MSPA Fanfiction IV

[AppleTree]

A Hand in Holding Hands
Part 10 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, recap1, 7, 8, 9)

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Rose sat in a familiar spot as she waited for dawn to bring her friends in for the morning. She was sitting just beside Kanaya’s computer, legs dangling off the edge of the table not far from the empty horn pile, the cold metal below almost welcoming out of sheer habit. There was a dent there now; Karkat had lectured her about it, but Rose did not mind it. It was her seat, and unless it looked like it was going to get worse, she was not going to let them fix what was just going to break again.

She wore her old clothes, the aesthetically mutilated Squiddles t-shirt and her skirt, covered in just a little dirt and grime from the access tunnels that she had tried her best to clean with spit and rubbing. She had her hubtopband on as well, and she looked out from Offline to see if anyone was logging on in their rooms. She strained for some activity or other to eat away the time. When she had surrendered her laptop to Jaspsersprite, she had never really imagined she would one day be locked up with nothing to do with so many empty hours and no computer screen larger than a cell phone without someone else’s permission and password. Rose did not really mind, at least not that morning. There was nothing more refreshing than a shower when you really needed one, and the one she had just had had woken her up and raised her spirits even higher than they had been with Dave. There was no way, with all this energy, she could hide in her room with an e-reader, playing catch-up on The Brothers Kamarazov. It had been her plan to read a page or two while she waited for someone to talk to, but anticipation got the better of her every time she reached for the application. She knew why she was really here, and all the rest was waiting.

Karkat got in first, ahead of when Rose expected any of the others. He tossed her a look and grunted, heading off to vault the couch at a run and landing with an unfortunate bang on the other side. Rose laughed, but did nothing to help him. She was happy but not stupid, and knew better than to threaten her mood by talking to Karkat. “Uh…” he said, standing up and testing his weight before deciding the couch had survived his landing. Rose heard the sound of a laugh from the transportalizer, and realized that Karkat had not exactly come in alone. He looked back towards the pad with a demanding glare.

“…Hi Rose.”

Breath caught in Rose’s throat as the raw feel of the table’s rough edge caught in her grip; her head went from clear as still water to a wretched tangled bundle of nerves. Kanaya, and just as early as Rose could have hoped, and was not at all prepared to meet. Rose had thought she had planned this through so carefully. Sit, wait, smile and let everything fall back into its old place for just another day. There was no way forward, not in the direction they had started, and better to take a step back.

But she stood up. “Good morning,” she said, reaching up to captchalogue her hubtopband. Kanaya was a mess. Still in last night’s clothes – usual for the other Trolls but never for her – and looking more exhausted than Rose, Gamzee or Terezi had even approached. Karkat was no better, but Rose was not paying attention to Karkat, who filed through his things with only sideways glances in their direction.

Kanaya crossed her arms low, over her stomach, and began to chew errantly on her lower lip. Her eyes looked distant and sad, more with sleep than actual emotion, but it was so hard to tell. Rose took another step forward, sidestepping the horn pile.

“…I’m so sorry about yesterday,” Kanaya said.

“Oh god, so am I,” said Rose.

Kanaya stepped forward, over a horn and hugged Rose, her head nestling gently into the curve of her neck. Rose reached up to return the hug but remembered Kanaya’s condition immediately when she saw a patch of jade-inflamed skin peaking out fresh from under her collar. Rose reached up and, a weak laugh escaping from her lips, settled her hands on Kanaya’s arms. She laughed as well, squeezing Rose a little closer for the both of them.

“And I’m sorry I ruined your plans,” Kanaya muttered.

“That’s all right,” Rose said. It took her a while, mind soaking in relief, to remember what Kanaya was even talking about. After all, she had not really had any plans beyond figuring out what was the matter, no matter how Kanaya had perceived it. “…I’m sorry you didn’t find your dress.”

“Actually, I did,” Kanaya said, and she pulled away to point to the couch. “It was in Karkat’s secret room. He told me to get them all out of his sight by tomorrow.”

Rose, her fingers gently stroking the arm still in her grasp, and could not meet Kanaya’s smile when she turned back. “Kan, I’ve got to tell you something. After I left I… ran into Vriska.” Kanaya’s reaction was predictable: an immediate and overt check for physical wounds. “No, no, not that. She and I got to talking. She didn’t actually know you had broken up with her as her moirail.”

