinged! Poor Davesprite has to put up with so much shit. Good thing he's cool enough to deal with it. I can't wait for the next part!

@VagabondRaiser (again lol): This was great. I was really looking forward to more Flavors -- I love how Karkat is totally jealous of John but would rather die in a fire than admit it. And John's line about how pretty Terezi was was adorable. MORE PLEASE!

edit: also, I'd really like to start illustrating some of these fics. You guys are always so creative -- I love the scenarios you come up with. So um my question to you is twofold: any fics in particular that you want to see, and should I post the art in the fanart thread or in this one (probably the fanart thread, but I was just curious)? umm yup

[kmsumrall]

Haha, this was so much fun to do!

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edit: also, I'd really like to start illustrating some of these fics. You guys are always so creative -- I love the scenarios you come up with. So um my question to you is twofold: any fics in particular that you want to see, and should I post the art in the fanart thread or in this one (probably the fanart thread, but I was just curious)? umm yup

good artist, best friend?

I'd like to see shenanigans drawn, mostly for the city of daves. When posting, i suggest putting them in the fanart thread with a link to the story, then posting a link here to the fanart thread post.

[Sushi Database]

(Part One)
(Part Two)
(Part Three)
(Part Four)
(Part Five)
(Part Six)
(Part Seven)


Shenanigans, part eight

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TG: rose
TT: Dave? Did you make it out? I had to close the video program to analyze the disc.
TG: uh yeah
TG: i'm back to the bridge
TG: was gonna reverse but first i figured we should talk
TG: because if i don't make it back after going back in there you'll probably know pretty soon
TT: On that note, there's a few things you should know.
TT: I tried reading the disc you sent me the code for. It appeared to be a computer code, compiled with Hephaestus.
TG: ugh i hate the hephaestus compiler
TG: isnt it enough to make an awesome web browser why do they need to make other bullshit
TT: I was hoping you might be able to tell me what this code does. I can't make heads or tails of it.
TG: thats not really my specialty
TG: i can give it a shot though i guess
TG: how long is it
TT: Not long. A little over a dozen lines, perhaps.
TG: could you just post it for me then
TT: Fine, I suppose.
TT: import universe sburb (U)
| import object hphastus (H);
| import object fr4O13ds (T);
|
| ~ATH(H) {{
|
| ~ATH(!T) {
|
| } APPEARIFY prox (5')
|
| to U* (N37 22', W77 25')
|
| } EXECUTE(~ATH(H){oo});
|
| } EXECUTE(~ATH(H){}EXECUTE(qew809U8 ));
|
| THIS.DIE();
TG: uhhh
TG: i think thats ~ath code
TT: Can you guess what it does?
TG: i dont know anything about ~ath
TG: but i see the code for the timetables in there
TG: so i'm gonna go out on a limb and say that is what is making daves who break their timetables end up in that village
TG: somehow
TG: if we could rewrite it so it reverses the process and then prototype hephaestus with the new code maybe we could fix everything
TT: Could you do that?
TG: no
TG: hm
TG: i knew someone who could though
TT: I thought you might be suggesting that. Even if he knows ~ATH code, we agreed we weren't going to do that.
TG: well maybe we have to
TG: these daves were brought over from other sessions which implies that this situation might persist through paradox space even if i reverse and fix everything
TG: we might have to do this just for the integrity of the session
TT: I understand that, Dave, but I hope you understand just what you are suggesting.
TT: I can only do this once, and it might hurt him. I don't know the full implications of this procedure.
TG: i dont want us to have to do this
TG: but i think he'd want to help if we could ask him first
TT: ...
TT: I think you're rationalizing.
TT: Perhaps you are right. But if this damages him somehow, and you can't fix it with a reverse... well. That goes on your head, Strider.
TG; duly noted
tentacleTherapist is an idle chum

~

Rose Lalonde tried not to take magic lightly. Since she'd created her needlewands she'd only used magic sparingly, and with a healthy modicum of respect for the physical laws of the universe. She'd read too many stories about witches and wizards whose ambitions exceeded their grasps and she had interest in following in their footsteps. When faced with potential for nigh unlimited power, let the legends speak of Lalonde the Pragmatic, Lalonde the Realistic, Lalonde the Sensible.

