1st video | (New Bark Town)

[drubbings]

[ It's night time when the camera turns on. There's a sleeping bag all rolled out and sitting on top is a Gible. His tongue is lolling out of his mouth, but otherwise looks quite content. The camera zooms closer and closer until it's out of focus on his shiny white teeth. A machine gun like cackle erupts from whoever is recording this little piece of art show horror. Obviously this is hilarious to her.

The video camera then swings around to the girl, who has an explosion of freckles and flaming ginger hair. She has a pinched looking face, but it's hardly noticeable with the way she's smiling. Her grin looks like her mouth contains too many teeth. When she speaks, her voice is shrill and vaguely annoying. It might even be a familiar voice. ]

The human "mother" gave me some food but tragically it didn't go very far. Emperor Sesame Gobslob has eaten it. It's the most gluttonous pokemon I have ever come across. Although admittedly that number is exactly one pokemon. Maybe they are all this greedy. It's hard to say.

[ She sets the pokegear down on the grass, it's angled weird so she's off screen now. Rustling can be heard. She's rummaging through her bag. She sounds more serious now, a tad thoughtful as she continues. ]

Most fortunately for him I am a very generous troll and willing to overlook this obvious declaration of war. We are suppose to be "partners" here, after all. Which brings me to the point of this video.

Is this death? Even for a dream bubble this is pretty weird!

Comments

Video;

[schachmeister]

Death? Not... necessarily. It is a little difficult to understand, but apparently this is a whole different world we've been brought to. Though I've heard that even people who are dead in their own world can still be brought here.

I can't say I'm really familiar with what a dream bubble is though.

Video;

[drubbings]

So, this is another universe? Perhaps--

[ She sounds distracted for a second, trying to process something. ]

Perhaps something has gone right for once in this shithive maggots of a reality plane!

A dream bubble are celestial objects that allow the living to meet the dead. They were quite elaborate and I would not recommend them as they are tedious and rather difficult to navigate.

[in4apounding]

Oh no, you're out of food already?

[She feels you, TZ. Though in her case she had to blame suddenly having a sense of taste instead of a voracious Pokemon.]

There's things you can forage on the first route, but none of them are very appetizing, I'm sorry.

[And hang on, there was something else important in there. Troll?]

...um, if you're not, this might sound strange, but are you a friend of someone named Karkat?

[Why are so many people from Dave's world dead, why does SBURB suck so hard. Questions which may never have answers.]

[drubbings]

To would appear so! I'm not hungry yet so that is a point for team Pyrope!

[ She picks up her camera and squints at the girl on the other end of the connection. ]

Bad food is always preferable to starving. I'm sure I'll make it.

[ A startled look crosses Terezi's face, but she smooths it out. In a very small voice she replies: ]

I am. How do you know him?

[ Was he here? That's almost too much to hope for. He was most certainly one of the dead kids from SBURB last time she saw him. What if John had fixed everything and this was their new universe? New humans, though. That was strange. ]

[Text]

[cyan_maid]

[Jane may not recognize this girl one bit, but she does recognize some of her terms: "troll" and "dream bubble", specifically. She has a suspicion that this might be someone from her..."weird universe that could be called a collection of universes united by a catastrophic game", or home, or whatever someone would want to call it, and while her first instinct is to start asking questions, the last thing she wants to do is start things off on an awkward foot like she had with Karkat. They can't talk about anything other than Pokemon without tripping into dangerous emotional pitfalls.

So let's play it safe.]

I'm fairly certain he was probably just hungry.
In the future, you'll want to pick berries you see growing along the routes. Pokemn can eat them, but we can't. They taste very bad, and can make us VERY ill. Still, it's healthy for the Pokemon, and you'll have more normal food to eat.
With that being said, would you like some regular food sent to you? It's about three days to the next town from New Bark, and it's not a fun walk.

As for your question, no, you are not dead. Or at least, if you were, it's safe to say you're not anymore.

[Text]

[drubbings]

H3 1S V3RY HUNGRY 1F 1 H4D TO GU3SS
H3 1S NOW CH3W1NG ON MY PORT4BL3 FL1X1 COON
1 M4Y H4V3 TO R41SE MY VO1C3 4T H1M!
1 W1LL K33P TWO 3Y3S OUT FOR SUCH B3RR13S
4R3 TH3Y RED?