“What, really?” It was not just Kanaya who replied, but also Karkat. Kanaya’s expression was sympathy mixed with trepidation; Karkat had said it more in an angry bark. “I’ll have to talk with her.”

“Maybe,” Rose said. “I don’t know, she seemed upset at first and then just kind of annoyed. I… Kan, I’ve got to tell you, I told her… that if she can prove she’s actually willing to listen, that I’d auspistice for her and Eridan. I know that…” Rose had tried to keep talking before the news had sank in, but she could see in Kanaya’s eyes that she was too late. “Kan, I was just so angry! I swear, if no one else was going to do anything about her, why not me? I told her to do some stuff and it’s going to take her some time, but it wasn’t just that I can’t trust her.” Rose was not sure how true this had really been at the time, but she knew it was true for her now, certainly that counted for something. “I also wanted to buy some time to sort things out with you. Because you’re… what…” Rose was really starting to miss her old plan. “God, Kan, I’m sorry I ran away when things were getting just a little intense.”

“No, no,” Kanaya said, dark eyes looking away and towards the corner. “It’s me. I-I know,” she said, putting up a hand a touch in front of Rose’s mouth to stop her from speaking up. Her fingers brushed Rose’s lips as she lowered them again. “I’m not saying that there was nothing going through your head, or that I wouldn’t have… jumped at anything you had to say.” Rose laughed to save from worse, and Kanaya gave a worried smile back. “But I’ve screwed up a lot in the past when it comes to my relationships. I mean, I didn’t even tell you I was hoping we would be, when we were online. I didn’t tell Vriska how I felt about her. I should have just… This is something I’ve got to do at least once, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Rose said, not really sure what Kanaya was trying to say. “I guess that makes sense. Does this mean you want me to wait on you?”

“No,” said Karkat from the corner of the room. Rose looked up to see him flicking angrily through pages of a Garfield collection Jade had left out.

“Not… exactly,” Kanaya said. “It’s just… Rose, I’ve got to ask.” Rose’s ears might have been tricking her, but she thought she heard something odd out of the corner of the room. “If Trolls had…” Yes, definitely a strange sound, she was not mistaking it, because Kanaya kept brushing her hair as an excuse to look to the side. “If Trolls had… friends, do you think we would have just become friends or…”

Kanaya was now definitely looking to the side now, and Rose followed her gaze to Karkat, who had covered up his mouth with both hands and was chanting “No, no, no, no, no, no, no…” over and over as Kanaya went on. Kanaya returned Rose’s confused look with a nervous smile.

“This isn’t exactly part of our plan.”

“N— THE FUCK IT’S NOT!”

“You two…” Rose watched as Karkat disappeared behind the couch back in a huff. “Have some sort of plan?”

Kanaya reached out and took her left hand. “Rose… please. You’ve been doing everything you can around here the last few days, and if you’re willing to work with Vriska, I’m willing to… uh… to…” Kanaya looked deflated, and if Rose had not kept her hand in hers, she might have broken away entirely.

Rose started to shake at their grip. After all, how on earth was she going to stand firm when Kanaya wasn’t going to bother? To reassure herself and Kanaya, she slipped her hand out of Kanaya’s only long enough to reach up her arm and hold her again from there. “Kan, stop. Look. That you said that means… a lot to me. I know you don’t really put much stock in this whole ‘lifetime friends’ thing. But look at you. You’re wreck. This isn’t what you want.”

“No, I’m…” But she was, and Rose was starting to catch up to her. “Rose, this is important. Your Opinions Are Important To Me”

“Hey!” Karkat snapped. He got up on his knees on the couch and pointed at Kanaya. “You’re. Doing. It. Again.”

“Karkat, this is hard for me!” Kanaya snapped back. “Im Trying To Be Fair To Both Of Us”

Rose was just about to step in, but Karkat walled her out. “What, you think you’re doing her a favour running around all chicken-shit? ARGH! It’s like I’m talking to Tavros here! Except he knows what he wants these days. Fuck, Kan, what are you afraid of?”

Kanaya’s lips set firm, Karkat’s words boring into her. It was an angry reaction, Rose could feel it where they touched, but not at Karkat. “This isn’t easy, Karkat.”

