Louder than God's Revolver

--"Hey! Name's Jake! Jake English, that is. It's really a pleasure to meet you and talk with you. I hope we can chat a bit more in the future!"-- --"Name's Tony Jones. We'll be cool so long as you follow two very simple, very hard to break rules: don't be a dumbass, and don't fucking touch my sister, or I'll fuck you up."-- Independent KHStuck role play blog for Jake English from Homestuck. Please read the rules.

[genialterminator]

technogunblade:

Caught up in the adrenaline and familiar gunfire, Dirk faltered when the tether was removed, tripping up momentarily as the eyeing weight was lifted from his soul. He recovered quickly enough, enough to catch that Jake was running back and away from them. His mind replayed the shout he gave just before the link was broken. Lara. … FUCK.

Retreating from the fray for a moment, his hand sparked and glowed magenta, familiar threads wrapping around his fingers and shooting out towards their owners. Pink led to the hand Roxy was using to steady her rifle as she gave the ferals the same treatment one would a shooting gallery. Emerald and cyan…. were thankfully equally intact, and in nearly the same direction. Okay, Jake has this handled, she’ll be fine, it’s fine.

Fuckin’ hell, Crocker…!

The expletive was through grit teeth, concern heavy in his voice and on his face, the strings being dismissed before the swordsman reentered the fight, not noticing his slip up.

The other blonde gave a pause of her own, spotting Jake barrel through the ferals with a force worthy of a Charger, and couldn’t help wondering where the fucking fire was. The yelling before had been drowned out by her bullets and trained concentration, but it didn’t take being a genius for her to guess.

Awww fuck, Janey–!!

Roxy’s cursing was a hissed whisper, one she caught the tail-end of and bit her tongue for, panic spiking at it possibly being overheard by Dirk. Thankfully he didn’t notice– too wrapped up in his own exclamation…

He said her name, he remembers her, he knows, has known, he– No, she had to calm down, she already found out earlier from the call, and this wasn’t the time to bring it us– when would it ever be? –so she should just let it slide, he didn’t even notice so it’s fine! Why would she bring it–

“JANE!” echoed through the tunnels straight to them, cutting through the growls and screeches and bloodshed, unmistakably heard by the both of them as they froze in worry and fear.

Dirk ripped his katana from a ghoul’s shoulder, kicking away the irradiated corpse before turning to dash down the metro, towards the scream, instinctively set on ensuring their friend was okay– 

Gunfire began anew behind him, sounding as though it was coming from every direction, as orderly and as deadly as a firing squad when the bullet-to-squelch ratio came out a solid 1-1. He turned just in time to see the horde of ghouls drop like dominoes, small wispy portals floating at eye level where they just stood that were fading away. A larger portal floated in front of Roxy, rifle barrel still smoking and aimed ahead, her expression obscured by her bangs.

Her magic faded as the gun was lowered, a tense silence falling between them, the only sound being the echoes of both Jake and Jane further away, hushed and muffled more than just the distance could cause. It set the Strider’s nerves alight, knowing the secret was out in the open now, his actions– reactions –speaking for him, outing him with no way to argue or back-peddle. He had ran for them, hadn’t questioned the change in name– fuck, now he realizes what he had said, how is he a genius again? Shit.

Roxy–?

Dirk!

–!!!

His name came out as a commanding bark, loud and sharp, bouncing off the rounded walls. Turning just a sharply, Roxy fixed him with a chilled stare– almost a glare, if not for the hesitation on her face and hurt behind her eyes. She bit at her lip and looked away after only a moment, not able to keep it up, instead busying herself with getting her rifle set on her back again.

…We’re talking about this, all of this, later.

Roxy, c’mon, I can explain–!

Explain later! … Let’s go check on Jake and Jane.

Dirk couldn’t get any argument out, too struck by how quietly– sadly  –she said their names after so long, the tone foreign on her voice, on those words. She brushed past him on her way towards their friends, head lowered and footsteps uncharacteristically heavy, a blatant show of her frustration with him.

 He couldn’t help his own anger flaring to life, remembering that he was not the only one at fault here, that she was the one who kept them from him first. With a clenched jaw and sheathed sword, he followed behind her, already hating the shift in mood surrounding them.

  To say that Jake listened to Jane’s earlier request of letting her go would be a lie, as he still stood there with his sister clutched tightly in his grasp.  His sister’s protests slowly trailed off, as she seemed to listen to her own advice and stay quiet.  It clearly wasn’t that she listened to her advice, as her pride kept her from listening to such commands, but instead did so in a sort of...understanding gesture towards Jake for how worried he was over her.

  And it was as they stood there, trying to recollect their nerves did Jake’s sensitive ears pick up on that snap from further down: that exclamation of Dirk.  He tensed up, seized up, holding Jane tighter as he began to silently pray that it was just a coincidence.  That had definitely been Marie’s voice that barked out that name, and he hoped he had just heard it wrong, that she hadn’t said the name he so dreaded.  But that would hardly be the case as “Max’s” voice cut through the tunnel with a plea to a Roxy.  

  Jane hadn’t reacted.  She didn’t hear them.  She was more preoccupied by the vice-like grip that Jake held her in, which the elder of the two was thankful for.

  There was no mistaking it; now that Jake thought back on everything with a newfound clarity, it began to make a bit of sense.  How “Marie” and “Max” acted, their voices, the fact that Max was stupid and pretentious enough to use a sword in the ruins, and even the fucking descriptions Jane gave him!  Damn his deteriorated - and still deteriorating - eyes, if he had just seen them he would’ve figured it out!

  He let Jane go as he continued to think, a cold, sickening feeling permeating him.  Did they know it was them?  He could hear talking from down the tunnel, but he couldn’t discern what was being said as it got quiet, then silent.  ...Oh who was he kidding, he yelled Jane’s name out for all the worlds to hear, of course they knew it was them!  The only question was if they knew ahead of time.  Considering Marie’s constant distractions and pit stops that turned a two-to-three day journey into a two-to-three month one, probably.  That infuriating tourist nonsense was probably just that: tourist nonsense, garnished with a hint of stalling.  Those two knew who the siblings were, and decided to keep it quiet.

  Jake’s tumultuous thoughts gave way to a pause for a moment, before slowly receding in favor of the anger that began to well up inside of him.  Those two fucking knew.  They kept up the act for months instead of telling them.  Dirk kept up the act, and-

  FUCK.

  He had been flirting with the both of them.  In a not-too-surprising move of continuing his wasteland act, he had flirted with both Max and Marie, and the two had responded in turn.

  He had flirted with Dirk-

  -And Dirk flirted back.

  Before Jake could get horribly flustered or angry over any of this, he was snapped out of his thoughts by Jane’s voice, cutting clearly and cleanly though his thought process as if she had taken her key to it.

  Jake, you’re still crushing me, if not making the situation worse and threatening to crush me like a can.  You’re worrying me; is something the matter?  You aren’t usually this quiet, and good golly, you look as if you just witnessed the most humiliating event known to man.  What’s wrong?

  Nothings the matter i swear.  Look lets just.  Christ i.

  I can hear max and marie now.  Lets just go and meet back up with them.  Lets talk later.

  Are you sure?  I’m fine talking with you now, if you really do need it-

  Its more of a matter of i dont want them hearing.  Lets just pick up the pace already.  Maries probably fretting her precious little head off.

  Jane gave him a cautious look as he let go, her brow knitting in concern.  She didn’t say anything else to that, and just nodded in agreement.  They could talk later; regrouping was more important, and who knows if the two “star-crossed lovers” were alright?  They wouldn’t know until they reconvened.  

  God, Jake was not looking forward to whatever would follow.

[genialterminator]

technogunblade:

Roxy gave a loud snort at Lara’s interjection and Tony’s following comeback, Dirk’s shoulders shaking with quiet laughter alongside her. He looked back towards the other man, having found himself turned to Roxy at some point.