Magic was essentially a system for imposing one's will on a usually disobedient universe. When a tree burns to the ground, it obeys nothing but combustion and oxidation, and no amount of shouting at it or wishing can make it stop burning. There were things in the universe you simply could not change by wanting, invisible, invincible forces that obeyed only the gods.

The gods. And Rose Lalonde.

All that taken into consideration, she tried to keep a level head about the power she had been given. (No, not even that- the power she herself had wrested from an uncooperative world.) The wisest way to overcome Sburb would be to bide their time, and allow Strider to uncover as many advantages as he could. She trusted him, in this if not in most things, because Dave owned at this game. He pwned imps hard and with extreme prejudice and had earned his grist at a rate that had put John and Rose to shame almost immediately. He was a gamer, pure and simple. She, on the other hand, had a tendency to be distracted by elegant aesthetic (a tendency Dave would sometimes imply was symptomatic of her gender, at her annoyance). So she served as Dave's eye in the sky, a facilitator, even though his position as her server would have made it far more convenient for their positions to be reversed.

Hmm. Reversing. The time powers, of course, were Dave's key to breaking this game. They were certainly a formidable tactic, considering the nature of Sburb encounters. But Rose was not without her own game-breaking powers. Like any power, they came at a cost. Dave had found the cost of his powers in that village. Now Rose was going to come face to face- or mind to mind- with hers.

She set out a circle of black candles and lit them, drawing an eldritch seal of summoning on her bedroom floor. If her mother were here to see her, she would probably insist on calling in a team of supernatural specialists to install a permanent eldritch seal in the corner of her room, with gold braziers and real virgin's blood. Mothers were infuriating. All the same, a brazier or two would really set the mood. Ah, well. She stretched to the right, to the left, and began to chant.

"Dark gods of the deep reaches of space, by the Arcane Contracts of Ara'Ghola the Unmanned; by the ancient sacrifices of Felnar the Unreachable, I summon and bind you to my service! I am Rose Lalonde, Mystic Pupil of Zazzerpan, Seer of Light, Tentacle Therapist Sburb and Dark Princess of Derse! You will bend to my will and you will do AS I SAY! ESOCADACE FENMISTOGORA KALI KATARA EXOFENORA! COME! COME! OBEY MY WILL!"


Y̐̍ͫ̏̎̏ͭ͝O̴̓ͥŲ̅ͨ̅ͧͭ ͑̎̄̊҉A̴ͯ̅RE̢ͧͣ̔ͦ͌ͧ ̃ͯͯHͨ͗ͮ̌͊̌Eͬ͒ͯ͛͘A̽ͫ́ͣ͆̓R͟D AN͜D̢̿̐̿ͥ̏̒ ̢̃̋̋͑Oͧ͊̊́ͮ̆ͫBͯ͒̍̽E͠Y̾Eͫͧ͜D̍ ̓,͗̅̉͊̚͞ ͆͆͢S͜E̿̊́̚͜E̡͑R̃͒ ͋̓ͣ̈́͂͊̕Oͥ͛̀F̚ ͫͪ̓̔͊ͣ̚҉LIͫ͒͛ͤ̇̚G̏̂͑ͬ̚̕Ḧ̌͝ T̷,̎̆̅ͮ"ͮ̋͗̑ͮͨ said the shadow imp, its image flickering in the light of the black candles. "̷Ḭ ̼̮͓̹̼̘H̶ͅÀ̬V̶E ̶͙C͏̭̰OM̺̙É̪̰̦ ̫̰͚͔̬̝T̘͕͔̹͇O ͖̟͍̜̜̙̟͠FU͖̜̦͍͉L̡͔̦͈̼͚͇̱F͢IL L̷͖̞̼̣̘ ̵̞̟̞̝̤̰̪T̼̲͠H͔̺͍̗͢ͅY͎̱͚̗̦̪ ̧̯̰̰̩̲W̳̝̬͓͞Ḭ̖͙̰̩̯L͓̺̤̳̩̪L ̗̪̜̠.̱ ͍̬̞͍̖ ̲̙͡W̫͕̮̹H̥̹͎̕A͎̖͚T͟ ̖I͙͓̰̤̗͚̥͡S͍̩̀ ̮͉̘Ṱ̸̟̩̱͔͈͙H̪Y͖͍͚̟̞͙ ̣͚̮̭͍B̜͙͈̮̼͟I̶̦̦̹̯D̙͈̭̖̜ͅD̻ I̴͉̮̟̘͉̥̮N͓͉̫̲̱͈G̷̜̝̙͎̦̤ͅ?̀ ̻̖̮̤̫͍"̬͇̺͕̩̜̤͘