“What’re you afraid of, Patchy?” he repeated, and clasped his own arm in his opposite hand. “Don’t you trust her?”

Both girls turned to look at Rose’s hand, cupped gently on Kanaya’s arm just outside of the band of moulting skin. Meeting Kanaya’s eyes as they both looked up as one, it started to occur to Rose just how much Kanaya was listening to Karkat. She trusted him, explicitly, soldier to leader or maybe even more, and Rose was jealous to see it. Rose had to work hard to swallow her Human pride, but she was not deaf to what Karkat was saying. If she wanted Kanaya to trust her too, she would have to come full circle, and trust him just as much. She lifted her hand from Kanaya’s shoulder and shuffled back a half-step. “…This one’s yours.”

And then the worst possible thing happened. There was a flash at the transportalizer. Then another, and a third. They were arguing, and oblivious to what they had interrupted. Kanaya began to shrink away.

“Holy crap, Eridan, you are the Troll Yoko Ono of timeless literature. Piss the fuck off!”

“hey i think ive got more right to be wwith my matesprit than you do you crazy bitch”

“Uh, Eridan, I wanna spend time with Vriska too, you know.”

“There, see? Seeeeeeee?” Vriska grabbed Travros by the shoulders and pushed him toward their computers. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a chapter to write.”

Eridan stamped his foot. “And I don’t see why I don’t get to read any of it!”

“That’s because you’re a little douche, Eridan!” Vriska reached over and cupped his head in her hands, smooshing up his face to open and close his mouth. “Aren’t you?” Tavros looked his usual helplessness.

Rose reached vaguely in Kanaya’s direction, unable to tear her eyes away. “Uh… look, Kan, maybe we should finish this later when there aren’t so many people.”

“vviper” Eridan said, and he spat in Vriska’s face. Vriska snarled and threw herself at Eridan, teeth snapping shut just short of his nose.

“…No,” she said. “No, you wish I’d bite you, you little…”

“Yeah!” Eridan said. “Yeah I do!” Vriska stopped dead in shock before breaking down laughing. It took Eridan a pause of his own to work out exactly what had happened. “…Dammit.” He said, and began to mutter incoherently. “Dammit, Roz!” he called. “Don’t you see what I was saying about this bitch?” Clearly Vriska had not shared the news with him. And then he stepped aside and Jade appeared, and then Dave and John, chatting amicably. Next came Sollux and Feferi, reuniting on the lab side of the transportizer. Feferi wrapped his arm back around her shoulders and they talked with grins on their faces, grins that Rose could not mistake and set Eridan’s blood to boiling. Jade and John waved over to Rose, and with a frown she tried to hide, Rose started toward her friends.

She did not get one step. Kanaya reached out with one hand, then the other and brushed them up from Rose’s shoulders to her neck in one slow, smooth motion, stopping Rose dead. One hand moved up to Rose’s jaw and Kanaya stepped forward, guiding more than pulling Rose toward her to set a lingering kiss on her cheek, just aside her lips. Rose could hear Kanaya’s wavering, faulting breath on her cheek in the pause that followed, as though it was all she could hear (for it was, as no one in the room, even Vriska, was too self-absorbed to try to overwhelm them). But any worry that might have been heard on Kanaya’s breath was unfounded, for Rose’s delay was only surprise followed by the time it took to find cautious purchase on Kanaya’s side, to pull her closer and press one kiss in reply and then another, because she could.

The world had returned to normal around them when they decided to listen again. Rose heard Karkat fall back to the couch with a contented slam, now reassured to its durability. Jade was twitching with excitement, looking like she might burst at any moment, and Dave was looking coolly and politely away with John only managing the later. Just over Kanaya’s head, Rose could make out Eridan and the others. Eridan had shoved his face in front of his computer, trying to occupy himself in the only direction that did not face Rose or Feferi. Tavros slipped Rose a thumbs up, but it was Vriska’s expression was the one that really caught Rose’s eye. It was jealous and hating, but it was also sad and observant. Once upon a time, it might have been her job to screen Rose before things got this far. Once upon a time, this might have been her. Rose wondered if she knew that. Rose did not know what to do any more than she could know what to think. Kanaya leaned forward, toward Rose’s ear.