Yeah, man, it really is. The mountains made a hell of a shield against the blast waves an’ radiation storms, the biggest source of rads is the river and fogs, plus the occasional auto ‘plosion. Y’all should really check it out at some point, it’s a damn beut of a–

Dirk froze. A hand was jutted out from the pile of bodies beside him, bones– not nails – digging into his pant leg, the ghoul it belonged to either using him as leverage to crawl out or trying to drag him down towards it. A startled scream caught in his throat, his blood turning to ice and slowing his normally lightning fast reflexes. His hand landed on the hilt of his katana just as a deafening screech was let out by the feral, only to be cut off by a resounding crack and snap. 

Roxy’s hand landed on her friend’s shoulder just as the creature’s left his leg, her boot lifting away from it’s now crushed and torn neck, leaving it twitching on the floor paralyzed. Taking the rifle off her back, she popped it once in the head in mercy, pausing to look at the absolute horde rising around them thanks to the fallen’s cry.

Awwww, hell nah. They don’t look too happy bein’ woken up, y’all…

Y-yeah, no kiddin’… Let’s get ta work.

I was just ‘bout ta say the same thing~

Dirk unsheathed his katana and kicked away the dead ghoul, gathering his bearings again before going after his chosen targets, slicing through melted, dried flesh with quick precision. Roxy couldn’t help but smile at that as she held up her gun, aiming and cutting through her own cluster of off-brand redeads in a barrage of bullets.

  Fuck.

  Jake cursed himself out as the unholy chorus of ghoulish screaming and snarling echoed around them, intensity magnified as bounced from wall to metro wall in a fashion that made it seem like there were thousands everywhere.  Though there may not have been thousands, there were still more than he had anticipated.  That dawning horror hit him hard, anxiousness hyping him up.

  They were everywhere; he just didn’t realize because he neglected to properly check the bodies strewn around them.

  Hands flying to the gun at his side, Jake drew his sidearm and quickly began his work.  Ghoul after ghoul was dispatched loudly, gunshots ringing painfully in his ears.  Of all the fucking times to forget to wear his stupid earplugs...Gritting his teeth and baring the pain, he continued to down the irradiated monsters one after another with surprisingly well-aimed shots for a blind man.  Call it luck, or call it cheating via magical abilities.  Whatever you call it, he and the two lovebirds were doing a pretty bang up job of dispatching the horrors.  He had to admit, they made a pretty alright team, like him and-

  FUCKING HELL.

  LARA!

  Jane had been towards the tail end of the group!  Jake had completely lost track of her!  This was going completely fucking sideways, god damn it!  

  Removing the tether he held on Max’s emotions, Jake quickly tore back the way they came, plowing through ghouls in a mad dash to try and find his sister.  Reaching out with his abilities, ones so clearly empathetic, he searched desperately for Jane to confirm that she was alive.  The tether kept finding nothing as he combed the tunnels, pausing at a fork in the path to focus.  He stood for a few moments, and then a few moments more, but still his search was fruitless.  The sounds from behind him made it hard to tell if there were any ahead of him, and with no luck in finding the traces of her heart...No, don’t go there.  Don’t go there, she’s going to be alright!  I just have to find her, it’ll be fine!

  The tether latched onto a familiar soul.

  Jake lit up, racing down the rightmost turn as he could clearly hear a commotion up ahead.  He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, practically flying over rubble as the morbid sounds of a blade sinking into flesh became all too clear.

  JANE!

  A pause, followed by a thump and uneasy silence.  God, he hated being blind...What was happening?!

  Jake, would you shut up!!  You’re most definitely going to attract more of these accursed creatures if you continue, so please!  Just shut-

  Her words were cut off by Jake tackling into her, pulling Jane into a suffocating hug.

  Oh my GOD i was so afraid you had died!  Im so sorry for not checking the bodies that was my duty as lead of the party im so SORRY jane!

  It’s alright!  It’s a mistake, they happen!  Now please, I would really rather have this be the way I die, thank you!  Glad to see you, too, brother dearest, but please, I implore you, to realize the fact that I - like yourself - need to breathe!

  He didn’t see breathing as necessary, clearly, as Jake continued to hold Jane in a very protective and concerned hug.  Having been frightened by the attack, he honestly needed it.

[genialterminator]

  The moment the group actually made camp, and allowed Jake a bit of spare time, he was quick to grab Jane’s arm and drag her out of hearing range, startling the ever loving hell out of her.

  Jake, what in the world are you doing!  Where are we going?!  Are we just going to leave those two alone?!  Who knows what we’ll come back to, my god!  I want to sleep tonight unscarred, thank you!

  Complain any louder and youll surely give them the idea to go traipsin in each others undergarments.  Or a drastically worse fate is that they find out that our names are but falsities weve concocted to hide amongst the locals.  Of course i find that the worst fate.  You on the other hand do have the conundrum of seeing the primal shenanigans in question here...hm.  Guess sight isnt all its cooked up to be is it janey?

  That earned him a quick backhand to the arm, hard enough to smart.

  I don’t need none of that sassy nonsense you’ve decided voice at this inopportune moment!  It’s my birthday, and I naturally get a say in what kind of verbal abuse I have to suffer through, and it’s not that!  So hush up this instant!

  Jolly good observation there!  It is indeed your birthday.  And that is also the precise reason why ive brought you here!  Honest to god i am pleasantly surprised you even remembered what day it is today!

  But that isnt the point.

  Jake reached into his bag and presented his dear sister a comic book, cover proclaiming it as an issue of the esteemed Silver Shroud comic series.

  Happy birthday jane.

  Wait.  Wait, this is--!!

  This issue is incredibly rare nowadays!  However did you even manage to get your hands on it, let alone know which one it is?!  You’re as blind as they come, Jake!  Impart your secret upon me as a means of distracting myself from drawing the entirety of Capital to our location from my excited screaming!  I must know!

  Lucky break if im gonna be honest!  Thought it mightve been grognak and feared youd hate it so i had to admit my slight predicament to max to verify which issue it was and all-

  You told Max?!  Do you really trust him that much?!

  Dont make me regret my decision to entrust him with that secret.    

  Jane glanced up with a grin plastered on her face as she tackled into her brother and pulled him into a tight hug.  Boy, having her about as strong as Jade was back home was an utter blast.

  Oh shoosh!  Thank you so much, Jake!  I really didn’t mean to come off as inconsiderate, or unappreciative of the obvious effort you went through to find this!  I was concerned and-

  Ah never mind that, thank you!!!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[genialterminator]

technogunblade:

Since they’d stepped into the subway and came across their first trail of offed ghouls, Dirk has had his eyes off. He could already tell this would be a pattern, so there was no need to be too on guard. It also meant he wouldn’t have to see the cadavers, or their bleak close-quartered surroundings that threatened to trip off his claustrophobia and paranoia. How long were these things again? The downside to having them off, however, was that he could no longer see the two in front of him, a crime really. It was probably for the best, through, considering the anxious excitement still quietly thrumming through him since it was probably– no, definitely them.

And “Tony” was still “watching” him, even as he was turned away and talking, so he had to keep himself in check– Oh wait, he was speaking to him. Oh.

Nah, not really. ‘Least not like this. We’ve mostly got them above-ground cable trams that mosey along the streets, used ta be fer tourists an’ vehicle-lackin’ folks who could not be fucked ta’ bother wit’ the buses an’ that. Could hop right on an’ off of ya choosin’, ‘long as ya didn’t get made ta paste by the cars. ‘Pparently they were real lovin’ of the natural look they had goin’ on so they didn’t wanna fuck wit’ it like everyone else did. Good reason, too. It’s gorgeous up there with the mountains an ‘falls, tons a trees an’ shit still goin’ strong. Fuckin’ miracle, that is–

He suddenly was jabbed by an elbow in the side by Roxy(he was rambling again, oops) followed by her giggling at him(but he didn’t say anything wrong, phew).

So, yeah no, we ain’t got metros. That’s Apple’s sit-i-ation a’ tram station.

That earned him another jab, he just smirked.

  Jake gave a snort at Max’s response, trying not to laugh at the verbose nature of it, and rhyming - intentional or no.  What he said wasn’t funny, per se, but Jake found the way he did at least a bit amusing.  Thankfully, it made it seem like he was in line with Marie’s giggling, so a small snort didn’t seem none too out of place.

