parodeity | monday evening;

[ dave shakes his head, brow furrowing. ]

Not really? Kinda figured it was some like...repopulation thing when I first heard the term but I seriously doubt that's at all accurate.

[And he pauses because he really has to think. It doesn't take him long before he seems to recite something from memory.]

"The Cradle Project. The details of the project are under lock and key. Only those operatives who are assigned to work on the project are aware of what it entails. If it is a success, it could be the savior of humanity as we know it. The team tasked with carrying out the project currently are researching the ethical, psychological, and epidemiological issues that arise from the project's nature."

So...killing project doesn't exactly fit in there, but I'd thought maybe the Admiral changed her mind or something.

Huh. Where'd we find this out? But...you know what that sounds a lot better than what we're actually fucking doing. Petition to hit whoever changed the mission upside the head?

[ preferably with something painful. ]

Dude, we have swords. We can do more than hit them upside the head. [And here he frowns lightly.] It's info somebody found in the archives. Understandably it's not down there anymore but figured that might be important.

...makes me wonder about the stuff we found upstairs, too. What was that all about?

Idk. I'm thinking us not being...us body wise might be an option? Androids or whatever. Or if we were supposedly slaughtered like...this could be some sort of inbetween death thing?

[ just. casually discusses limbo nbd. ]

As to the water ball - server room maybe? Alice is always all water pour-y and shit.

I'm still not sure androids is the answer, but maybe it's because I don't really get what androids are. Did you really think I was kidding when I said I'm not around tech very much? Most of this is brand new to me.

...but I could maybe buy that we're in an in-between. [Other than he knows better, but he is trying to keep his word and will let someone else explain.] When we die back home, we have to go into the Underworld and wait to be judged and sorted into one of three places. Maybe that's it.

And that could explain why we can't override Alice's programming. She shut that door pretty fast. Bet she didn't think we could break in.

I mean, do you know what robots are? They're just like. Computers shaped like people I guess but we could've been uploaded into them and just like. All of this is an electric dream, idk.

[ look...his canon doesn't make sense he doesn't expect this to make sense either??? god why did allen have to contact him and drag dave into this ]

I get the feelin' even with how power zapped we all are, some of our powers are still a headache...and tbh she deserves the migraine.

[And here's a light smack behind the head.] Yes I know what robots are. But we also have automatons back home. Machinery with magic infused in them, more or less. Moving statues. I've fought a bunch of those before.

I don't know how they could have infused our powers though but that could explain why we only have part of them? But don't you think our friends from the other side would know if we were robots? They would've figured it out when they died, I think.

[ wow rude??? but he doesn't dodge it at least. this isn't the kind of blow bro would give, but it's...almost the kind of blow he should have been giving dave. not serious. ]

Huh. Sounds kinda neat, but also like a fucking headache.

And yeah, you're probs right re: robots. It sounds like the dead peeps haven't given up, though, you know? I mean. They're bothering to try to help us now, so...let's try to find a way to make the dead thing stop being a thing, I guess? Because honestly fuck that.

[It's absolutely not serious, worry not flash-ninja.]

Trust me, it was more than a headache. You try running away from a twenty-foot bronze statue in downtown New York. Then we'll talk.

[He seems to consider something, rubbing at his scar thoughtfully for af ew moments.] First there were the original letters through Furry Passing. And now there's this. The most we can do is try to put stuff together. [He nods.] I'll talk to everybody else, see if I can't convince 'em to talk to you about what else they know. They say yes, you gotta follow my lead and only pretend you know what I confirm you know. Can you do that?

Dude, no, I've had to fight enough stupid shit in my lifetime already. Imps only get dumber as you get further in.

[ and prototype increasingly idiotic stuff. beta kids, why. ]

But yeah, I can do that no problemo. Strider poker face ain't just for show.

[ like. sometimes it is. but he can be business when he has to be! ]

What an imp--you know what, never mind. Tell me later.

[He seems pleased though.] Good man. That's what I like to hear. [There's just one more thing...] ...you tell Roxy about all of this already?

Nah, hasn't come up yet. Idk if she's been chit-chatting the dead or not?

[ since he has been. distracted. ]

[There's a very short pause.]