“Be my girlfriend?” she asked, and Rose tried to stifle her laughter long enough to reply, Vriska forgotten.

“Yes.” And once she had calmed, she returned: “Be my matesprit?” And Kanaya nodded. Elated. Ecstatic.

John suddenly ran up to their side. “Guys, guys!” His face had a smile but his whispered tone was as dire as required: “Nepeta is coming!”

One eye roll from Rose later, and the rest of the room was quick to get back to its business. Tavros had talked Vriska back into taking turns to recite and record a grandiose monologue being given by King and Prince Consort of their fictional land. Sollux was saying something to Feferi about “language conventions” while he pointed to her computer screen and she listened with a nervous nod. Nepeta emerged into the room none-the-wiser, finding Rose and Kanaya in their usual spots, Kanaya at her chair and Rose atop the desk, talking. If she had bothered to take a second glance, she just might have realized they were not doing any work at all.

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So this chapter, like the last, was also a last-minute addition. If you want to know how Rose and Kanaya hooking up could possibly be a last-minute addition, you’re going to have to wait a while, because otherwise we’d be in spoiler city. Suffice to say, a good friend helped me make the call. My only regret is that I couldn’t work in a Pesterlog, because half of one I have planned (for the chapter after next, assuming the numbers stay straight) would be more relevant here than there. Unfortunately it’s my least well-envisioned Pesterlog and it wouldn’t come to me when I tried to give it a shot. Oh well.

Of course, this means that if I said anything about the “next chapter” after Chapter 8, I’m now referring to Chapter 11! I swear I’m not building up to anything huge here. It’s actually a very simple chapter… that refuses to be more than half-written. It’s a good already-written half, at least! You’re just going to have to trust me on that.

Post threeeeeee huuuuuuuuundred.

Yesssssss. I'm so excited that Rose and Kanaya are together!!!!!!!!
Love this fic, Skaian! I'm looking forward to the next chapter.

[SkaianRedeemer]

Thank you, AppleTree!

[Layra]

Diamonds Droog = Draco Devito
Clubs Deuce = Clarence Dee
Hearts Boxcars = Henry Beatnik

Off the top of my head.

I thought about doing something similar, but I eventually decided that they shouldn't have those initials. After all, Jack Noir shares no initials with Spades Slick, which I think may have been part of the joke at the time when we were all "OMG IT'S SPADES SLICK" and Andrew was like "nope."
I can see their MC names being pesterchum handles, but not having anything to do with their actual names.

On the other hand, I am kind of tempted to make Snowman's real name Beatrice. Don't know why.

EDIT: New thought: four letter first name, four letter last name. Restrictive naming conventions go go go.

[sebastian]

Good! Because the more fics people write, the more willing I'll be to start writing again.

It's kinda like that whole 'clap your hands if you believe in fairies' thing from Peter Pan, except it involves fanfics and me learning to catch my grammar mistakes before I hit the 'post' button.

I'm just sad that it'll be two days after my 27th birthday when I'm unjailed :P But hey, I guess it's a late birthday present from the forums.

You could always use an external editor and then copy/paste. Also preview function.

And more generally if someone write something too "risque" for this forum standards there are other outlets: archive of our own, captchalogue livejournal, mspachan.net, etc. Just saying.

[egregiousBass]

I've definitely pushed the excessive detail re: violence with the Bro death fic, I think? Maybe? I dunno. Hopefully not.

What I did was way worse anyway =P

But circumstances may have excused it. I mean, everyone in the art thread was posting dead Johns in light of that update.

[X15lm204]

@spacetimeCounselor: yeeessssss, more awesome crossovers is always good. Especially with another two of my top five webcomics. I love the idea of Kat reacting to the weirdness of the Spark - and for whatever reason I'd love to see how Annie deals with Da Boyz antics.

also It sounds like Coyote got prototyped please tell me Coyote got prototyped yeeeeeeeessssssssss

Hmm, on the note of wacky crossover antics, I think I'll work some more on Derse Effect.

@Layra: If you're not totally set against matching initials, how about Beatrice Quickley? I also have to second MSB's suggestions; I don't think I'll ever get the names Clanrence and Henry for CD and HB out of my head now that they're there.