  That description intrigued Jake, honestly.  A nice looking place in these here wastes?  Jane’d love to see that, he figured.  If they’d found out about this supposed haven far to the north back when he could still see at least a little proper, then they definitely would’ve made the trip up...Ah well, the Ruins were just fine.

  Admittedly im having a bit of a rough time conjurin up that image in my head.  That just sounds like such an oxymoron!  Somethin as stunnin as ye claim it to be in the eastern commonwealth?  Now i know i am stirrin up old quarrels and rivalries based on some curious prewar correspondences weve dug up on them dysfunctional terminals bout the old commonwealths and whatnot but i HIGHLY doubt that there exists somethin as gorgeous as you put it in any part of wastes!  Ive heard of the horrors of THE commonwealth and its glowin sea and of course theres the hell thats the white house so how could somethin smack dab in the middle of it all be that pretty!  Know i dont DOUBT you im just havin a hard time believin it.

  Jane’s voice trailing from behind the group quickly cut in, causing Jake to groan loudly.

  Ya just said ya don’t believe him again, Tony!  You said the same thin’ twice! 

  And thats darin to suggest that YOURE any better!

  A loud sigh from Jake.

  I really dont mean any offense by what i said.  Im just so used to these parts that i cant even begin to comprehend what you speak of.  Its more my problem than yours.  Is it REALLY that nice?

[genialterminator]

A Dire Mistake [drabble]

--Honestly, he didn’t like this.  Still traveling with Max and Marie when this day rolls around?  Bullshit.  Utter bullshit.  Jake was tense the whole time, as Jane kept up her cheery attitude.  Of course she would, of fucking course she would this was her favorite holiday.  She’d yet to do anything, but he just knew she would.

--But as the day went on, no wayward shenanigans gave Jake hope that she had forgotten what day it was (a common occurrence for the both of them, and most of the wastes).  So as the sun set, bathing the ruins in warm light that made them appear as if they were a lit from the inside, Jake made a dreadful mistake.

--”Oh, blast it all!  Aahhh...that’s just my luck,” came Jane’s voice as they were finishing up their preparations around the camp.  She stood over their collected gear, with her hands obviously on her hips, but as far as whatever expression of frustration may be painted on her face, he could only guess - best one was her pursing her lips with a pout.  

--”Somethin’ the matter?” Jake asked from where he crouched, glancing up in his usual act of “Hey, I can totally see!”

--”I forgot to grab one of our bags!”  Her hand went to her face, but it just melded with the rest of the beige blur that was her head.  “That was most of our food, and a good amount of our water!”

--Worry caused his brow to furrow as he stood up straight, rolling his shoulders back as he did so.  He took a moment to analyze her tone, to see if she was yanking his chain, but found no evidence that would suggest otherwise.  And she and Max were in charge of their bags today, since he and Marie were yesterday...Damn it, she was probably telling the truth.

--”Hey, it’s alright.  I’ll just go back an’ grab it.  I remember where that was.”  He lowered his voice before he continued.  “Just keep an eye peeled on those two, alright?  Still think there’s somethin’ off ‘bout Max.  I’ll be back in a jiff.”

--Jane continued the hushed tone of their conversation, walking over to him and making sure she wasn’t facing the northern lovebirds.  “Jake, you’d have to go through the metros again...That’s a day’s walk, at best.  It’s not safe.”

--A smug smirk played at Jake’s lips as he laughed, mussing up Jane’s hair to try and dash away any concern.  “A day’s walk down your path.  You seem to forget that I won’t be hindered by you and the tourists.  Should be...an hour, at best?  You needn’t fret over me!”

--Oh, how he hated the fact he was currently monitoring Max.  He couldn’t get a read off of Jane’s emotions, so when she crossed her arms over her chest (made apparent by the beige folding over red), he couldn’t tell if she was being smug, or huffy.  Her continued soft tone suggested the latter.  “Well, excuse me for being concerned over my bat-like brother!  Normally, I would dub you with the moniker of bat, but you’ve no way of navigating the same way they do!  You’re just a bat, without any of the fancy abilities.”

--”Memory.  I’ve got that.  Just trust me, I’ll be back in no time.” 

--A sigh from Jane.  

--“Fine.  But know that if you do die, I’ll follow those be damned culstist’s example and look into ways of bringing you back via eldritch means just so I can kick your ass for leaving me here.”

--That earned a snort from Jake as he felt to made sure his guns were still in their appropriate holsters.  With a non-committal good-bye, he left the camp and headed in the direction of their old campsite.  

--Instead of taking the normal route of an underground trek through zombie-like victims of nuclear fallout, Jake went above ground - figuratively, and literally.  He not only trudged through the derelict streets of once-D.C., but also took to the buildings, darting through rubble as he scaled those decrepit skyscrapers and leaping from window to window through sheer memory alone.  Having explored the ruins top to bottom while he could still mostly see, and being able to sense the world’s mangled heart helped a lot in this expedition of his.

--It took him about forty-five minutes to reach their old campground, just as darkness blanketed the wastes.  If he didn’t have a hard time seeing anyways...Christ.

--With a slight huff, Jake rested his hands on the grips of his pistols, trudging towards the broken down theater they once called shelter.  Such a large building would normally be cause for caution, and not be the best place to stay...but with a group of four, they decided to forgo the smalls places they normally went with.  Still cautious, as anything could’ve moved into the space in their absence, Jake carefully pushed the large door open and moved inside.

--A small snap was the only indicator it was too late.

--That sound meant only one thing: a tripwire.  That spelled trouble in ways that rushed through Jake’s mind rapidly as he made to run.  Grenade bouquet, activating some kind of turret, something!  He had to get out of there and to cover as quickly as possible.

--Jake broke into a run, trying to cover as much ground as possible in case it was a bundle of grenades ready to ruin his day.  Everything was too loud around him - his footsteps, his breathing, his pulse - god this was shit!  He was going to get ambushed, he was going to get killed, and he’d leave Jane alone in the wastes!  Fuck!  He hadn’t even covered much ground yet!  He’d barely even crossed the threshold!

--Before something came flying down and smacking him in the face.

--Jake screamed.  His gun was in his hands in a matter of seconds as he was face to face with some mass of fleshy discoloration, the stench of it all overwhelming him.  He could easily see the blurred image of a disfigured face, twisted in a deathly grimace.  The ghoul that swung into him had him stumbling backwards as he pulled his firearm up and fired a few rounds into its disgusting head.  

--But no screams came from the twisted fallout victim.

--Jake paused and lowered his gun, tilting his head to the side as he waited for a reaction.  When none came, he carefully ran his hand over the disgusting ridges that were the ghoul’s taut skin.  There was the gunshot, smack dab between its eyes...but it wasn’t bleeding.  It seeped a little, but it wasn’t bleeding.  Further examination lead to the discovery of a large gash across its chest, sticky with old blood and other bodily fluids...definitely not a wound he’d inflict.  Probably Max, or-

--Jane.

--Jake ripped the body from the tether it was clearly on, a small thump accompanying it crumpling at his feet.  Of course.  Of course Jane killed this ghoul, of course it was strung up, of course she sent him there.  It was the beginning of that goddamned month, and he should’ve known better! 

--”I swear to fucking god, I’m losing a sister when I get back,” he growled under his breath.  He was pissed.  He was legitimately scared, he was legitimately concerned about his sister, and she had to pull that shit.

--Well, he was going to get back at her.

--Ignoring the fact he heard the theater door move, and the fact he felt a sudden spike in panic over that estranged connection of his, Jake placed his hands on the ghoul’s head and dug his fingers into the monstrosity’s skin, placing a foot on its shoulders.  He could definitely hear someone talking behind him, but he was too mad to focus on that.  Fingernails digging into soft flesh, he pulled up on the head with all of his strength as he stepped down on the shoulder.  He met resistance (naturally), but continued at his demented task until finally-

--RIIIP.

--”O-oh, god.  What the fuck, Tony?!”

--Jake paused, the ghoul’s head clasped in his hands.  He turned to face the voice, and paled slightly when he registered the fact that was Max’s.