...you're probably not gonna like this, but maybe it's something you should keep to yourself. If Roxy brings it up, fine, but. [He's thinking about what he's already heard from the others.] You know I like Roxy and I know she's your...mom...somehow. But this kind of stuff shouldn't spread too far, you know what I mean? Everything we found out there today's fair game, but this is different. If she didn't hear from the dead there's probably a reason.

[And quickly, to justify himself:] Arumat mentioned that he trusted me. And it's hard to sleep when somebody's busy carrying on a whole chat conversation.

[ haha wow yeah he doesn't like that, eyebrows lowering and lips twitching down, but. ]

...Yeah, Allen said to be careful about who I talked to, too. And like...I get the feeling they want us to tell as few people as possible. Shit.

[ his mom is not an alien??????????? but it's not like saying that will make her 100% trustworthy to anyone but dave. ]

He also said he had no idea how to tell who was what, though. Which would have been super helpful.

[Sorry kiddo, them's the breaks. Trusting people is all well and good but you can't be too careful. Look what happened with Adelina. To his credit Luke at least looks vaguely apologetic.]

That seems to be the default warning. I probably shouldn't have been told at all by anybody. Guess that's why I'm a little surprised you told me first and not Roxy...and I thought you guys were staying in each other's rooms anyway. She slept through it?

[It doesn't matter other than he's just curious. Roxy please don't be an alien. Dave please don't be an alien, gods.] That makes sense too though. Not like we can tell too well on our end. What's being dead gonna change about that?

Nah, we don't always sleep over? Like. Especially when she wants to talk to me about my nonexistant love life.

[ he accidentally flirted with Yuno in that one trial, remember. ROXY HAS YET TO LET IT GO. ]

But she actually is a p heavy sleeper - at least in comparison to me. I can't sleep through shit. As to telling you, well...I had a deal with Arumat to tell him this kinda thing, can't do that now, and you...

[ how does he word it? ]

...I trust you. Not that I don't trust Mom, but she's not any better at putting pieces together than I am, here.

[There's a snort.] Yeah, well, I've heard moms are supposed to be embarrassing about this kind of thing. [He wouldn't know??? His mom was too busy yelling about his fate tbh.

But oh look, there goes another piece of Luke's soul shriveling up as he dies inside. This is stupid. This is so bad? Why do you people trust him? It's so much worse because it's Dave and Dave's a kid and Dave's a kid Luke likes and has sort of slated into the category of "must make sure he lives", so hearing that is a whole weird...thing.]

I can't believe you think somebody who sat next to a proximity mine can put pieces together better than you and your mom can. [It's the only thing he can say that isn't an awkward "thank you" or some other weird bullshit. But there's a grin he's not quite aware of. That did it. That absolutely sold him a bit because being alive for an extra two months sure has helped.] But that makes sense. Arumat was a really smart guy. We used to talk and compare notes about the ship and everything that was happening here, too.

[Poor Arumat. He rubs the back of his neck instead.] I'll do my best to help all of us make sense of everything. It's only fair that you guys figure out how to fight back and get out of here.

Eh. The guy I trust most in the world back home? Would have done the same thing. Dude once strapped a rocket pack to his back and blasted off to fight the endgame boss. At level one. Because an internet troll told him to.

[ his voice is full of affection but goddamnit john egbert why do you do the things you do? ]

And sure thing. If it comes down to a fight, leave it to me...I'm gonna keep an eye on a way to reverse the dead thing, because there's always some kinda bullshit loophole. We just gotta exploit it.

And now I'm just starting to question your judgment in friends a little bit. [He can't help but snicker anyway.] But then again, guy sounds incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. I'd like to meet somebody like that.

[Please never put in him a situation he has to meet John Egbert, he will probably die all over again.]

If it's a fight, you're not the only one getting in on that. [He nods to Backbiter which has been sorely neglected this whole conversation.] That thing's not just for show. But loopholes...it's what I've been saying since the beginning. [He almost believes it, too.] Let me talk to people and I'll come find you if we're all in agreement. Cool?

Yep. Talk to you later, bro.

[ dave nods casually. ]

I'm not that hard to find, usually.

monday evening;

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