*goes back to excessively large pile of cushions for the night*

[Isoraqathedh]

No. 4.13.06: Hilarious (?) Outtakes: Homestuck

Contains high levels of tables, so linked.

Haha, I want moar. Now someone's got to make them graphically. Iso, we are lucky to have someone as creative as you around here.

(though I didn't get the one about coughing, is this a Chinese joke)

Aw, thanks. I almost thought that no one thought about my work. There is a competitive atmosphere here after all!

And yes, it's a Cantonese joke that made its rounds across the commercials for a while. Wiktionary link. I always thought Aradia's dead voice is dry and raspy, and when I try to do that I cough a lot. Sometimes.

[Ganato]

Huh.....
Sad to hear you got jailed Wigmund. I think I speak for all of us when I say we look forward to your return.

Diamonds Droog = Draco Devito
Clubs Deuce = Clarence Dee
Hearts Boxcars = Henry Beatnik

Off the top of my head.

I thought about doing something similar, but I eventually decided that they shouldn't have those initials. After all, Jack Noir shares no initials with Spades Slick, which I think may have been part of the joke at the time when we were all "OMG IT'S SPADES SLICK" and Andrew was like "nope."
I can see their MC names being pesterchum handles, but not having anything to do with their actual names.

On the other hand, I am kind of tempted to make Snowman's real name Beatrice. Don't know why.

EDIT: New thought: four letter first name, four letter last name. Restrictive naming conventions go go go.

Oh hey a naming game.

So, after a quick search I found out the name Jack means 'man' and Noir is obviously black.
So maybe the same should be done with the rest?
Give them a four letter name that somehow has something to do with them and then a colour.

Lets try that with HB:

Now HB is the brawns of the Midnight Crew so I expect him to have a strong name, such as, Olaf.
Since we have given him a norse name will try a name for a colour in one of the scandinavian languages.
HB is fierce so red would probably suit him.
So Olaf Rött

Olaf actually means 'ancestor's descendent' so I guess it doesn't fit terribly well

[egregiousBass]

Hearts Boxcars is Ray Brown.

Also snowman.

[Ganato]

Bested.

Edit:
Also Jack is named after Jack Black so I guess the rest should be named after actors/musicians as well?

[egregiousBass]

Doze on Piano.

OK I'll go back to writing now.

[Sionnan]

Also I wanted to point out there's a game related aspect to each of the names. Jack Noir= Jack Black, but translated properly, it's blackjack. And Spades Slick has the rules of blackjack in his inventory.

Droog may be friend in clockwork orange, but it also means a young ganger or a hood. Deuce is pretty much universal term for two, you get the picture.

As an alternate to musicians, you can find famous conmen or gamblers.

[Kassiopeia]

DD's first name should be Alex as a Clockwork Orange homage. Or Alexander for classiness.

[raequiem]

Naughty Wig! Very naughty! *shakes finger*

I kinda wish I'd gotten to see the offending fic before it was snipped

Small concern re:Bright Eyes - Damn Karkat and his damn Crabdad being so interesting. I started this fic with the intention of just writing Terezi/Dave shippy shenanigans, and he had to come make it all big and angsty and INVOLVED. Does anyone mind if it becomes a big huge AU thing, with the Dave/Terezi as just a sidenote to BIGGER THINGS?

I don't, but I'm biased. Also this means HURP DURP MORE WORKLOAD FOR RAE. I will never sleep again.

[Ganato]

See this is why I should never name stuff.

@Rae:
I certainly wouldn't mind.
I love AUs.

[Graven_Image]

@SC: Yes. More of this please. I don't even read GC, but you may have convinced me to do so.

@Wigmund's jailing: It's a tragedy, to be sure. But hey! At least you still have me!

*crickets*

Yeah, well, here you go.


Indystuck

Chapter 7

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He had slipped out of the "real" world again, somehow. One would think that being in the midst of such a precarious situation would keep one's attention from drifting.

But, here he was. And here he had to make the most of his situation.

He floated out, into the golden-ivory city below. And he heard the music.

Music was a part of his existence. It was his heartbeat and his mind, in this world and the real one. But this tune was different.

Instead of a mix of tones, this melancholy melody was sung by a single voice, out in the sky above the city. He flew, riding on a quartet of color that propelled him to the song's source.