--”Did you seriously just--oh, god.”  Max stood behind him, the black that was his gloved hand on the beige that was his face.  ...Oh yeah, he did have a weak stomach.

--When’d he get there?!

--”...I was pissed off.”

--”Didn’t have to require you ripping that guy’s head off!”

--Jake just looked down at the head in his hands, furrowing his brow.  “Would you take ‘it’s proof’ as an excuse?”

--”Yeah, that’s going to have to be a hell no.”

--The young English rolled his eyes and kicked the body away, walking towards the entrance of the theater.  “Look, sorry.  Wasn’t expecting you to be here - were you following me?”

--A different kind of panic was transmitted through the anchor that Jake had planted in Max’s emotions, probably one of being...caught, probably.  He got that a lot from raiders trying to pretend to be innocent.  “I.  Uh.”  He paused.  “It was getting dark.  I got worried.”

--Jake just lightly shoved Max and walked past him.  “You needn’t, my god.  I can clearly handle myself.  Christ...y’all won’t let me do my own thing.”

--Maybe it was best they didn’t, because him doing his own thing soon lead to a dark camp, with poor Jane just about to doze off, when a decrepit head being thrown at her interrupted her sleep.

--Serves her right.

--

--Offscreen shenanigans!

“Max” and “Marie” wouldn’t stop staring at Jake’s ass when he was crouched down and arranging stuff

They were also staring at his various assets when he stretched

Jane trying to play up the act of being worried!

“Max” rushing off to help Jake the moment he heard him scream like the panicky, anxiety-ridden mess he is!

Jane dying from laughter and accidentally told “Marie” about Jake’s blindness, but swearing her to secrecy

Jane and Jake yelling about the decapitated head!

They are such a mess

[genialterminator]

+thegoddessandhercaptain

[genialterminator]

thegoddessandhercaptain:

Honest to all the gods above, Pit appreciated what this guy was trying to do - he really, really did; but appreciation alone couldn’t convince the angel to break the uncomfortable silence that directly followed the mortal’s-Jake’s, words.  Everything, from Jake’s reassurance, to past experience and Pit’s faith in Lady Palutena, was telling him not to worry, that he could handle himself, and that Skyworld could manage for a few days without him.  On top of that, he, most likely, wasn’t even going to be stranded for long anyways - not with both of them searching, anyways.  Everything was telling him that it was going to be fine.

But did that actually stop him from worrying?  Stop him from getting suddenly and very violently homesick?  No, no it didn’t.  Especially with the possibility of long, tedious, perhaps never-ending quest looming over the horizon.

“…No, don’t worry, I won’t give up,” He assured, finally and probably abruptly ending the unnatural quiet.  “I’m pretty good at that - not giving up, I mean.”

Inwardly sighing, Pit crossed his arms, flattened his wings against his back, and returned to simply listening to Jake, which was, frankly, an (essentially failed) attempt to distract himself from his thoughts.  It was only when Jake brought up those “two matters” did Pit begin to (sort of) perk up and start really pay attention, especially when he brought up what basically amounted to a search, a mission - missions were good distractions.

“Wait, you lost…your sister?  That seems like it would be kind of hard to do, honestly; I mean, shouldn’t you guys be keeping an eye on each other if there are giant scorpions running around?  That just seems…really dangerous.”  Dangerous, and ill-advised, and something that would leave weaker men in puke-covered shambles.

“But yeah, of course it’s alright with me, especially if she’s in trouble!  Just uh, a few questions?”  He paused, inhaling loudly, but nowhere near long enough to give Jake any sort of opportunity to respond - not before Pit starting throwing out what basically amounted to whatever spontaneously came to mind.  “Where is she?  Was she okay last time you saw her?  She’s not getting eaten by giant scorpions, is she?  ‘Cause that would suck.  Is she nice, like you are?  Oh!  And, what the heck is a keyblade - I feel like I might have heard of that before, but I can’t remember where…Oh and-” Before Pit could launch any more questions at poor Jake, he was interrupted by the dawning realization that he hadn’t given his name.  Like, at all.

Oops.

“No, no we have names…” Starting not at all slowly or awkwardly, nor staring blankly at Jake; because he completely understood what Jake had said, including “moniker” - totally got that.  And Pit’s slow nodding didn’t mean anything at all.  “Oh, no need to apologize!  My name’s Pit - just Pit.”  He put a friendly, if (again, totally not) awkward hand out towards Jake, grinning.

“Nice to meet you, Jake!”

--”...I’m going to ignore your sass for the greater good of this conversation.”

--Jake honestly wasn’t expecting that kind of response concerning his misplacement of his sister, but he was humble enough to admit that he really did deserve that.  He just wasn’t expecting it from Pit, who was projecting an innocent disposition.  Not a sassy one.

--He sighed and ran his hand through his hair again, accomplishing nothing but messing it up further and causing the blond streaks to appear brown with the blood that coated his hands.  He talked a lot...

--”Pit, eh?  Well, that’s a fine name!  Not the one I expected, but definitely a fine one.”  He was expecting something grand, to the likes of the great Gabriel, but that’d have to do.  “Pleasure to meet you, and-Christ, slow down a second!”  

--Jake tore his hand from his hair to hold both up to try and motion for Pit to calm down with the questions.  God, he didn’t know how to shut up!  “Yes, Jane’s nice!  She’s a ways down the river, but she’s fine!  I think.  I hope-No, I can’t think that way.  Yes, she’s fine.  She’s down the river, and I’ll explain the keyblade as we go!  It’s...kind of a long story, and-”

--His brow furrowed as the young English thought for a moment.  “Y’know what?  I think it’d be better if Jane showed you what it was.  It is better to show, rather than tell, eh?”

--Turning on his heel to face the direction he supposed he came from, Jake turned to look back a Pit in a sort of gestural manner.

--”Let’s go hunt us down those shadowy blighters!  C’mon, Pit!”

[genialterminator]

  The dark tunnels of the DC metros were suffocating, but probably more so for someone who could actually see.  Despite the handicap, the blind guy lead the group through the musky underground, through horde after horde of...dead ghouls.  It was mostly trudging through the dead bodies of someone who beat them to the kills.  Jake could practically hear the disappointment in Jane’s voice, and he couldn’t agree.  He had been itching for a fight, and corpses just wouldn’t do.

  Ah well, at least this was a better situation for escorting the two lovebirds...

  God, this was boring.  Might as well make small talk...Christ.

  Hey max.

  Do they have many prominent subway systems up in keene?  Or are yall lucky because ye dont have mandatory prisons left an right because some prewar fucks decided its smart to build these death traps?

[genialterminator]

+technoGunblade

[genialterminator]

technogunblade:

“If anythin’, we’re more like a handsome female robin hood stealin’ away the equally pretty foreign prince every night~” She said coolly, as always knowing her implications. A small noise from Dirk told her he was red faced, making her smirk. “I can see ya point, though, an’ it is pretty cool so I can’t argue.”

“Yup~ Heard it was ‘bout safe as they come ‘round here, seemed ideal for settlin’ down a tiny bit ta explore.” Roxy caught how Lara (or “Lara” if her suspicions were correct) perked up at the hint of surprise matrimony, wondering in amusement just how badly she’ll get yelled at later for it. From either Dirk or Jane, but likely both. She was about to thank them for the coerced offered help, only to blink in confusion up at Tony, or rather, Jake.

Dirk didn’t take notice of, well, basically anything at the moment. He was preoccupied by the needling feeling of being looked over, examined, his very soul being scanned. It threw him off, surprised by the sudden invasiveness of it. He’s felt something similar, when he got help from Terezi and her Mind powers on bad days, but those were thoughts and memories not… not emotions.

Fuck.