[ If they are, she might have to exercise severe self control. ]

THR33 DAYS 1S DO4BL3
4ND WH3R3 3X4CTLY W1LL TH4T L34D M3 MYST3R1OUS BLU3B3RRY MUFF1N FONT?
BUT FOOD WOULD B3 4PPR3C14T3D

[ Terezi considers this for a moment. ]

NO IT 4PP34RS TH4T 1 4M V3RY MUCH 4L1VE
1 H4V3 4LSO GON3 UND3R 4 TR4NSFORM4T1ON
1 S33M TO B3 HUM4N
TH4T 1S 4 L1TTL3 ODD 3V3N FOR R3SURR3CT1ON 1N MULT1D3M1NS1ONAL SH3N4N1G4N L4ND!

[video]

[purramedic]

[The intriguing choice of cinematography here catches the eye of a man covered in cat Pokemon (and Snubbull). His curiosity quickly gives way to delight as he realizes the girl on the feed is some of this week's fresh meat. He does so like new arrivals; it does signify that he isn't the newbie anymore. Makes him feel a bit less like a middle-aged man who's always getting shown up by children. Even if that's exactly what he is.]

I'm afraid I don't know what... that thing you mentioned is, but I can say with a fair amount of certainty that you aren't dead.

Your Pokemon -- he's... an interesting one. [He's being very polite.] I do adore his name, though. You'll make an excellent trainer.

[video]

[drubbings]

[ She picks up her camera and stares into the screen at the human addressing her. He has some more of these pokemon on him! How curious. They appear to come in many different forms. She is interested in asking about this at a later time. ]

Don't worry about it. It's rather confusing and boring to be quite honest! Although I would like to know if I am not dead then what am I doing here?

Thank you. I can feel he has untapped potential. And I am just the troll to do that untapping. His name is only the start of this arduous process.

I suppose I am not a proper trainer until I catch more, correct?

[video]

[captainash]

The good news is that this isn't death, which means you're not going to starve before you even reach Cherrygrove. The bad news is that your main option along route 29 is to eat grass, since New Bark Town is sorely lacking in restaurants and proper grocery stores.

[At what point does starvation become the kinder option, exactly?]

[video]

[drubbings]

I have never eaten grass before! It looks rather like lime. I wonder if it tickles on the way down.

[ Obviously the thought of putting uneatable things her mouth isn't a sobering thought. ]

Although I will admit now I am feeling a little sore against Emperor Sesame.

[video]

[fehcatsap]

[This girl's manner of speech is a strong hint at something, but more important is that she's already out of food for a three-day journey.]

Eesh. Better haul ass to the next town to get more food, and thank whatever you want you're not stuck where you are for a week.

Anyway, you an alien?

[video]

[drubbings]

Does that happen? A whole week without nutrition plateaus?

I am! A troll to be exact. Are you a human?

video

[quadrangle]

[... oh. Oh, god.

He's too overwhelmed at first to type anything, much less say anything, but once he regains his senses and remembers his own (rage/fear/confusion/despair) shock at finding himself human in this place, he. Okay. He can talk. Maybe. He has to say something.]

Terezi.

[Or, uh, shout it. TEREZI in verbal form, whatever, fuck it, and yeah he's audible before he is visible, fumbling a little with his damn PokéGear for a second or two before his new human face swings into view. He's retained his black hair, but the distinctly alien color of his skin and eyes are definitely new. The fuck kind of animal even has white around their irises, how does that work.]

When did—you just got here, right? You're in New Bark Town?

[Talking is hard, why is talking hard, hahaha maybe because last he'd seen her his EX-MOIRAIL was beating the ever-loving shit out of her, no that couldn't possibly be it goddammit his throat is closing up and he still has to say]

I'll come get you. Or Dave will. We're—we're both here, and so are John and Jade. And some other fucking humans.

[I didn't think I'd see you again. I thought I was the only one. Hahahaha. Ha. Haah. Fuck no. He takes a deep breath.]