The singer was garbed in gold, as was he. Her skin was a pale blue, sporting vaguely aquatic features. She noticed him, but took no heed. She was caught up in her composition.

So he joined her.

His was not a natural sound, to be sure. But the harsh technological overtones of his own voice and the natural beauty of hers contrasted and melded perfectly. As the song ended, she looked at this monstrous black thing that had complemented her personal symphony so well.

"Hello."

"Hello"

"My name's Naija. What's yours?"

He would have answered, but he felt his head grow light and saw the world grow fuzzy. He had to leave again.

"That's alright, I guess... I'll see you some other time."

He awoke.

OPEN PESTERLOG

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videomaticPrecognitive began pestering neckwearAficionado

VP: Tim.
VP: I had that dream again.

OPEN PESTERLOG

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newGuy began pestering craftyMiner

NG: wassup steve
NG: we ready to GET IT ON
CM: yeah I guess
CM: let me boot up my mainframe and we can get this show on the road
NG: the mainframe
NG: seriously
NG: that monstrosity you pieced together yourself using rock and that red crap
NG: THATS what youre sending me on my adventure with
CM: hey man dont knock the redstone
CM: this is primo grade A stuff
CM: i defy you to find anything that runs faster than seventy acres of redstone mainframe
CM: try it
CM: you will fail
NG: yeah well ANYTHING will run faster if you bump it up to seventy acres
NG: how do you get the visuals on that btw
CM: seventy-acre resolution screen
CM: made of redstone
NG: hehehe
NG: WHY could i not guess that
NG: you always make stuff WAAAY too big
CM: yeah well its this too-bigness thats gonna get you into the game and out of the way of a doom laden space rock
NG: no arguements there
NG: lets get this GOING

The Kid's house was not exactly made to be lived in.

Spikes lined the walls, ceiling, and most of the floors. The only way from room to room was through an overly intricate series of jumps and rebounds.

And don't forget to shoot the loose spike on your way down, or you're a dead mofo.

OPEN PESTERLOG

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NG: alright put the first thing HERE
NG: and the next thing in each of the rooms after this
NG: you can see me right

His only response was a Cruxtruder dumped in the living room.

OPEN PESTERLOG

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CM: crack the lid open
CM: take all three of the things you get in here to the next room

A weird card appeared on the pedestal, with his face on it. Strange.

He took aim, blasting the lid of the device off with a ridiculously oversized pistol.

Rest in pieces, the Guy. And thanks for the gun.

What could only be described as a seizure fairy flew out, along with a cylindrical crystal, both a vivid beige in hue.

OPEN PESTERLOG

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CM: alright next step is in the next room over
CM: what is with all these spikes
CM: seriously what is wrong with you

Oh, if only he knew.

The Kid was unbeatable at the traversing of insane and masochistic landscapes.

Simply the best there was, in fact.

take the card and the thing jump HERE wallgrab THERE and don't forget the shooting of the spike THERE and ohwaitsnap why did the fairy grab it AAAAAAH

The spike was crucial. When shot, it was supposed to fall and create a platform for continued traversal.

But the fairy caught it and now he was plummeting to his certain death on a bed of spikes of his own making.

Oh, sweet lady irony! WHY DO YOU MOCK ME?

He hit the now-blank floor facefirst.

Wut.

OPEN PESTERLOG

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CM: yeah did I forget to mention I can erase stuff
CM: because I can do that
CM: also warn a guy next time before you decide to attempt suicide

The fairy, now a bright glowing beige spike, floated down, flat side up.

OPEN SPRITELOG

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SPIKESPRITE: ptpttttptttpt!
THE KID: uh
THE KID: promise not to impale me and youve got a deal
SPIKESPRITE: PTTTPTTTTPTTTTTPPTT!
THE KID: right sure whatever

He clambered up, letting the miasmatic cone carry him up and over the rest of the chamber-like hallway, and into the foyer.

Steve had found room to stick both the alchemiter and the totem lathe in here.

What those terms meant, he had no clue.

OPEN PESTERLOG

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CM: alright stick the card into the slot on the left machine
CM: jam the dowel in and mash go

He did so. Man, that was a weird-looking shape.