"I seek communion with a spirit recently passed. You will provide a channel for me to communicate with him. That, and nothing else, is my will."

"̴̋V̊̇E͒͗ͩͦ̅͒RY̓̅ ̧ͯ̓͋̚W̓̃̃́E̅͌L̓L̃͠,̐ͬ͆̏̓̍̓͢ ̌͢O͑̎̌͂̾ͤ͊ ̋́S̨ͧ͊̅̔̂E̾̾͗̚͘Ë́͌͟Rͬͪ͛̉."͒̌ ͬ̌̌̈́̊͜ This shadow imp was strictly business, no bullshit. Rose liked that in an eldritch summoning circle operator. "W̹̖̺̤̜H̪̩̤͍͎ͅA͉̗͜T͇̜̝̗ ̛̣Ḭ̱̟͓̞Ṣ̺̻̞̤̀ ̠̮̦̰͕̤͓͘T̜̥̬̖͖̞̪H͇E̼͚̺ ҉̙̻̖̺͔̝Ņ͚Ḁ͉M̷̫̜̣̖̩̜E̟̦̪̙͢ ̼̱ ͉̝̺͇̖̹̲͟O͍̳͕̤F̷̖̺ ̢̹T̟̥͖̖H̞̭E̮ ̜͖S̜̱̖͓P̻̺͇͈̱̞̱͝I͓̰̖Ṛ̮I̴T̙͍ ̥̟̟ ̤ͅY̨̞͇ͅO̶̼͓̮U̬͖̝͖͚̥̪͜ ͏͓̯͇͈̳S͚͓E̟̹ȨK̯̻͚ͅ.̣̹"̩̰̱̮

"I seek John Egbert, Heir of Breath. Do as I say, shade: Be the ghostyTrickster."

The shadow flickered out of sight, and the image of a new spirit took its place. Rose tried not to overreact.