His throat closed up and face grew tightly neutral, closing himself off on instinct, but it did nothing to stop his feelings from flowing freely inside him, now stained with panic. His eyes regained focus, darting to find what was doing this, landing on the light yellow beam– not string? –connecting him and Jake that likely only he could see. Hope. Of course. He was a Hope, positive emotions, antithesis to Rage and Doom by what the academy taught them. He was reading his emotions, he was an empath now apparently, he–

H҉è́’̴͘s̀ ͜p͏͘͟ee͟͜k̷̀͞įn̶̷̕g҉̕, ̵̴i̴̢͠s̸͝͡ ̴w̸ha̛t̕͠ ̵h̡e͞’s̶̴̀ d̕ǫ̶į̕n̛g͢͟. Go away. H̕el͢͞l҉̢͜ ͝no̕, ͏̶d̶̷ò͢ ̴y͏o̸͜͡u k͟n͞͞o̧̧w h͜oẁ͜ ̵̴m̵҉uć͡h͡ ̸̢̕w̢e͠i͏r̸͏͢d́́̕e̡̧r͝ t̵h̢i͢s̀͜͢ i̢͠s̡ ̛͟͝fo̶r̷̢̀ ́m̕͘͢e͡?͏ ̨͠H͟e̡ ̵́n͢e͝e͜ḑ̧s̢̢ t̶o f̡̢͘u͘c̀̕͝k̶ ̢́ơ͘͢f̴͢f̸͝͝. You need to fuck off and stay quiet.

Successfully shooing away his (seemingly distressed?) Nobody, he tried to calm himself down, at least his own distress at being watched so that he might not get caught. No such luck. He was taught to not let them show, but not to not feel them, which made for some poorly maintained emotional imbalance. Wasn’t too bad before, his only worry was not expressing them properly, but he didn’t account for not knowing how to stop having them. So really, it only left him with more panic and frustration for his effort.

Dirk jumped slightly when “Tony” spoke, jostled out of his own head while the other stayed firmly put. How. How the fuck. He forced himself to pay attention, because he hadn’t heard almost any of it either, whoops.

So. Roxy’s hinting worked, and they’d all be travelling to Rivet City together? Made sense, and it meant they wouldn’t lose track of them for three days, hopefully enough time to sort this all out. Which, seemed to be just what Roxy had wanted. Clever girl, as always. 

…He really wanted– needed –to tell her he remembered, it was cruel and unfair not to, but preferably after they confirm it’s them and he’s no longer being scrutinized. Later, later.

“I–”

“We wouldn’t mind one bit! A lil company can’t hurt, ‘specially after travelin’ down ‘ere by our lonesomes. ‘Sides, bein’ social’ll do Maxie some good~” She didn’t mention how badly she looked forward to the ferals, itching for a fight since Dirk had taken the only kill so far. How much of it was moirail influence or was it just herself? No clue. “’M sure we can handle those mean ol’ metros, an’ all the better with y’all’s help! Should be smooth as a Gauss through butter!”

“Yeah… smooth…” Dirk croaked out, uneasy already making itself cozy in his stomach. He hated ferals, he hated ferals, he hated–

--What in the ever-present fuck that preceded all known life-what was that?!  A look of confusion marred Jake’s face while he still had his powers anchored to Max’s emotions.  The read he got confused the hell out of him, and just made him more curious as to what was going on with this guy!  He was fine, until Jake started poking around...sure, the sudden flustered feelings that were cast from the scan were hilarious, but they soon shifted over to more suspicious emotions.  Does that mean he could tell?

--No, that’d be impossible.  No one was trained in magical disciplines in Wasteland, except for people like him and Jane...outcasts, washed up on worlds with no home to go to.  There was no way this guy was one of them.

--But the panic and unease that permeated Max’s being concerned Jake, and not for Max’s sake, but for his and Jane’s.  If this guy was, indeed, aware of what was going on, that could spell trouble for the both of them.  He had to keep a close watch on this guy.  He’d keep the tether there for now, anchored in this guy’s emotions.  He had to do that anyways, lest he be overwhelmed by the wasteland’s tumultuous storm of negative emotion, so he might as well do some investigating.  Boy, would Jane be proud.

--Speaking of Jane, she gave another slight chuckle at the clarification of their relationship, and Max’s reaction to said explanation.

--”Well, then there is no finer place to settle down, than in Rivet City!  Ne’er been there myself, but I’d reckon that it’s even safer than that Diamond City up north!  Can they retract all entrances to keep those hulkin’ bastards out?  Don’t think so~!  Good choice, good choice!”  She laced her fingers together and held them down in front of her, smiling still at the couple before them.  She was looking forward to have a traveling companion that wasn’t Jake, for once.  It was about time she actually talked to someone other than Jake for once (he had been encouraging her to do so for some time), so why not these two?  Marie seemed quite nice.

--”Only if you can get there, though,” Jake was quick to point out.  He was still a tad bit distracted from focusing on Max, and that...sudden burst, but he was still (mostly) paying attention to the conversation.  “The ruins become perilous once the sun sets.  I strongly suggest we leave as soon as possible to get the most out of the daylight.  Metros ain’t that far away-” He gestured in the direction he spoke of, “-so we should be able to get out of Ghoul territory pretty quickly if we actually decide to cover some ground instead of literally coverin’ like we are now.”

--”Right ya are.  Well, then.  Tony’s dreadfully right, so let’s get a move on.  Let’s go!”

[genialterminator]

+technoGunblade

[genialterminator]

technogunblade:

Certain that the not-so-subtle subtleties in her gestures had been caught and accounted for, Roxy wrapped her fake arm around Dirk’s, hugging it to her chest as she continued leaning on him. She rocked to and fro slightly, humming softly, seeming completely content listening to the wasters while holding tight to her “boyfriend”. Honestly, she practically was, the sweet talk from them vaguely familiar and soothing, the smile on her face genuine even as she stayed alert.

“Yer makin’ it sound like some old time fairytale kingdom an’ not some lucked out backwoods settlement. Really all we got ta thank for it bein’ so fancy is some mountains an’ the ‘falls, blockin’ out all the waves from our Titanic neighbors hittin’ it big, if ya know what I mean.” She laughed quietly, spotting her friend roll his eyes from this angle. “We really aren’t that fancy-schmancy, honest. Just lucky is all.”

Dirk hummed in agreement, shifting his posture and blocking her view of his expression much to her displeasure. It was the only way he could get away with the look of furrowed suspicion towards the other man for looking her over, but more so he wanted to hide his own searching eyes. Who the hell spoke like that, especially in Capital Wasteland? Far too complicated words for any normal wastelander, even for children of the NCR. Too proper, educated, methodical, near-monologued like from a film noire or something similar. And the accents; Lara’s an only all too familiar movie-like southern belle, and Tony’s sounding foreign around words that definitely were not, both practiced but not natural. …He payed way too much attention to voices, he blamed being in a family of movie and music fanatics, and the fact of his blindness. Focus, Strider, and actually speak yourself.

“We stuck to the coastline fer the most part; less Glowin’ Sea, more marshlands. Meant lotsa mirelurks, but not nearly as many Radscorpions or ‘Claws, an’ way less radiation poisonin’. Coulda done without the muck but rather ‘ave dirty skin than no skin.” 

He nodded in response to Tony’s rhetorical question. It was a good strategy, living somewhere infamously treacherous if you were used to it, perceived and literal dangers acting as standing defenses– Why had Roxy froze? Dirk looked down at her, questioning concern slipping through his mask easily.

“'Brotherhood blokes’…?” She repeated quietly, nearly mimicking the accent, just less… meshed. There was only one person she heard refer to them as that, and all too often in his rants. Quickly, she caught herself, covering the awkward moment with a laugh, Dirk recognizing it as fake instantly. “First time I’ve heard that one before! There you go with the cute talk again, I love it~ I’ve gotta use that sometime. I’ve got this whole thing with alliteration you see, it’s way too fun to use, especially with words like that!” Her accent and vocabulary got away from her as she tried to not get ahead of herself, her mothers’ influences shining through like they always did whenever she panicked. Roxy forced herself not to dart her eyes between them, but failed to not process their eye and hair color, age, height, the goddamn names. It couldn’t be them, it was a coincidence, maybe a multi-universal constant, but not them. Either way, please don’t let him notice, please–

In a similar situation of “oh shit, oh fuck, it might be them, oh shit”, Dirk made a point to not let it show, and had a… surprisingly easy time doing so. Probably since he knew they’d be here somewhere, he just hadn’t expected to have (possibly) found them so soon. He was less panicked(which he felt guilty for, knowing just why she was), more… excited? Relieved? It definitely wasn’t a negative feeling whatever it was, even though the suddenness left him ill-prepared, which never ended well for him or anyone. He was trying to think rationally, trying to not get his hopes up, not until he got the opportunity to actually confirm it. His brain currently had about as much self control as a dog seeing a leash, impatiently waiting to hear the magic word. So, really not much at all. If Roxy was catching onto it, too, enough to fall into her “proper panic”, this had to be something.

