OPEN.

[parodeity]

WHO: dave strider + open as heck!
WHERE: various places
WHEN: various times through the end of the month
WHAT: time shenanigans! if you need a time travel related regain this may be relevant 2 you. or if you just want to go wtf @ dave, also. also, a sord...
WARNINGS: idiocy

WEDNESDAY MAY 17TH OPTION A

[ it might be imperative to know how to track dave down or contact him in person for this one, because while you might see him, you'll basically see him messing around with some floating records. he scratches them, and a strange red gear (or a lot of them) pop into existence and turn and then dave is just Gone. his expression before he disappears is at least entirely startled, even though he's usually pretty good about keeping a poker face.

clearly this was an alien abduction. oops. ]

WEDNESDAY MAY 17TH OPTION B

[ the first time, it was an accident. he woke up to a new bullshit item, he fucked around with new bullshit item, and...

...well, shit happened. the second time it wasn't so much an accident, and the third time it was on purpose, but it's a whole chain of events that leads to idiocy like this: dave strider standing beside himself in intense conversation in apprassage, in one of the many walk-around paths. it's not like he's ever been secretive about having a twin, but that twin is a girl, and shorter than him, and not...you know, dave, duplicated. and also there is only one of her, but there seems to be a third dave jogging down the path in the opposite direction, and

this is so STUPID

what are they saying? well, if you're close enough, you'll notice that one of the daves is significantly more frustrated than the other, who just looks Tired As Hell. ]

- don't understand why you won't.

[ the response is: ] Because you didn't. Anyway, just do what you're gonna do, man.

With what - oh, shit. [ apparently he didn't expect to get caught doing...whatever the hell he is doing. ]

SATURDAY MAY 20TH

[ there's just one of him right now, but dave looks absolutely fucking exhausted. there are probably dark circles under his eyes, but who can tell with the shades? he approaches you apparently at random and says: ]

Yo. So, I gotta talk to you, if you got a second?

[ ...it's mostly because of Really Stupid Reasons, and his deadpan tone conveys the idea that he finds this entire thing really. dumb. ]

TUESDAY MAY 23RD

[ tuesday the 23rd dave doesn't seem to be doing any time travel practice or anything Weird, except he's kind of hanging out in the park at some point kind of idly holding a terrible sword. like. its not even worthy of a "w", this is a sord... of idiotic proportions.

he can recognize most network people by face, but even if he doesn't know you, there's one relevant question to ask: ]

Yo, do you see what this is doin' to my hands or is it, like, all in my head? [ he has to know. what the hell is this piece of crap and why has he not thrown it out. ...also why is he hanging out in the park alone after school, actually, but whatever. ]

FRIDAY MAY 26TH

This is a dumbass idea. [ says one dave to another, near the edge of the recollé woods. it's pretty late, so why are you up, and why is he up, but whatever. they both seem to be facing off with a sword in their respective left hands. ]

Yeah, maybe, but am I actually gonna do it or not? [ there's no reply, so: ] Thought so.

You know what they say about countin' chickens? [ the other one says, gesturing behind the first. hey. you've been spotted. ]

WILDCARD

[ if none of the above work feel free to throw me a different prompt / pm me or w/e to bang out an idea and i can write you up a specific prompt. i am more than happy to do so, esp if you'd like to work towards some kind of specific regain. ]

Comments

[parodeity]

Both choices got made, so both timelines existed. Thing is, one - like, this one, probably [ the one where dirk picks his own clothes WAIT SHIT DON'T INSULT THAT, GOD ] - can't keep existin', because only one timeline can be...the timeline.

[ right, that feels right, that's what they'd argued about. ]

The alpha timeline.

[ that feels important. ]

[splinten]

I think I follow. It's the Garden of the Forkin' Paths, but the branches that aren't the alpha die off. [There's a tilt of a question. Does he understand it?]

[parodeity]

"Dead daves are the enemy". [ DIRECT QUOTE. WHY THE FUCK DID HE KEEP SAYING THAT like dave can agree with the sentiment but

how many dead daves were there. why. ]

[splinten]

[...]

You wanna contextualize that one because it's not my favourite thing you've ever treated like a quote.

[parodeity]

Uh. [ WAIT.........................

he regrets saying that because the context makes his time shenanigans here seem maybe dangerous? ]

She wanted to know if the source of my hesitation was really keepin' track of temporal logistics. So, like. "Why wouldn't I be concerned about that? If we make mistakes then dead daves start pilin' up. And dead daves are the enemy, remember?"

[splinten]

[Too bad Dave this is what all-for-all means.]

So do you understand what Dead Daves are? [Like he's getting an IDEA here.]

[parodeity]

I mean. The phrase makes it pretty clear what they are, yeah??

[ DAVES...WHO ARE DEAD...dave is not sure any other explanation is really. necessary? ]

[splinten]

Why would they be a thing you accumulate? Are they from the timelines that don't work? The branchin' paths.

[parodeity]

Because...if you're from an offshoot timeline, you're doomed, if you're me.

[ A...PPARENTLY? look. he is learning still. he keeps getting bullshit time mechanics memories back but they all give him a headache.

despite himself, he doesn't find them that hard to understand, though. ]

Because those timelines aren't stable.

[splinten]

[Mm. He doesn't like it.] Okay. I agree with the sentiment about dead Daves. [They are the enemy. Do not kill Daves.]

[parodeity]

Yeah so anyway she made an offshoot timeline with a dead Dave to prove a point.

[splinten]

[What the fuck.]

What the fuck.

[parodeity]

I did not find this super surprisin', so I am not sure why we were workin' together, but yeah. Apparently I had been askin' her about how to go god tier, and she decided that was the fastest way to explain?

[ THANKS, TEREZI. ]

[splinten]

[GOD.]

Okay, that's phenomenally fucked up, but it isn't exactly unusual for being so relative to the rest of this crap. I have a second question, if this particular matter is covered sufficiently.

[parodeity]

Shoot.

[splinten]

Why did you look confused every time you won?

[parodeity]

Uh. What?

[ he was not tracking his facial expressions, um. ]

[splinten]

Every time you won a round, which was all of them, you seemed baffled by it. I was surprised, since it seemed natural to me you'd win.

[parodeity]

[ ...LOOK ]

I...guess because I never have done? [ like yes since they started sword fighting he has, but like, ] I don't think I ever won back then, either, and it ain't like we've ever fought before this year like this, but like. I guess...it's surprisin'?

[splinten]

[That does check out, both in terms of what Dave is used to from him and what Dirk has learned about Dave's Bro.]

I can see how it could be, yeah, okay. Is it alright?

[parodeity]

That...I haven't lost? I have no idea why I would complain about that.

[splinten]

Aside from tearin' down whatever was built on the edifice of my brotherly combat prowess [ok so not that] I want to make sure it's good for you in terms of training. Does this still meet what you need?

[parodeity]

You're the only person fast enough to do that. You know it. Dunno that you'd get much from cappin' your speed and shit either except for fun I guess? It's not like goin' slow can't help but it's...annoying.

[splinten]

Restrictions can be good training exercises, but I don't prefer them as a default. [To elaborate.] You showed up here wantin' to Strife against yourself with time travel. Would that be better trainin', or am I still a suitable substitute even if I'm not going to win?

[parodeity]

Currently you're fucked then if I don't help out. You're gonna be too fast soon.

[ not what dirk...asked... ]

It...wasn't unhelpful.