TT: John.
TT: Do you feel any pain?
EB: booga booga booga!
TT: ...What do those noises mean, John?
EB: roooooooose! I have come baaaaack from the deeeeeaaad to haaaauuunt yoooouuu!
EB: who you gonna call???
TT: Now you're just being silly.
EB: i will give you a hint: bill murray!
TT: John...
EB: and dan akroyd!
TT: John.
EB: did you get it?
TT: Sigh.
TT: Yes, John. Ghostbusters, released in 1984. Directed by Ivan Reitman.
EB: what, who's that guy?
TT: He produced Space Jam, John.
EB: oh i love that movie!
EB: i mean i'm not really into basketball but it was still pretty awesome.
EB: i'm kind of surprised you know that, though!
TT: I have my moments.
TT: John, do you know where you are? Or... what has happened to you?
EB: uhh...
EB: well, not exactly but i remember trying to fight my denizen and getting hit really hard.
EB: and now i'm a ghost and you're being super-serious and keep saying my name so i'm guessing i died, right?
EB: am i a sprite now or what, because i still dont know anything about the ultimate riddle.
TT: You are a lost spirit, summoned from the afterrealms for a brief communion.
EB: are we going to drink some of your mom's wine or something? i think it would go right through me now, hehe!
TT: I meant to talk, John.
EB: geez, i know that, i'm not dumb!
EB: so uh, what do you want to talk about?
TT: Dave and I are trying to get as far as we can so he can go back in time and fix everything. Including stopping you from entering the seventh gate and dying.
TT: But we need your help.
TT: It's kind of a complicated situation, but...
TT: The short of it is that we need you to rewrite a snippet of ~ATH code so we can reverse it. Do you think you can do that?
EB: um wow, maybe?
EB: i know a little bit of ~ath but i wouldn't consider myself an expert or anything!
EB: send me the code and i'll give it a shot, though!
TT: Alright.
TT: import universe sburb (U)
| import object hphastus (H);
| import object fr4O13ds (T);
|
| ~ATH(H) {{
|
| ~ATH(!T) {
|
| } APPEARIFY prox (5')
|
| to U* (N37 22', W77 25')
|
| } EXECUTE(~ATH(H){oo});
|
| } EXECUTE(~ATH(H){}EXECUTE(qew809U8 ));
|
| THIS.DIE();
EB: uh, okay! this is kind of weird.
TT: Do you recognize the syntax being used?
EB: basically, but it's really weird. whoever wrote this is, uh...
TT: Really smart? Way over your head?
EB: what, no!
EB: actually the total opposite.
EB: i mean i wouldn't expect you to pick up on this but this is pretty poorly written code!
EB: see in that one line he set the time of demise for object hphastus, whatever that is, to infinity!
EB: but ~ath code can't even recognize an object with an infinite duration, so the line after that will never even execute!
EB: kind of a noob if you ask me!
TT: What does that mean, that the time of demise for object hephaestus is set to infinity? Does that mean the code makes it immortal?
EB: it's hphastus, but yeah, the code labels it as an immortal object.
EB: but that's just for the purpose of the code, rose! it doesn't actually make it immortal just because someone wrote that its immortal!
EB: i mean ~ath is a pretty powerful language but it isn't magic.
TT: In case it isn't already obvious, magic is real.
TT: What if this code were used to program something that is magic?
EB: i dunno, that's pretty much out of my expertise. sorry! but if you want i think i can rewrite this code. what do you want it to do?
TT: I want you to set it so whatever it's doing with the code fr4O13ds, it reverses it when hephaestus dies or loses function.
TT: Is there a way to make so instead of something happening when something dies, something happens when something loses consciousness?
EB: well i'd have to set it's consciousness as an object, but yeah, if you have the code for the object that is the something's consciousness, i could do that!
TT: Alright. Please do that. Just leave a blank for me to add the code for its consciousness.
TT: John...
TT: Are you scared, at all?
EB: what, why would i be scared?
TT: I just don't want you to worry about... what's happened to you.
EB: man, don't even worry about that!
EB: if you guys are trying to fix things i know you'll succeed!
EB: just be nice to dave, okay? we both know he acts all cool but i think he's the one who is really scared about all this. even if he doesn't want to admit it, because he doesn't want us to think he isn't cool.
TT: John...
EB: what?
TT: Nothing. Just... you're a good friend.
EB: aww, thanks! you too, rose!

~

TG: did you get the code
TT: Yes. John is better at this than we gave him credit for, it seems.
TT: The code for the new disc will be qew809U9
TG: and all the timetables are set up right
TG: you know your part of all this
TT: Yes.
TT: Dave...
TG: what
TT: Just for a moment, let's ignore that you've already been boxed in to return to this Twilight Zone scenario by yours truly by telling you about it happening in the past.
TT: I apologize for doing that, by the way. I did not understand the full scope of the situation.
TG: accepted
TT: Do you really have to go back there? It seems like... this can't really end well for you.
TG: out of all those daves i didnt see a single one that felt like me
TG: i've been through a lot rose we both have
TG: but i still feel like im basically dave
TG: those guys were paranoid assholes and i know they werent always that way because they used to basically be me
TG: i cant leave them like that
TG: i gotta be me
TT: You told me that you didn't think you were that kind of person.
TG: yeah well
TG: if anyone knows, you should know,
TG: that sometimes i lie to myself about myself
TG: okay, i'm going
TT: Dave?
TG: what, woman
TT: ...Just... don't be afraid.
TT: I believe in you.
TG: ...
TG: thanks
turntechGodhead ceased pestering tentacleTherapist


~reverse~

On to the final part; Part Nine!

(If Rose is especially emotional in this one it's mainly because I was listening to Ennio Morricone on repeat all while writing it and that makes me especially emotional. :P)

[Domoz]

Was i just stood up by this thread?

Harsh :P

I should really read Unhinged, shouldn't I?