The prince tugged the rogue closer, hiding his face in her braided hair, whispering for her to calm down, encouraging her that it was fine. He pulled away giving her a hair kiss for comfort and cover, an amused smile on his face at how red her’s became. Couldn’t blame her, this wasn’t commonly so reversed, so it was kinda embarrassing.

“’Not fancy-schmancy’, she says, then turns ‘round an’ pulls that outta nowhere.” He jokes lightly at her expense, relieved when she recovers enough to pout up at him angrily for it. “Nah, y’all ain’t puttin’ us off any, just not too common we come ‘cross the talkative types. I ain’t exactly use to it ‘cept from m’ own kin, so it was mighty suspicious. Water under th’ bridge, now. Right, doll?”

“Right, babe~” Her words were as salty as they were sweet, frustrated with him. Christ, he’s gonna kill me at this rate, oh my God. At least it didn’t seem like he noticed anything, and being flustered was a good enough distraction for her, allowing her to focus again.

“Sorry ta disappoint but we ain’t honeymooners, ain’t hitched either. We’re headin’ to Rivet City, though, an’ might stay for a bit, enjoy the commodities an’ all~” She gave a knowing wink towards them, discreetly lifting her finger in a universal shhhhh. She knew they had a church, Dirk didn’t, which made the motion all the more legit and hilarious to her. “Considerin’ the ruins an’ metros, it’s gonna take a bit ta’ get there, ‘specially since we’re new ‘round here, which’ll be a pain…” Was she baiting them, hoping for more time to figure shit out? Maybe. Was she sorry? Nah.

--The moment - the second - Miss Marie pointed out the “Brotherhood blokes” comment, a swift kick to the back of Jake’s shin was administered by Jane, her face a picture of innocence as a distracting and contrasting constant to not draw suspicion to her disciplinary act against her brother.  Jake stood as vigilant as a statue and hardly flinched at the literal low blow, but he got the message.  He had to go and use that word, the one that stood as clear as a Glowing One in a crowd of Ferals; oh, they were going to get it now...

--But that didn’t deter Jane’s act as she continued as if Jake’s queer language wasn’t brought front and center to stand before the firing squad.

--”Well, the way I see it, it certainly is!  Sounds like somethin’ out of one of them books o’ fairy tales!  Or those romantic holotapes, of dashing, foreign princes sweeping young maidens to their castles off in the misty lands of legend!” Jane enthused with a grin.  “Besides, this is coming from a gal who’s spent most of her life here in D.C., I don’t have much for a comparison!  Sounds like a right an’ proper haven, if y’ask me!”

--Despite her chipper demeanor, and trusting smile, Jane didn’t like the way these two were acting.  That look of horrified shock from Marie, coupled with her sudden slouch as if her bones turned to jelly?  Max’s impossible-to-read poker face, thanks to the shades perched on the bridge of his nose, hiding...well, obviously his eyes, but she dearly wished she could see the color to let Jake have a better picture of who they were dealing with.  She knew he wasn’t too keen on them when they first started chatting the other party up (both he’s, really!  She could sense the initial animosity from Jake, and could see the apprehension clear in Max’s posture!), but she also had a feeling there was something else to this tall, blond man.

--Max and Marie’s relationship was a very interesting dynamic, from what had been displayed.  Stereotypical sweethearts, with sweet gestures left and right; the pet names, the hair kiss, and Max’s guardian attitude towards his romantic companion.  All doubts that they were faking were thrown out the window, as it just seemed so natural for them; so there was absolutely no question that they were legit when Marie mentioned Rivet City and its...certain installment.

--”Y’don’t say!  That old tanker?  Well, that is a lovely destination choice of yours!”  Jane’s initial excitement subsided long enough for her to give a small smile at Marie, steepling her fingers in front of her mouth as the grin spread.  Oh, wasn’t that just lovely!  She was a bit hesitant to admit that she was on board for Jake’s “subtle” plan, but was now fully on board with actually being nice for once, especially if it were leading to such a cute cliche!  “I’m sure the two of you will enjoy yourselves there thoroughly!  It...it’s a bit of a trek, as you supposed...but...We could-?  Tony?”

--Jake hadn’t spoken a word since he had gone on his little monologue, zoning out something fierce after Jane had kicked him.  He’d let her do the talking, as she seemed so keen on doing so.  That gave him the time to actually try and utilize one of the abilities he discovered while in the wastes: the fact he was a goddamned empath thanks to his insane light abilities.  Being a Hope affinity was certainly something, especially considering the stigma surrounding being one and how close their abilities were to the fabled Princesses of Heart...Fucking hell, Strider’d be having a shitfit over this revelation, if he were alive.

--While the three talked, Jake refocused his abilities.  He normally kept them tethered on Jane so that he wasn’t overwhelmed by everything in a ten mile radius (resulting in being finely attuned to everything his sister dared to feel, worse so when it was that time for her), but it didn’t take much to readjust it to Miss Marie.  While he couldn’t actually sense the light or darkness that dwelled within her (a trait he ran into occasionally when dealing with folks in the wastes, so he figured it had to do with innate magical abilities she wasn’t aware of), he could still get a read of her emotions.

--It was a mix that could best be described as concerning.  With hints of panic, shock, and fear, Marie was clearly hiding something with her tone that only wavered once.  Panic stood out the most amongst the group, contrasting greatly with her generally even tone...but there was a fear he couldn’t figure out the origin of.  But his earlier assessment was quickly dashed, as the shock turned into...excitement?  Ugh, it had to do with what she and Jane were talking about.  Not hitched yet, but heading to Rivet City?  Yeah, that was obviously grounds for excitement.  If he wasn’t too focused on getting a read on these two, he’d express similar sentiments to Jane’s.  

--Though, now he was done with Marie, it was time to move onto Max.

--As they continued to talk, Jake shifted his attention over to the blond (if Jane was to be believed).  With his flat voice, but obvious affection towards Marie, Jake had an idea of what he was feeling.  He was guessing intoxicating fluffy thoughts, and other cavity-worthy feelings all aimed at Marie.  Maybe caution, but mostly overwhelming, well, affection towards the young miss.

--That wasn’t it.

--The first thing Jake noticed was excitement that was being reined back; excitement of the...longing kind?  Followed by anxiousness that seemed to resound through his head, and then a tint of...was that lust?  None of that matched his outward guise of a protective boyfriend that liked to pamper his dame, so he was clearly acting.  Marie seemed legitimate, and her attitude matched her emotions, for the most part.  But Max...didn’t.  There were tones aimed at Marie that matched their story, but none conveyed anything Jake sensed.  Restrained, anxious excitement?  And a lust that...well, that could still be aimed at Marie, but it never surfaced when he addressed her.  What was that about-

--Oh fuck, Jane was trying to get his attention.

--”Pardon?”

--A loud sigh came from Jane as he heard the telltale sound of her smacking her forehead in frustration - he could only assume she was proceeding to drag her hands down her face, as that was what she usually did.

--”Oh give me a break, Lara!  I hardly slept a wink last night, and you know that.  Forgive me for zonin’ out for a second or three.”

--”I’m goin’ to assume ya heard none of that.”  Probably a safe bet, considering their act.  She quickly recapped the conversation in a few, curt - and quite rude - sentences, before following it up with the question she was going to ask initially.  “What say you to letting them travel with us?  Rivet City’s ‘bout a three day journey from here, if you think it alright.”

