1st Cupcake [action/text forever]

[stubbornskeptic]

[...Okay, she was crying, so being wet as a result is to be expected. But she was almost certain that her front yard hadn’t been turned into a lake, so this...being soaked through business is a little alarming. Enough so that she looks up, tears beginning to fade as the shock sets in.

...That’s not her house. Not at all.

Jane Crocker is getting really tired of this stupid game and its stupid shenanigans! She just wants to go home and cry into a pillow about stupid boys! Is that too much to ask?!

Apparently! Because now she’s soaking wet in the middle of, what, some town she’s never seen? With...with people in it?

People?

The burning frustration and sadness in her gut starts to melt away. None of this is adding up. She hasn’t seen anybody but her friends (and that kooky clown) for months. Certainly everyone has passed-- that’s what Dirk and Roxy told her, right? So...who are these people?

The Mystery of the Ghosts of a Dead Planet sounds like a good title, Jane thinks. So good that she ought to write it down to tell Roxy later, um, after Roxy is done being mad at her for what she said. Jane reaches into her sylladex for a computer and-- oh, that’s right. She sorta just smashed the one she had. But...wait. No, there’s one in here? A phone thing?

...A starfish?

Jane makes her way to one side, ignoring the people-who-might-be-ghosts-who-knows-with-this-game-really for the time being. She’s got bigger fish to fry, basically literally. After some fiddling, Jane solves at least one mystery and manages to type out a message:]

Roxy?
Dirk?
Jake?
I can’t seem to put in any names on this thing, so I’m hoping it’s just sort of...broadcasting.
Um.
If anybody else is reading this, my name is Jane and I’m not sure where I am!
Also I’m getting a little cold.

[After a long, painful pause, she adds:]

Dad?

[And with that, decides to do some observation while she waits for responses, wandering around the plaza as inconspicuously as possible while still dripping wet.]

Comments

[Text]

[shippingmath]

[Oh.

It's been a while since he's seen that particular color of bubblegum blue. A long time, and a lot of events, but the long and short of it is that Dirk has been missing his friends- even the one who's here, since Roxy has been stuck in a sleep coma for weeks now. And he's missed Jake, sure, because they never did finish sorting out things, they never really got back to normal- but Jane, well, it's been even longer.

He's on his feet and moving almost before he's done typing a reply.]

'Sup, Crocker.
If you're in a Plaza by some fucking monolith of a coral, stay there.
If you're not, there's a video function, you can use that to show off the scenery so we don't have to play fucking Marco Polo all over the bubble.
I'll be right there.

[And he will, because he's flashstepping from his house in the Lower District as quickly as he can.]

[stubbornskeptic]

Dirk.
Okay.
Good to know I'm not totally lost.

Yes, I do believe that is coral!
And by bubble, do you mean one of those dream ones?
Because I'm going to be honest, this feels different!

[Jane stays where she is, shivering a little. She promises herself it's just from being cold.]

[shippingmath]

I'll explain in person.

[And that's the last message she'll get from Dirk. It's less than a minute before he shows up in the Plaza, and singles Jane out to make a beeline toward her.]

Hey. There should be towels around, let's get you a pile of 'em.

[stubbornskeptic]

[Jane very nearly forgets her frustration with Dirk (as well as the fact that she's still soaking wet) and opens her arms for a hug, but manages to stop herself before going too far. His help is appreciated, and of course she's glad to see he's okay and here, but. Well, she's still cross with him. And dripping. So hugs will wait until later, she supposes.]

That sounds very nice, thank you.

[Once she's wrapped up in the things, she feels a little less like she's about to vibrate out of her skin. Her emotional state is still a little fragile, though, and this is perhaps why her eyes begin to tear up as she asks:]

My Dad...is he here?

[Text]

[stridercentric]

[If the text color wasn't already enough of a tip-off, the name and the fact that she's asking for her three companions makes it only too clear to Bro. The teenage Nanna's returned to Vatheon. Roxy'll be pleased about that when she wakes up, he supposes.

He feels it's not really his place to explain the full situation to her- (that's more of a thing for her Dirk-) but he'll respond all the same.]

yeah its broadcasting to everybody.

welcome to vatheon. better make yourself comfortable. chances are youre gonna be here for a while.

[stubbornskeptic]

[Oh, goodness, whoever is this?]

Vatheon?
Are we naming the lands differently now?
And you wouldn't happen to be a cherub, would you?

[One never can tell.]

[stridercentric]

what. no. thats just fucking silly. cherubs are brimming with boyish innocence and i have no such thing.

did you not get the brochure? theres supposed to be a brochure. it says welcome to vatheon in big fancy letters.

[stubbornskeptic]

I don't actually know if the cherubs I'm thinking of look that way.
I just figured I'd ask, since I just got done talking to one.

[She does find the brochure and, after skimming the first couple sections, sends another message.]

Was the new dimension I was in not good enough or something?
Sburb is really taking some twists I was not expecting!

[ACTION] (1/2)

[bethehugejerk]

[While once Karkat made regular trips to the Plaza to make use of the coral, which made it easy to go without sleep thanks to its handy energy replenishment properties, that habit has since died off. Since he returned from a trip back, specifically. Still, he likes taking walks here, and it's old habit that brings him through the Plaza more often than not. Besides, it's around that time when new people start showing up, and there's always the chance someone he knows could appear.]