OPEN PESTERLOG

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CM: now all you have to do is take the carved thing and put it on the smaller pedestal of the other machine
CM: and destroy whatever it makes

He jammed the totem into its socket. The flying spike trembled. Maybe it was excited.

Maybe it had to take a leak. Who knows.

On the pedestal appeared a light brown crystal statue of him.

OPEN PESTERLOG

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NG: is that IT
NG: pfft and you said this game was hard.

The Kid maneuvered the glossy self-portrait of himself into the doorway and fired a single oversized shot at it.

It blew back with the force of the hit, flying into the hallway and shattering against one of the many, many, many spikes on the opposite wall.

OPEN PESTERLOG

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CM: hey
CM: kid
CM: did you make it in answer me
CM: i lost you on the monitor
NG: oh yeah im in
NG: and from what i can see
NG: this is gonna be the most AWESOME game ever

[Twigwise]

Hm, four letter first-and-last names for MC variants?
Well, "Jack" actually has an additional meaning of "One who Supplants" depending on which variation you use. That basically means "Traitorous one."
So he's "Traitorous man of black/darkness."

Fitting with the pattern of what Ganato said, I'd have to suggest:

Hearts Boxcars: Herz Coch - German first name meaning "Hardy, brave, and strong." And the Welsh word for red.
Diamonds Droog: Raul Roux - Italian first name meaning "Counsel of the Wolf" or "Fearless advisor." Considering he's Jack's right hand... Last is a variation of the French word "Rouge."
Clubs Deuce: Fane Sort - Old English first name meaning "Eager." Last name is Danish "black."

So there's my two cents!

[Altum]

Droog may be friend in clockwork orange, but it also means a young ganger or a hood.

I'm not sure I see the cards reference there, actually. I think the reference in Droogs is that diamonds are a girl's best friend. Clubs Deuce is the 2 of Clubs, Hearts Boxcars is the 6 of Hearts, Jack Noir is the Jack of Spades, but do we ever get a reference to what card Droogs is supposed to be? Maybe it would be hidden in the other part of his name, like Jack.

On the other hand, Droog is from the Nadsat argot; -nadsat is Russian for -teen, more or less, so maybe he's the 10 of Diamonds. Dean or Deacon both mean ten.

EDIT: A two of clubs is an opening bid to use when you have a strong hand in bridge, for what that's worth.

[Douhneill]

Whoo! more indystuck! Silly the kid (the guy?) - it's not GONNA BE the greatest game ever, it IS.

[Ganato]

THANKS!
Glad I didn't waste too much time with that.

Also fuck yeah, danish

[Decker]

Naughty Wig! Very naughty! *shakes finger*

I kinda wish I'd gotten to see the offending fic before it was snipped

Small concern re:Bright Eyes - Damn Karkat and his damn Crabdad being so interesting. I started this fic with the intention of just writing Terezi/Dave shippy shenanigans, and he had to come make it all big and angsty and INVOLVED. Does anyone mind if it becomes a big huge AU thing, with the Dave/Terezi as just a sidenote to BIGGER THINGS?

I don't, but I'm biased. Also this means HURP DURP MORE WORKLOAD FOR RAE. I will never sleep again.

In my experience, the way to write your best is to write what you want to write, not what everyone else wants you to write.

[Wigmund]

I'm not banned dead yet. I'm just going to be careful with what I post. So you all can look forward to my 'jailed' title for the next month p
Thanks to everyone who has lamented my stupidity, I appreciate that you all enjoy the drivel I've put here. It makes me feel great

I pushed the envelope with my last couple of fics. And the one that got me slapped violated the rules about not having the kids/trolls show up pregnant and it mentioned puberty.
I should have realized what I was doing violated a rule that I was responsible for in the first place, but I'm not one who has a lot of common sense. X(

I'm going to keep posting fics, but I need to spend some time getting ready for the spring semester of college and this jailing provides a good reason to pull my fat ass out of my chair and do just that.
Looking back, I've posted what seems like a fic a day for quite some time between this thread and the Troll!Cops thread...where I'm in the process of posting something right now X(

In other news - I'm signing up for a AO3 account (Jan 18th is when my invitation should show up) and once I get that I'm going to copy the fics I have here over to that, especially the series of post-game fics I have going.