--Jake paused and tapped his finger on his arm.  He was still tuned into Max’s emotions, so he couldn’t fully tell if Jane was acting or not.  That didn’t matter, he’d stick with this asshole for a while to try and sort out this confounding matter of his brew of feelings.  How to go about this offer, though, as Marie was clearly hinting at it none too subtly... 

--”Well, I wouldn’t mind someone new to talk to, as it does get dreary talking with the same person over and over again, rinse and repeat about a million ti-” He was promptly backhanded, Jane hitting his arm with enough force to be heard, but not enough to actually hurt him.  All this did was interrupt his speech with a loud yelp that melted into a snort that then morphed into a short, mocking laugh.  “But that depends.  What do you two think?  

--”Willin’ to sacrifice your precious time alone to travel through dingy metros filled with the shamblin’, irradiated bastards that found themselves with Luck’s worst hand?”  

--He seriously hoped they’d accept.  Normally, he wouldn’t be this quick to offer up this kind of help, as they could easily have them a gunpoint in a matter of seconds, but he wanted to solve the conundrum that was Max...whatever his name was.  He’d get to the bottom of this, and the first step would be gauging Max’s reaction to the question.

[genialterminator]

Person B: *planning to do something unnecessarily dangerous*

Person A: *interrupting* Um honey, babe, sweetheart, sun of my life, moon of my heart, star of my soul, dear angel, beloved of mine...?

Person B: *sheepishly* No?

Person A: No, you fucking moron! Do you have a death wish?!

[genialterminator]

+technoGunblade

[genialterminator]

technogunblade:

As they approached, Dirk’s eyes flickered on behind his thick aviators, wanting to keep a close one on them as his soul vision only told so much. Their heights explained the size of their souls easily enough(Christ, that guy is huge), but not the intensity of the one, even if it felt…muted? It was insane, matching– possibly exceeding –Eridan’s, and if there was any trace of darkness it surely was burnt up or smothered by the sheer light. Even with sharing the affinity it put him off, he couldn’t begin to imagine how Roxy felt. He gripped her hand tighter at the thought, eyes narrowed at the offending Wastelanders.

How she felt? Small, enveloped, cornered by the three lights. Yet, oddly enough, thankfully nonexistent. Roxy knew they wouldn’t sniff out a trace of darkness– or any affinity for that matter –on her, blissfully arid magically by nature. Of course that was if they even knew to begin with, as anyone was capable of such alignments. With that comfort, her cheerful demeanor didn’t waver even as she gave an acknowledging tug back at Dirk. This gave her time to take notice of just how attractive the other two were, and she certainly noticed.

“Blessed ta be with ye as well~” She replied playfully, followed by a dismissive giggle, gesturing with her free(prosthetic) hand. “M’ name’s Marie, an’ the stick in the mud here is Max. We are friendlies, swear it, even if he’s lookin’ mean– We’d just been wonderin’ the same thing is all, y’know how it goes~ C’moooon Maxie, play nice, they’re fiiine.” The word was drawled with shameless duality, a sly smirk slipping as she bumped shoulders with him.

Dirk grunted in response, reluctant on easing up but doing so nonetheless, if only minutely. He refused to acknowledge that comment, though, even if he wholly agreed. “’S pleasure ta meet ya both.” His accent flowed freely, making the short, slightly clipped sentence at least a bit friendlier. 

“Y’all’s dialogue’s makin’ me wonder if we should forgo the natural verbal flow and be askin’ you that first an’ foremost, y’know.” The rhyming slips off his tongue naturally, no effort and organic, almost accidental. It still earns him a correcting elbow bump from Roxy, the rogue catching it instantly. He pouts, slightly, in thought and indignant, muttering under his breath. “’S just curious is all…”

“Sorry ‘bout him, he’s been a grump all day.” Because we got attacked earlier and you’ll still probably do the same. “Ignorin’ that– We just came down from Commonwealth, wantin’ to explore more southbound. Y’see, we’re from Keene born an’ raised, so all we know is up.” She laughed at that, having done research, pleasantly surprised that her equivalent home was so well off. Safe, if not spoiled by it. “Didn’t say bred, since that only applies ta’ me if ya couldn’t tell. He’s from–”

“Sunbelt. Family moved north since they were tired a’ those windy fucks spewin’ bullshit. …Oh, an’ the cyclones.” Dirk joked, relaxing after covering the alibi correctly. He hadn’t known whether to laugh or be worried learning Houston was like a huge Goodneighbor. Made sense, but still.

Roxy snorted, leaning against him to cover her subsequent embarrassment, literally waving it off with her hand. “Alright, y’all, your turns. He wasn’t lyin’, that’s some real cute dialect y’all got goin’ there~ So, where ya from?”

--At the mention of the strangers’ place of origin, both Jane and Jake raised their eyebrows at that.  Well, damn.  Keene?  That was sure as hell a long journey.  They’d definitely heard of that place, a damn near sanctuary from way up north.  Now that meant two things for these people:

--They either were lying out of their asses, or they were filthy rich tourists.

--The two were hoped the latter.

--And at the sight of that fancy, fake arm of Marie’s, it was almost definitely the latter.

--”Y’don’t say!  I’d’ve never guessed that y’all were from that far north!  I heard it is absolutely divine up there, I dare say I’m mighty jealous of you northern folk!  ‘Ve heard whisper and tale of the stronghold of a trading post that is your Keene from caravaners ‘round here, but ne’er had I dreamed I’d get to meet some Yorkers in the flesh!”  Jane’s smile spread across her face from feigned excitement.  Lara was the explorer, not Tony.  As much as she knew Jake wanted to go up there instantly, she had to act the part as painful as it was for the both of them.  

--”Alright, my bets were off.  And here I was, guessin’ y’all were from out west.  Gotta say, travelin’ that far from the north...y’had ta make it outta Commonwealth somehow...must’ve been a trip, what will the Glowin’ Sea and all.  Surprised the two of ya made it through with hair still attached firmly to y’all’s skulls.”  Jake shifted his weight to the side, making it look as if he were looking Marie over (the boy couldn’t see for shit, and didn’t help he broke his glasses recently in a fit of rage and no longer wore them).  “Cute?  Dunno ‘bout that, ma’am, I’d say cautious.  Ye gotta be, considerin’ where we’ve currently rooted ourselves to the ground to gab ‘bout.  Dunno if yer talkin’ with your next life companion via the human tradition of camaraderie, or the inhuman trend a’ bomb collars.  Ye’ve gotta understand where we’re coming from.  We’re friendly folk, and we don’t mean no harm - honest to the God who forsook us all.”

--Jake paused and waited to see if Jane would answer Marie’s question, and when she didn’t open her mouth to speak, he sighed and took the task upon himself.  Ah well, he was usually the one to do it anyways - this world was his forte, after all.

--”I can assure y’all that where we were bred wasn’t nearly as prestigious as Keene, or nearly as adventurous and darin’ as Sunbelt sounds.  Family might’ve been migrants once ‘part of them NCR bastards comin’ over with some of them Brotherhood blokes, but Lara and I were born here, stakin’ it out in the ruins.  You get to know them all friendly like, and the Hellhole becomes one of the safest places here in the wrecked Capital.  It’s really all about learnin’ the lay o’ the land, ‘cause once ya got that, it turns from the concrete jungle, to the concrete playground, y’know?”  Jake could feel the glance from Jane, a signal he was starting to ramble.  Had to reel it back in.  “Like I said, not as pristine or pampered as Upstate, but not as excitin’ as cyclone territory sounds.  Just some Capital Wasteland assholes, nothin’ new.”

--”Of course, by asshole, he means himself.  Don’t mind his pessimistic self in the least bit.  I hope we didn’t put the both of ya off with our forwardness!  The both of you seem like fine folk.  If ya don’t mind me askin’, where the two of you lovebirds heading?  A honeymoon by the Potomac is bound to get a little...crabby.”  Jane, that was a horrific pun, and you know that.  God damn it.

[genialterminator]

+thegoddessandhercaptain

[genialterminator]

thegoddessandhercaptain:

If anyone was familiar with sass in this world, it was Pit.  Throughout his entire life, he’d been dealing with it in all forms.  Didn’t matter if it was from a goddess or fellow angel, it always seemed to find him one way or another.  At this point, he should be used to it.