And more Shenanigans is always a good thing. Always

[VagabondRaiser]

@VagabondRaiser: ANYYYTHING?? 8D
I'm sorry I'm awesome, but I haven't had much time lately to draw or write anything (except for the above pics), but I put out a request a few pages ago for a backstory to this awesome image. knsumrall already delivered with flying colors, but I'm curious about what your take on it would be. I know, I'm super awesome.

Fixed that for you.

edit: also, I'd really like to start illustrating some of these fics. You guys are always so creative -- I love the scenarios you come up with. So um my question to you is twofold: any fics in particular that you want to see, and should I post the art in the fanart thread or in this one (probably the fanart thread, but I was just curious)? umm yup

Honestly, anything and everything I write is open for fanarticism (I'll admit, seeing your picture of Tavros and Vriska from my fic made me giddy). I agree with kmsumrall's suggestion: post it in the fanart/romart thread (relative to subject matter, of course) and then linkdrop over here.

Now! *knuckle crack* I have a request to--wait. Wait, no, this doesn't feel right.

*flicks a switch*
*Dynamic Action Pose!*
I have a request to fill!
*click*
As soon as I go have dinner, anyway.
(Pssst, Sushi-- just a heads up, but the Zalgo text plays hell with Mac web browsers. I learned that the hard way, had it as my sig for a little while and had a complaint or two. Screws up the table alignment of message boards something fierce. That aside, yay, more Shenanigans!)

[Shadow of the Lotus]

Only took a little more than 4 hours but I am finally caught up in this thread again! Yes! Great stuff all around for the past 9 pages. Too much to comment on (though I really should >_> ). I enjoyed reading everything I did read. It is pretty ridiculous how much writing goes on around here.

[Graven_Image]

Just pick the highlights, and we'll call it a day.

[kmsumrall]

This one is shorter. Originally part 3 was going to include this bit but I split it up.

And We Come to and End (Part 4)
(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)
(Part 5) (Part 6)

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“Tavros, I’m done here, ok? Lets go find Equius and- Tavros?”

Nepeta looked up and down the hall but no one was there. Where could he have gone? And why would he leave? Greasy wheelprints indicated he had gone someplace in a hurry. She listened, but could not hear the squeaky wheelchair or the soft patter of Baticotti’s wings as she hovered. Was Baticotti even in there when she talked to Vriska? Nepeta sniffed the air. It seemed like he went back to his room? Terezi was so much better at this. She started walking. Right now it would be better to go get Equius.

“Or would it?” she said aloud. “If Equius was the killer that woule be like walking into the bears den covered in nuts and berries. Mmm... Berries... But once Vriska was proved safe then Equius could be mind read and we would know if he was the killer. Unless he altered the data somehow so-”

The cat girl jumped as the lights flickered and shut off. The hallway was nearly pitch black except of the the occasion glowworm that infested the building. Nepeta flattened herself against the wall, claws at the ready. When nothing happened, she relaxed slightly. Another blackout?

While her senses were better tuned than most trolls due to years of hunting, sight was still her main source of getting around, and there was barely enough light to tell where the walls were. With Tavros and Baticotti gone she’d have to feel her way around. Would it be better to go get Vriska’s help? Her robotic eye might have night vision or something.

“Vriska might in the clear, but it's still a risk. I’d better go find Sollux,“ she said to herself and cautiously walked down the dark hall. Sollux was the only one who understood how this place worked, although Karkat would claim it was all his idea. Sometime the two-minded troll would draw so much power for some big project that everyone else would be fumbling around in the dark like a fresh hatched larva.

Not the best thing to do with a killer around.

The smell of honey was getting closer. Nepeta started moving faster. If-

-Slam!- she tripped over something large and squishy on the ground. The cat girl rubbed her head and reached out to pick up whatever it was. Wait, was this... a horn? She squeezed softly and heard a timid honk. There was a lot of hair here too. Something had... chalk on it?

Nepeta licked her finger. This was makeup! “Gamzee! Why are you sleeping on the floor? Come on, get up!”

No answer.

“Y-you just passed out again, right? Playing a chill joke? Gamzers?”

She touched his cheat. He wasn’t breathing. “Come on Gamzee! You’re taking this way to far!”