Please tell me someone else has told you what the fuck is up with this place because I don't think I can deal with explaining that right now.

video

[drubbings]

[ She didn't recognize the face on screen but the voice, the voice she'd remember. That ornery voice ringing through her aural tunnels until the day she died. She'd never thought she'd get to hear him say her name ever again. For the first time since she arrived in this strange Pokeworld she feels extremely weary and emotional; just how much they've all lost finally hits her. ]

Karkat?

[ She's very proud that her voice doesn't even waver a little. If this was some crazy form of after life then why wouldn't he be there? It just made sense. She steels herself. Keep it together, Pyrope. ]

I am in New Bark Town. With my new friend! Did you see him? The electronic frond pager told me he is a "dragon type."

[ She's going for levity, but it just makes her think of her poor dead lusus. Pick another topic, then. ]

Dave is here? The real deal cool kid?

[ She smiles a little. It's not her usual toothy grin, but a sympathetic smile. Maybe she's feeling exactly what Karkat is thinking at that moment. ]

I think I'm getting the picture! Grub-napped, forced in to catching a bunch of weird beasts into red and white balls-- bluh, bluh, bluh. I'll get the details later.

How are you going to come get me?

video;

[gainedlove]

[Wow, that is a whole lot to react to right there, but how about we get the most important part out of the way, first?]

Nuh-uh, you're not dead! Ev'rybody's alive here, so you don't gotta worry! --um, well, somma th' Pokemon are ghosts, but they're born ghosts I think? It's kinda weird.

What's a dream bubble?

video;

[drubbings]

Born ghost Pokemon. I had a friend who was a ghost. I'm sure she'd enjoy their company if she were here!

A celestial space bubble where you could meet the dead. They were something else!

[video]

[voidedgoddess]

[Human mother, death, and dreambubbles. With that voice.]

Terezi? Hi!

You're not dead. And you might know me, but if not, I'm Roxy. [God, she hopes Terezi recognizes her. And it is Terezi.]

[video]

[drubbings]

[ One small shock after another. Terezi never really got to have a heart to heart with the human but she had cared enough about her safety to find this a most pleasing turn of events. ]

Why would I not know who you are, Roxy? Are the timelines that screwed up here?

[ Karkat had said there were more people from their world here. What if they were all from different timelines? She could feel a pan ache starting. ]

I mean, nice to see you! Looks like you and Egbert managed to get away.

[video]

[charcoalfeather]

[....Hmmmm. The way of speaking is certainly setting off a sort of deja vu but there isn't really a way for Rakka to know for sure yet.

In the meantime, she'll just answer the pokegear with the first thing that came to mind.]

....Your pokemon already ate the food you were given? [aww] That's really unfortunate, but there's always lots of berries and stuff on the route, and in the nest town for you and... um, Gobslob?

[So, she won't starve? Hopefully?]

[video]

[drubbings]

Emperor Sesame Gobslob.

I've been warned the berries are not for eating! No matter how desperate I might get. He will be fine though.

[video]

[bloodisthicker]

...

[what the fuck is homestuck]

...I'm sure you've been told that you're not dead, although the unfortunate truth is that you're... in more dire straits than a lot of people, given that you can't actually hunt Pokemon down and eat them. I've asked.

[video]

[drubbings]

[ Not even Andrew Hussie knows. ]

Define 'can't'! As in they wont actually burn once you start roasting them or it's illegal?

[ Because only one of those things will deter her. ]

video;

[brocrux]

[ While the new human appearance is unrecognizable, the voice and grin are not. Another addition from their multi-universal tango is oddly comforting. Someone he actually knows and presumably won't need him to dance around timeline shenanigans is a sight for sore eyes. (Is 'sight for sore eyes' an insensitive expression?) ]

As someone that's spent a substantial amount of time debating our current state of existence, the idea that this is death is still a plausible theory. There is strong evidence to support the idea but we still can not confirm that this isn't a posthumous experience. We also can not confirm this isn't a mass hallucination brought on by licking a psychoactive frog.

Hey.

video;

[drubbings]

Must have been a great frog if everyone in this shit show had a long hard lick!

