healium | {text}

Mr. Strider, I have a request for your attention? Lil Sebastian has ... well, I can't really say he's gone missing, but I'm a bit confused. You said he had a stuffed rabbit beneath his exoskeleton, and now he seems to be wearing it on the outside. Was that some sort of "blending in to get the tactical advantage" setting I don't know about? It's bad enough that I still have to repair Poppop when I "return home", but I don't think Dad will take to a sunglasses wearing critter running about; at least with his more robot-looking appearance, I could have him hold still and pretend to just be a toy you sent.

Honestly, this entire little charade going on around me is nothing short of eyebrow-raising. I can't really have been transported somewhere when all that's happened is Lil Seb looking ready to drop the fridge; I haven't even had the opportunity to get my game yet!

[There's at least a good four minutes before the next text shows up.]

This isn't some ironic test to make me less skeptical about what I'm hearing and seeing, is it? Or is this suddenly one of the occasions where I'm being caught by a giant, squishy, foam butt and have yet to wake up from the weird dreams?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hoo hoo, I'm sure I could think up some game riddles for you if you'd really like! They likely will be more like mysteries to solve, since ironic riddles are more of a Strider trade, but whipping one up will be as easy as baking a cake.

[This beaming, it will not stop.] I do hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. Jake said he has been here about a month, and I'm told Roxy arrived about a week or so ahead of me? Maybe Dirk won't be far behind myself, in that case.

[He holds up a hand and chuckles somewhat uneasily.]

Ahaha, well I have definitely had more than enough cagey nonsense game riddles for my tastes. So don't worry about it, I will not complain if you pass on those.

[Oh gosh though, she even has the hoo hoo laugh. Omg omg omg. Teen Nanna, he loves you already.]

But nah, you didn't keep me waiting too long. Not that it wasn't a suspenseful wait though! Hopefully you are right about Dirk. Then all eight of us from this...cross-universal clusterfuck of a game will be here together. Though...if I understand things right, Dirk is kind of sort of already here? The Dirk from my universe is, anyway. Dave's bro.

Yes, I did get to speak with Bro a little. From what I've been told and understand so far, he probably is indeed the same person, but different personalities due to the circumstances around him. Dirk tends to be very precise with how he types, at least, and Bro doesn't use captialization. I know it isn't a very big difference, but it's one.

[It makes it easy for her to categorize Bro as not Dirk. It wouldn't be fair to be constantly comparing the two when they are clearly in different situations.]

Hehe, yeah. I mean, for starters Bro isn't from the future or anything like that. It's only natural that things would be a little different. I imagine it holds true for all of us, to some degree.

Right! I do have a question though; a friend of mine mentioned that I wrote a note in my P -- in your copy of Colonel Sassacre's Daunting Text of Magical Frivolity and Practical Japery, and when I checked it before coming here, there was a note from "Nanna" to "John". I don't know for sure, but I would like to ask if you happen to have a copy with something like that written in it?

[Really, this is a question she thought of only after seeing it, and Poppop is the only person who could have possibly answered; now, Jane has that option.]

Colonel Sa-- oh! Yes! I do, actually. Dad kept it in the safe. The note had something to do with the game, didn't it? I know it mentioned something about the four of us and our titles or whatever. [It's been a while, Jane. He's a little fuzzy on the exact details.] And by us, I mean Rose, Dave, Jade, and myself. But yeah, anyway...why do you ask?

I wondered if there was some note from your future self in your copy. That's a little strange, because it seems like we both had this same book for our childhoods. [How is this possibllllle]

...my future self? [He quirks a brow.]

No, the note was from my Nanna, like you said initially. [He closes his eyes and rubs at his temples, clearly thinking hard about something.] I'm trying to remember exactly what it said but it's been almost two years so it's a little fuzzy.

[You understand, right, Jane?]

The you that grows into becoming my Poppop.

[She's thinking, trying to remember all that it said as well; but two years??] Goodness, that is.. a very long time.

Errr...no it wasn't from him. It was from you. Or the version of you in my universe, I guess. Aha...I am still not really sure about the logistics of how this whole thing works but somehow we all managed to get scrambled up between our two versions of the same universe.

It's starting to look that way. I wonder just how that happened..

[He shrugs.]

You would have to ask Dave or someone else further along on the timeline than me. Maybe Rose will know when she wakes up since she always knows basically everything.

I may have to do that. At least, it somewhat answers that we both have it if we both remember it. I wish I knew what Roxy did with my copy though. She was trying to show me how she could use some device to teleport things and made it disappear, before it sounded like she was having a sort of crisis and had to go?

Hmm...maybe it was the drones and red miles she was talking about when she first arrived here. She sure made it sound like she was in the middle of some kind of crisis when I spoke with her.

[That just prompts such a worried expression, but she stays quiet, thinking.]

Oh but...you are both here now! So, no worries. Everybody is fine!

Yes, that's true. Everyone is fine here. [She doesn't look any more relieved, but Jane manages a small smile.] I feel a little behind.

Why's that?

Something Jake said worries me a bit. Apparently, I was killed by some red... things. Then you saying Roxy was talking about being attacked by drones?

Drones and red somethings, yeah. She didn't really go into a lot of detail.

[CAN'T HELP THE WORRIES.]

[HERE COMFORTING SMILE IS GO THEN. TRUST YOUR POPPOP, JANE.]

Jane, really, everything is fine. No matter what happens back home, both of you are here now. You have managed to escape both the drones and the red thingies. And you have the chance to actually be together in person! Which, if you four are anything like us, is a big deal. And if you spend all your time worrying, you won't really be able to enjoy that fact!

[Nodding, she soon enough smiles again and it's more relaxed this time.] You're quite right. We just need Dirk here and it will be all of us, together. Not scattered across the world.

Eeexactly! And I am willing to be that Dirk won't be far behind. This place seems fond of Striders.

[It's also fond of letting them go but hey, let's not talk about that.]

Hoo hoo, I'm not too surprised by that! Striders seem to have this thing about them where just about everything, good or bad, is attracted.

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