go to war and kill all your friends ? // closed to rose

[coltblooded]

After his meeting with the Derse queen, Dirk was left with way more questions than he'd gone in with. Before, Derse had been a strange, but ultimately harmless, place he occasionally visited to check on Dave. But now? Now he was supposed to fight in a war he knew next to nothing about, and apparently he'd have to kill some "dreamers" he considered friends.

He immediately thought of Jane and Jake. He didn't have many friends, and with Rose and Dave on Derse with him, that left Jane and Jake to be from the rival planet. Queen's orders or not, he wasn't going to kill Jane or Jake.

timaeusTestified [TT] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT]

TT: Hey Lalonde.
TT: You got a minute?
TT: I wanted to talk to you about this whole "going to war for a tyrannical monarch and murdering all our friends" thing.
TT: You seem like the best person to share that kind of thing with.

Comments

[inkandlace]

TT: Hello to you, too, cousin dearest.
TT: It's so nice to hear from you.
TT: How has work been lately?
TT: Have you picked up any new hobbies?
TT: These are all questions I might have asked as friendly ice breakers, had you not decided to dispense with the pleasantries. Instead, let's jump straight into the hideous morass of metaphysical issues raised by your acknowledgement of our shared dreaming experience.
TT: Although I must confess to being more than a little relieved that you remember it, too.

Rose sat back and pinched the bridge of her nose. She hadn't exactly doubted that the dream had really happened, but she felt there was a difference between believing a dream while you're inside it, and acknowledging it as a part of reality the following morning.

TT: In any case, I'm free.
TT: Let's sift through through that load of cryptic horseshit.

[coltblooded]

TT: Oh, my bad.
TT: Hey, Rose, dearest cousin of mine.
TT: Work has been absolutely splendid. You know how I enjoy spending my nights crammed into a sweaty night club, watching scantily clad people grind to my music.
TT: No new hobbies, but I did learn how to sew vinyl to make a custom smuppet. Why don't you just think about that for a second?
TT: It wasn't a dream, Rose.
TT: You know I don't sleep.
TT: It was real.
TT: Sort of.
TT: I haven't figured that part out yet. It doesn't really matter.
TT: I'm more concerned about the "murdering our friends" part.
TT: That's not exactly on the top of my to-do list.
TT: You don't trust the queen either, do you?

[inkandlace]

TT: I know it was real.
TT: I'm still working on coming to terms with it.
TT: At least you've granted me a reprieve from visiting the purple city in my sleep tonight, as I'm sure to be haunted by visions of twitching foam and vinyl posteriors, instead.
TT: No, I don't trust her. Most of what she said struck me as half-truths, and I don't trust her motives.
TT: My feelings on the matter are that we should proceed with caution for the time being, and attempt to figure out who these other dreamers are. Knowing more about them and why we may or may not want to fight them could give us a better perspective on the situation as a whole, including our supposed "powers".
TT: Would I be correct in guessing that your reference to "our friends" means you already have some ideas as to their identities?

[coltblooded]

TT: I might have some idea.
TT: Not enough to share anything with you yet.
TT: But I'll update you when I figure out more.
TT: Have you met anyone who claims to have "powers" yet?
TT: Dave mentioned a new friend who claims to have fought monsters in the park.

[inkandlace]

TT: It's possible. I'm not sure.
TT: Since you're reluctant to reveal the subjects of your own suspicions, I hope you understand why I feel I should do the same, for the time being.
TT: Monsters, though?
TT: I suppose, given recent circumstances, that I should make an effort to suspend my disbelief, but monsters? Are we talking, say, vampires? Eldritch abominations? Vinyl smuppet swarm? Sharknado? It's a broad category.
TT: And on the subject of powers, we're supposed to have those as well, aren't we?

[coltblooded]

TT: He didn't elaborate.
TT: But the research we did shows people claiming to fight wolves.
TT: And whatever "grass monsters" are.
TT: Don't tell me you want to be a superhero, too.
TT: Dave wants to write a comic book about all this.
TT: But no, I haven't developed any powers.
TT: Have you?

[inkandlace]

TT: I hadn't given the idea of heroics much thought.
TT: Does being a superhero require knowledge of sewing spandex? If so, I'm not sure I'm cut out for it.
TT: I've certainly noticed a few odd things, but until last night, I had written them off as coincidences. Now, though... I might hazard a guess that I am developing a mild, involuntary, and frustratingly vague form of precognition? Not exactly the most useful of talents in a potential combat setting.
TT: If Dave does decide to write a comic book, let me know. His work is always so delightfully laden with subtext.

[coltblooded]

TT: Rose.
TT: If you become a super hero, I will personally sew together a spandex suit for you.
TT: That sounds like the lamest superpower I've ever heard of.
TT: It could be nothing.
TT: A lot of people have gut feelings like that.
TT: Let me know if it progresses.
TT: I'll let him know you think so.
TT: You'll be the first to get a copy.
TT: Autographed and everything.

[inkandlace]

TT: Thank you, Dirk. I'm touched.
TT: I'll keep tabs on things and keep you updated if I develop any less lame abilities.
TT: If you discover anything relevant, please let me know.
TT: I've got to go now. I'll talk to you soon, I'm sure.