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Post by gantzgun74 on May 22, 2016 18:51:05 GMT -5
................................. "......... Optimism isn't a bad thing Evan." ...? "And neither is having hope." When Evan looked up, he found Alex wiping away stray tears. ".... And... Trust me... I... Greatly appreciate all of the care you've been putting into looking after Forsaken. The poor girl... My poor exto-sister.... She NEEDS friends after everything that's happened to her." He looked down, sighing a bit. "And... When we put aside any stupidity concerning what constitutes as 'giving up', 'accepting what's happened' and so forth... Honestly? ... I think we have a lot to thank you for." ? That likely got an expression of confusion out of him. "We're no longer starting this game for Forsaken's sake. If we had half a choice she would've bowed out of the possibility quite a while ago... We're starting this because of Clockwork. That... That MONSTER.... Has already made it perfectly clear that he has no intention of stopping with any one world. He'll destroy... ALL OF US. We have no idea why... But it shouldn't matter." The thief seethed. "As much as I hate to admit it.... You... RALLIED US. If any fewer of us had been present when Clockwork appeared at Mt. Bonsai, I'm pretty sure that monster would've slaughtered everyone in his path. And there wouldn't have been a damn thing anyone could do about it. Especially not that Time Traveling Angel friend of yours." It made Alex ABSOLUTELY LIVID that Kendall had pulled the strings so much, and really, he couldn't help but wonder how much he had done as such... And now, there was a problem going on that, if he had started it, he was just as helpless at stopping it as they were... Still..... "If you hadn't rallied us, whether willing or not... He would've picked all of us off one by one. He would've killed everyone. And he would've destroyed me and everyone I've come to love here no matter how willing I am to fight back or not."................................ ............................................ "This isn't your mistake Evan... But even if it was... We'd be doing everything in our power to solve it all the same." |
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 22, 2016 22:16:35 GMT -5
"Yeah, but..." Evan's guilty expression had yet to falter. As much as he appreciated Alex's compliments and agreed with the objective at hand, his mind couldn't help but loop every event up until this point back to him.
He sighed and tapped a finger on the table. "Listen... I'm happy to help you guys, and it's been great hanging out with Forsaken... but let's be real here. This whole thing is still pretty much my fault. Forsaken plotted to restart the game was because she found me. Kendall... God bless him, best friend though he may be, pretty much talked me into it, and I just went along with it obliviously. And Clockwork... yeah, he's a threat to everyone and everything he comes across and I wanna take him down as much as the next guy... but he's after me. He's dead set on mowing you guys down to get to me. What happened on Mt. Bonsai happened because I was right where he wanted me to be. That one troll guy might be a thick-headed douchebag, but he was right about one thing: Clockwork wants me to play."
While he caught his breath, Evan peaked around the corner of his booth, then faced Alex again. "That... probably sounds selfish when I word it like that, but I really don't want you to have to put yourself in an undesirable position for my sake. At this point, if I'm going along with this, it's because one, I think it's totally unfair what the game did to you guys and I wanna kick it where the sun don't shine, and two..." He bit his tongue, eyes darting this way and that until he finally shook his head and regained his composure. "Okay, two doesn't matter. My point is... I don't know how involved I can be without making the problem worse."
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Post by gantzgun74 on May 22, 2016 23:16:34 GMT -5
...... "That's kind of the point sadly."
Evan looked to him, the man letting out a sigh. "That's typically how it works... Both in games and in stories. If there was no challenge, there'd be no point to it..." ...... "Or that's how some would have you believe.... Those some never understand that sometimes... These challenges don't help you grow. They just hurt." .... He lets out another breath. "But I'm just carrying on.... What I mean to say Evan is that... Well... Sorry to say this, but whether you like it or not, you ARE involved now... And whether I like it or not, so am I."
...........
Evan felt a hand on his shoulder.
Alex had to reach over the table to apply it, so the purpose was clear.