The troll’s head rolled to one side and Nepeta smelled grapes. “Gamzeeee! You b-better has just spilled that F-Faygo or s-something!” But she knew it was a lie. That wasn’t grape juice or grape Faygo or grape anything like that.

It was blood. Gamzee was dead.

She would not cry. Someone was killed her friends and right now it was up to her to figure who it was. They trusted her as the Detecicatour to see the killer found and justice served. It’s like Equius told her. Crying was for the weak.

“I’ll come back when the lights come back on, ok? You just eat your pies and be c-chill and we will make sure you are put where you wanted. Remember? We’ll put you out to sea.”

The honey smell was strong, meaning she was near Sollux’s room. Ah! there was a light coming from under a door! Leave it to that hacker to make sure his room always had power. Nepeta pushed the door open slowly. Gamzee dead near this place was too much a coincidence. The killer had to be near.

Sollux’s room was a mess of wires and game grubs repurposed for whatever he did with the network. A few leftover hives were in the corner, being gently compressed to extract that last drop of the valuable yet deadly mind honey. The bees had died in the move between worlds. Still, yellow honey covered the walls, as usual after one of Sollux’s rages. And he had a lot to rage about right now. A few tables were behind privacy walls to avoid getting splashed and sticky. Nepeta peeked behind one and saw a light gun they had used against Equius’s denizen. Looks like Sollux was trying to amp up the power for some reason. She picked it for future use.

“Sollux?” she called softly. No answer, but she could sense he was in the room. She wasn't sure if she wanted him to answer or not. There was one more pricavy wall.

“Sollux!” There he was, staring at his computer, head bearly sticking up from the backrest of his chair. Nepeta readied her claws.

“Sollux, Gamzee is dead! Did you do it?! Are you the killer?!” The cat girl bounded over to his chair. “Tell me the truth!” She spun it around and gasped.

There was a reason why she could smell the honey so strongly. There was a reason why she sensed him in the room. There was a reason why he didn’t answer her.

The only part of Sollux in the chair was his head.

The rest was all around her.

Next part is being outlined. Man, I never used to use outlines, what gives?

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I hope people see this despite being near the end of a normal 25 post page.

[Solaris]

.....what the heck kmsumrall?
Your'e freaking me out.

[crash826]

...Entire trolls is dead?

[Sushi Database]

Calling it now; Nepeta did it and then forget because she's goofy like that.

Getting drunk and writing last part of Shenanigans tonight. :P Then probably massive praisedump of everything I've missed.

[PaulPower]

edit: also, I'd really like to start illustrating some of these fics. You guys are always so creative -- I love the scenarios you come up with. So um my question to you is twofold: any fics in particular that you want to see, and should I post the art in the fanart thread or in this one (probably the fanart thread, but I was just curious)? umm yup

Well, since you liked Dave going "well, you always wanted to be a furry," maybe you'd like to have a go at the Kids boggling vacantly at these Dreamjadesprite shenanigans? Although I feel kinda dirty suggesting my own fic.

@ SushiDatabase: Nice one. Having Rose bring back John like that was a poignant moment, and the description of the way she managed magic fitted well with her ("Lalonde the Pragmatic" ). Noticed a typo, though: "(No, not even that- she power she herself had wrested from an uncooperative world.)" - I presume it's "the power she herself etc." Also I dunno, there seems to be something kind of roundabout about "(a tendency Dave would sometimes imply was symptomatic of her gender, at her annoyance)" - but then, given this section is from Rose's perspective, it might be deliberately using her style.

[Sushi Database]

Well, since you liked Dave going "well, you always wanted to be a furry," maybe you'd like to have a go at the Kids boggling vacantly at these Dreamjadesprite shenanigans? Although I feel kinda dirty suggesting my own fic.

@ SushiDatabase: Nice one. Having Rose bring back John like that was a poignant moment, and the description of the way she managed magic fitted well with her ("Lalonde the Pragmatic" ). Noticed a typo, though: "(No, not even that- she power she herself had wrested from an uncooperative world.)" - I presume it's "the power she herself etc.".

Whoops, thanks for catching that! Typos are the bane of my existence.

[Red Pen]

Sushi, Shenanigans is the best thing. And even in death John retains his love of ghostbusters. XD