[-Benedict]

More crossover stuff with Smitty and the best character. Kind of short, since I decided it would be more hilarious to write Parley halfway through. Smit's just kind of a straight man- there's little dynamic besides him being a straight man to the antics contained herein.

Homekrigg Geniusstuck: Part II

show spoiler

hide spoiler

rightWay [RW] generated transmission to ALT ??????? [??]

??: WHAT in the esteemed name of the SEVENTH POPE is THAT?
RW: This is an ethereal transmission from a being from another universe.
??: ALIENS, hmm? I'll make SHORT WORK of that!
??:
RW: Please don't shoot holes in the transmission window.
RW: I'm here to help you through this game thing.
??: A GAME? Surely you know that a GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER has no time to play GAMES, you evil floating alien THING!
??: YAAAA!
RW: Stop that.
RW: I'm trying to help you avert the apocalypse.
RW: This is kind of a big deal.
??: LIES!
RW: For the love of god, don't shoot off that crazy space laser again.
??:
RW: I'll just patch that one up.
??: No alien evades the BLISTERING JUSTICE of my firearms!
??: Have at thee!
RW: Ok, you're punching the partially incorporeal chatbox.
RW: Are you done?
??: My FISTS of ANGRY POWER have no effect on you!
??: What are you UP to, vile FIEND?
RW: I'm trying to let you know that in the next few seconds, a servant from the castle will rush past you and slip you a device that has the ability to end the world.
RW: And following that, I'd like to help you avert said ending.
??: And why should I TRUST-- Oof! (sorry!)
RW: And now that you have the device, you need to unpack it carefully and follow my instructions to the letter.
??: What manner of fiendish SPARK are you, that you would ENTRUST a legendary figure such as MYSELF with this POWER?
RW: What, you mean a magic mad scientist person?
RW: No, this is different.
RW: Slide the frog symbol on the device up to the red light.
??: NOT SO FAST!
??: Where do YOU get off giving ORDERS to OTHAR TRYGGVASSEN, GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER?
RW: What, is that your title?
RW: Let me plug that in for you.

-- ALT ??????? [??] is now known as gentlemanAdventurer [GA] --

GA: What is the MEANING of this GHOSTLY SCRIPT? What MADNESS are you perpetrating?
RW: It's just a chatlog. And there's your handle.
RW: Pretty sure you should be gold.
GA: And now your INSIDIOUS record of my MIGHTY words has been GILDED, no doubt by some devilish device built by your MAD MASTER!
RW: What? No, I just- never mind.
RW: Listen, see the little meteorites raining down on the big castle?
GA: What SCIENTIFIC SORCERY is THIS?
GA: Have you passed your insane JUDGEMENT on the innocent citizens of the fair MECHANICSBURG?
RW: No, that would be the game. If all goes well, it should stop once you and the nutcases who're doing this with you stop the Reckoning inside.
GA: And I don't suppose YOU would tell me how to STOP this INFERNAL RAIN?
RW: If you would LISTEN for one second, you'd find that that's exactly what I'm trying to tell you.
RW: Now get back inside that coffee shop and I'll get you set up to save the world.
GA: And how is COFFEE supposed to HELP me in my NOBLE ENDEAVORS?
RW: No, it's because you need a building. And preferably something sentient to prototype with. Just... get in there, I'll have Parley get you set up in a minute. The madgirl is having trouble with her stupid cruxite bug thing.
RW: Later.
GA: You haven't heard the last of ME, fiend! I'll hunt you and you NEFARIOUS MASTER to the ENDS of the GLOBE!

rightWay [RW] ceased transmission to gentlemanAdventurer [GA]

[raequiem]

Wig, if you don't want to wait a week, PM me your email and I'll give you an invite.

Also I think it's cool how well you're taking this jailing. More proof that this is the best fandom ever. Good luck with college stuff!

Ninja'd by SC. I'm loving this GC/GG fic (oh god just got an awful idea for Jade/Terezi femslash no no no no no no no no)

[Dermonster]

I don't get the whole waiting thing. for AO3.

I basically just put in my info thing, got an email 3 seconds later, and put my stuff up.

Oh well. Also Goddammit I have Biscuits all planned out but I can't bring myself to write it.

As a side node: Any and all femslash is greatly appreciated and anticipated.