[The trouble is that this isn't who he wanted. Of course, Jane might not be the red-suited Crocker tier corporate nightmare that ran him through on an oversize fork, but it's hard not to be wary after a thing like that. He didn't hide behind Kanaya for nothing. But he does know, as memories drift up from his time here, that Empress-sponsored possession is not her default.]

[He just didn't like her much then, albeit for other reasons.]

[The end result is that with a swear that's not as quiet as it could be, he tries to back away far enough that he can turn and leave. Sure, she attacked him from the front back on LOFAF, but that doesn't mean he should give her extra chances. Just slowly, careful, quiet...]

[ACTION] (2/2)

[bethehugejerk]

[FWUMP.]

[... trip over the foot of someone he didn't see behind him, because like an idiot, he wasn't watching where he was going.]

Grubfucking hell, moron, get out of my way! I've got places to go and shit to do, and none of that involves being knocked on my ass by some dipshit in the street!

[stubbornskeptic]

[Jane turns, surprised by the sudden commotion and...not sure what to make of the grey teen. Whoever it was that tripped him has since taken off (trip and run?) and Jane decides she ought to offer a hand. Even if the boy seems a little unpleasant already.]

Are you alright? You didn't hit your head, did you?

[bethehugejerk]

[At least whoever-it-is is out of his way now. Karkat starts to push himself upright, hiss a little with the soreness of impact, but stops when a certain voice interrupts him.]

[Oh god. There she is.]

[On the bright side, she's speaking normally! No extended silence only to break for some intimidating shout - he can't even remember the exact word Jane said at the time, given the cutlery-based distraction - and her eyes aren't the strange mix of black and red. She looks normal, frankly, which is probably why he doesn't just flee.]

I'm fine! I'm fine. Keep your hands to yourself, don't worry about me, and we will be absolutely fine.

[Not that this stops him from scrambling back a few feet before he can even get up off the ground. Then he pushes to his feet - watching her as he does.]

If you want to help, just tell me one thing: do you or do you not recognize me?

[pranksterheir]

[His first thought is that that color of font looks a lot like Nanna's. But then the person mentions Roxy, Jake, and Dirk, and introduces herself as Jane. John starts feeling excitement well up. He knows the other kids from his time here, but he's never gotten to meet Jane yet.]

hi, jane!
i'm john. do you know who i am?

[stubbornskeptic]

[Jane's breath catches in her throat. John was her Poppop's name, and they were supposed to meet them by playing the game, right?]

I think I might...
Poppop?

[pranksterheir]

yeah!
kind of.
i am the 16 year old alternate universe version of your poppop.

[stubbornskeptic]

Right!
Of course...
I knew that we were going to meet you.
I guess I just thought you'd be coming to us!
Rather than the other way around...
At least, that's how the others made it sound.

[spacecase]

jane!!!! :D
omg welcome back :DD
we missed you!


ummmmmmmm right you might not know me
i am jade!
jakes grandma

[stubbornskeptic]

[Jane does not, of course, recognize the name immediately, but the explanation clicks and yes, of course, that was part of what playing the game had been about, right? (Also, hoo hoo, of course she types in green too. How cute.)]

It's very nice to meet you.
Which I suppose says it all about whether I know you.
And as for "missing" me, I do have a few questions.
We've met?
I don't remember this, I'm afraid.

[spacecase]

oh well...

[It's disappointing that Jane doesn't remember, but she expected this too. Jake came back not remembering after all when he made his reappearance.]

thats okay!
its actually pretty common for people to leave vatheon and come back not remembering it
i mean, i will not say it makes me happy because it doesnt, but i am not going to blame you or get mad at you for it :P

you were here in vatheon before, you lived with roxy and dirk, as well as jake when he was here!
roxy is going to be so excited that you are back, its just been her and dirk for a while now

[cephalopodcounselor]

Hello, Jane.
We haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet.
I'm Rose.
This place can be quite disorientating when you first arrive, but I hope someone else from home has already come to assist you.
If not, I can be to the plaza fairly quickly.

[stubbornskeptic]

Dirk's come and found me, yes.
And by Rose, I'm guessing you mean Roxy's, um, mother-daughter?
Goodness, this is all so complicated as it is.
We really didn't have to add giant coral to the mix!

[cephalopodcounselor]

I'm pleased to hear that.
Yes, that would be me and complicated is putting it mildly.
The giant coral is probably the least complicated thing to have been added into the mix.
Most of us have not arrived from the same point in time as the others.
Some of us have experienced things that others haven't.
It can get quite confusing not knowing when someone is from.
For the record, I was just about to enter your session when I wound up here.
Did you come from before or after I entered the session, assuming I entered it at all?

[text]

[onebecametwo]

how are you cold? it is like a million goddamn degrees out right now

[ At least it was last time he checked, he's been camping in his apartment in front of the AC for a little while now. ]

[stubbornskeptic]

Well, it has something to do with being soaked with cold water.
I suppose I could step out of the shade to try and dry in the sun, though.

[onebecametwo]

you know your best option here is to just take your clothes off right? maybe you should let me know where you are too.

[ Wow he is just so slick sometimes he amazes even himself! ]