But that didn’t stop him from snapping just the tiniest bit.

“Well, how was I supposed to know?  I’ve never seen much less heard of radiation!  At least, not until today.  What did you expect?!  I’ve been nonstop fighting monsters!  So, sorry for not knowing about ‘radiation’”  Okay, maybe that was kinda rude.  But honestly, could you blame him?  He was trapped in a strange, creepy, completely barren place without Lady Palutena, standing next to a giant bug carcass and some mortal who was treating him like a class-A idiot.  If he could hear one word from his lady, just one note of her reassuring voice, than maybe he wouldn’t have snapped.  But as it stands, he was ticked off and this guy was standing right here.

…Yeesh he was starting to sound like Dark Pit with all this negativity and rudeness.  And hearing the guy’s apology only made the angel feel worse.

“Oh boy, sorry for going off on you like that.  I guess I’m just a bit…Heh, just a bit worried.  But yeah, I get the picture: stay away from anything irritated.”  He spilled out quickly, guilt threatening to claw out his insides.  No, he’s been without Palutena before (just not in such a strange place for so long), he just had to think positively.  And not be a Dark Pit.

“And no, it’s okay!  I was kind of a jerk, so it’s only fair.  I should probably be used to stuff like this as this point anyways”  Really, he’s been in pitted against monsters of all kinds, thrown into hell itself, and ran around in a god’s stomach for longer than he would have liked.  What was he freaking out about?  What was a little wasteland-y-ness to those experiences?

“Ah, don’t worry about me!  I’ve fought a giant ball of animated fire who also happened to be a god in control of all disasters, so I think I’ll be fine.  I’ve probably been scarred more times than I can count and trust me, they’re all pretty sweet scars.”

“If finding that ‘bugger’ is what can get us back, then I say we go after that thing!  Monster hunting is sort of my specialty/the only thing I really do, so I’m sure we can find it!  That creature of darkness will tremble before our combined might!”

But…there was just one thing bothering Pit.  It wasn’t too bad, no, not anything horrible.  But what if…?

“Um, I’m still trying to get my head wrapped around all this world-hopping business, but what if the Heartless teleports me somewhere else?  I mean, there’s probably nothing wrong with other worlds, but Lady Palutena needs me.  What am I going to do if I don’t get back?”

“I’m still totally going to hunt that Heartless with you, but…?”

--”See, that’s the spirit!  Looks like the both of us were trained to fight blights like that spirit of the shadows.  With our combined light, it shouldn’t be any problem locating it, and you’ll be back before you can even say, ‘There’s no place like home!’”  Jake paused.  “Just, not as grand of an adventure as that.  But be damned the notion that we don’t try.  And don’t worry about any commentary that could’ve been seen as jerkish in nature, that’s water under the bridge, so let’s try and get you back to your god-”

--Oh no, he was doubting himself.  Shoot, how could he answer that kind of question?  He wasn’t even sure if the Heartless thing would work!  Especially since this angel was literally one of the holiest beings to exist (obviously), and he himself was a Hope affinity!  Yes, they were natural beacons for nasties such as those beings of fallen hearts, but...they were also a slight deterrent.  Shadows wouldn’t like them, but the big guys certainly would.  Great.

--”I.  I honestly don’t know what to tell you, other than you rinse and repeat the cycle.  Don’t get where ya wanna go?  Ya keep going until you can get there.  Through twisted portals, or from some aide, I’m sure you’ll find it eventually.  If your Lady is as powerful as you say she is, I’m sure she can handle it until you arrive once more.  But until that point, you just keep going.”  He gave a slight, wary smile that really said it all: this was the mantra he had lived by for years, repeating that to keep himself going.  Didn’t necessarily apply to him directly, but it was the same premise: you just keep moving forward, and never let anything drag you down.  “Don’t give up, chap.  Determination goes a long way, and it tends to lead you home.”  Tends to.

--”Anywho!”  Jake waved his hand through the air as if batting away that previous conversation.  “Aside from that horrendously dismal topic I accidentally lead us into, we should make haste!  All sorts of bastards show up when you least expect them to, especially under the blanket of darkness we happen to be cloaked in.  But before we continue on our so righteous path, two matters must be addressed...

--”The first is the matter of my sister.  If you couldn’t tell by my lack of a traveling companion, I seem to have misplaced my dear younger sister.  If you’re alright with it, I would much prefer to traverse the Capital with her in tow, rather than not.”  The young English cringed slightly at the memory of just how he became separated from Jane, not admitting to the fact that technically it was his fault for wandering off like a fool.  “Plus, she wields a legendary blade known as the keyblade, which is a natural magnet for all things evil and skittery - exactly our chosen target.  It’d be easier to find them with her around.”  Aka: Let’s use my sister as a magnet for horrendous beasts of darkness.

--”And second of all...”

--”Well, it’s rather embarrassing to admit, but I never caught the moniker that you go by.  I’d say name, but I don’t know if you angelic folk have names like we mortals do, as we never got...properly introduced.”  Jake cleared his throat and shook his head.  “My apologies!  Let me attempt to rectify that by giving you my name.  It’s Jake!  Jake English.  Sorry about all of that before!”

[genialterminator]

  Heaven fucking hell i cant see a damned thing out of these shoddy spectacles.  Have i already gone through another prescription?

  Strange, I’ve yet to go through mine.  Though it is a tad blurry, these are the same glasses I’ve had since the Circle!  Are you sure they aren’t just a smidge dirty?

  Certain.  Ive cleaned the fucking things twenty fold and everything still looks like the poorly rendered mess that silent hill was.

  Christ.  I cant stand it any more!

  Jake, do you know how hard those are to find!  Think about this!  Don’t break your glasses, it took forever to find you a functional pair!  Jake, put those-

  CRACK.

  ...

  Dont.  Im well aware of what i did.  Dont give me shit for it.  Im tired of these things giving me a headache, let me break them if I so please.

  I’m not finding you a new pair.

  Fine by me.

[genialterminator]

  Oh dear, he’s not happy...Damn it.  Wish I could recall just why it is he’s so down in the dumps as he is right now...

  Haven’t the foggiest clue, but I do have an idea on how to help Jake...

[genialterminator]

  Well doesnt that just leave a sour taste in your mouth.  I just remembered what day today is.

  Way to spoil a good mood.  Fucking hell.

[genialterminator]

  ...!

  Oh god damn it all i just realized what all that balderdash was about!  Fucking hell i did nothing today for my own bloody birthday!!

  Now, now.  That’s as far from the truth as you could possibly achieve, Jake.  Why do you think I let you drag us on that romp of yours through the ruins today with nary a complaint to be heard?  Why do you think I sought direly to acquire that fancy new sidearm of yours?

  I.

  Pardon?

  Happy birthday, you big oaf.  Congratulations on making it out here for eight years, and surviving and pushing on through all of that poppycock we had the misfortune of dealing with for twenty-four.  

  Gee golly shit im absolutely flabbergasted jane!  I honestly dont know what to say.

  Some thanks would be greatly appreciated.

[genialterminator]

  Jaaaakeeeee.  I know you’re not actually snoozing away over there, it’s very obvious you’re awake, I’ll have you know.

  Well aware of that jane.  In a bafflin twist of events i was attemptin to get at least a wink of sleep this time round.  Sides i thought you were standing watch...whats goin on?

  Brother!  Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already!  I’m astonished, to say the least, that you’d forget something as crucial as this!

  ...Is this for the new years stunt i pulled last year?  Is this the reason why youre being as cryptic as the riddler and his dastardly cohorts?

  Heavens no, of course not.  What gives you the idea that it would be about that?  I just want to play a little game with you!  Let’s make this into a game!  Let’s see if you can remember what’s going on before the end of the day.  Alright?

  Will you let me sleep if i say yes?

  But of course, dearest Jake!

  Then with whatever god disgraced the wastes we stand in today as my witness i agree to your mischevious machinations as i seem to have no choice nor say in the matter.  Now let me sleep.