[ Unfortunately, Terezi never got to fight alongside Dirk. The last time she smelt him was in a dream bubble and just now she's finding out that her super senses have no transferred when she turned human. His voice though is vaguely recognizable. It takes her a moment to place it. ]

Why do I know your voice? Is this... Ghost Strider?!

[video]

[harlequinhater]

Woah, Terezi, is that you?

[It definitely sounds like her. And it kind of looks like her? Only sans gray skin and horns, but John has gotten used to that with Karkat being around.

Yeah, he's going to assume it's her and just keep talking.]

Are you okay? I mean, apart from the being dead thing. Though I thought the whole idea of you sending me on those bullshit quests was so that people would stop being dead? What was with that, anyways?

[video]

[drubbings]

John.

[ This Poke experience was just starting to get funny before Egbert showed his stupid nerd face. Terezi sobers immediately. The very really possibility that she fucked up and fucked up bad is totally on the table and it feels like her acid sack is swimming around the ground. ]

A failed attempt by the looks of it! Instead of a stable, fixed timeline we have... this.

[ According to Karkat, only him, Terezi and the humans made it to whatever multiverse they now inhabited. So much for grand notions of saving everyone. ]

My powers screwed us. Flay me alive for saying this, but I'm sorry, Egbert. This should have been different.

[ Her Gible is now nuzzling close to her. He appears to have enough pan matter to tell that she is upset. She looks surprised but hesitantly puts a hand on top of the Pokemon's head. ]

video

[islandshore]

You know, it could always be worse.

[So says the young man-- about twenty-one now, with shoulder-length silver hair, a crooked smile and folded arms.]

At least you didn't wind up with a Gulpin. Those things are the stomach Pokémon, so I'd say that speaks for itself.

video

[drubbings]

True! There could be meteors or shitty clowns around! It smells like a seriously uncomplicated plane of existence!

Gulpin? What does that look like. I demand a picture!

[Video] Trips in over my own feet three weeks late with nobucks : (

[callbacks]

[It's with an exaggerated sigh of disappointment that Dave affects his entrance. Because of course, he can't let out how wiggly-overjoyed-relieved he is to hear her voice again, no matter how strained she looks. No matter how awk it got between them.]

Naw, come on, you can't be dead, too, Terezi, what the fuck. We believed in you.

[Gotta dance as far away from his real worry, his real pain, as possible. God, Terezi, no, none of them wanted that for her. He puts his chin in his hand and rolls his eyes. Which doesn't really make a difference behind his shades, but she'll know. He knows she'll know.]

Also, what idiot omniscient force decided to start you off with an unstoppable bite machine? Dick move, Pokégods. Dick move. Saddle her with something squishy and harmless like the rest of us, Jesus.

[Something squishy and harmless scampers up to his shoulder to chitter curiously at the phone. Hello, Dedenne.]

Nobucks?! I want a latte dammit >:(

[drubbings]

[ And here he is. Terezi had prepared herself to see Dave after Karkat had mentioned his name amongst all their friends here in Endless Music Land. But it was still a shock to see him. Especially since the last glimpse she had of Dave was him as a lifeless corpse on top of Jade. She's willing to pack all her feelings behind a devious facade and match his bravado. This is how coolness is done. ]

Well, you obviously didn't believe hard enough, Dave! I was still flesh and blood in the end. And, wow, was it a lot of blood! I don't think these magical believing powers of yours do shit!

[ Insert a totally normal and not forced cackle. Emperor is now waddling closer to the Gear, interested in the Pokemon that just appeared on screen. ]

The PokeGods heard my plea of 'fed up with this bullshit' and took pity on team Pyrope to give me the best starter. And he is the best.

[ That is highly debatable as the Gible's tongue lolls around. ]

What is that? Did the infallible Cool Kid get stuck with a cheesebeast?

[video]

[eclectictype]

Oh...

[Yep, familiar all right. And she even says she's a troll.]

You know, there are many more dragons than that. What if I told you that you could have an entire hoard of dragons?

[video]

[drubbings]

[ Oh look, if she's not mistaken it's Jade. Looking significantly less evil than the first time they met. But that's not what's important here. ]

A hoard? Keep talking, Harley.