"Clockwork wants you to play... But now we know what he wants you to play for. I don't care how powerful that jackass is. I will never let him win.. NONE OF US WILL. Trust in us.... And Trust in yourself. Okay?" .... There was a small smile. "I've seen a few of your friends. I've seen how capable some of them can be... If you're good at this whole thing, then.... I think even you could make a few smart decisions in Sburb."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 23, 2016 10:17:34 GMT -5
Evan gazed solemnly at Alex. Though his shame was still evident, there was a noticeable glimmer in his big brown eyes. Was he touched by Alex's commitment? His forgiveness? Was he questioning what would come out of his involvement? It was hard to say, even for Evan himself, but one thing was absolutely certain. His hope was still there. He might not have acted upon it at times, but it never left.
Reason number two why Evan was still going along with this: Deep down, he still firmly believed that this was important. That he was supposed to be a part of this.
............
He placed his hand atop the thief's.
"I know... Alex... I know..." The tenseness in Evan's shoulders eased slightly. "You... You guys are strong. Probably stronger than I could fathom if your stories are anything to go by. The only thing bugging me is that... in my misguided efforts to help you, I've started something bigger than I could've ever expected."
............
........................
A smile.
"But hey... if I got you guys into this mess, I think it's only fair that I help get you guys out of it."
Misguided though he might have been at first, Evan knew exactly what he was doing now. And what he was doing was helping his friends.
"Of course I trust you guys. If you're doing this, you bet your bottom Boonbuck that I am too." Did Brendon explain what Boondollars were to Evan? Would've made sense. "Clockwork's not gonna leave any of us alone until he has his way with me, and God only knows what'll happen to the very fabric of existence if he does. But... I have it on good record that that's not gonna happen. Not just because I have friends in high places who can assure me of these things, but because I sure as frig won't let it happen. If he or the game throw any more bull honkey at you guys, on top of everything else you've had to deal with, I'm gonna throw it right back with a ribbon on top, and I trust you guys aren't gonna put up with that mess either."
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Post by gantzgun74 on May 23, 2016 23:39:58 GMT -5
...... Alex seemed to notice something outside the barrier... However as he raised his hand to lower it one last thought crossed his mind. "Little word of advice Ev." That caught Evan's attention slightly since the kind tone was now gone... Well it was still there, but the tone itself had shifted slightly. "Don't put too much stock in 'higher powers'. In the end, they'll always let you down somehow."
The smile returned looking a bit wiser, a bit sadder. "Instead... Try charting your own course. I know you'll do that anyway, just don't depend on Kendall too much to do so. In this situation he.... Won't ALWAYS know what's best."
... With that said he lowered the void barrier.
"OH!! There you are! Where the heck did you two disappear too?? I thought you ordered and ran off!!" It turned out that Alex had seen the waiter looking around for the person that had ordered the two sandwhiches, the fries and drinks, and it was only until AFTER the barrier was lowered that he remembered who the sandwhiches were for. "Jeeze... Okay here you go." The waiter is quick to put the orders down on the table for Alex and Evan, and Alex starts working on his drink before Evan could ask what he meant.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 24, 2016 0:02:21 GMT -5
Evan raised an eyebrow and blinked back at Alex, his expression taking on a confused and somewhat offended look. Their food was delivered before he could offer a rebuttal, but after thanking their waiter and inspecting his sandwich, he turned back to Alex and got to the point...
"Dude, listen... I get what you're saying, but Kendall and I have been friends for years. Sure, there are things that can surprise him and even more things that he's frustratingly cryptic about, but I trust his judgment. He only wants what's best. And yeah, he can see just about every instance of every timeline, but he's only cryptic about it because he wants me to make my own decisions, mostly because what I decide to do myself is exactly what needs to be done in the alpha timeline. Same goes for anyone else he offers services or advice to." He shrugged. "Besides, if there's one thing Kendall most certainly is not, it's a fighter. Seeing how involved he is and how heated the days to come will be, he needs my help as much as I need his."
Up until this point, Evan's frown was a serious yet gentle one. This all turned sour with a slight narrowing of his eyes. "And say what you want about 'higher powers,' but I am a steadfast Christian, and the discovery that a bunch of misfit twenty-something-year-olds have the potential to create an entire universe doesn't change that. I mean heck, I've met my own characters on this island; I think it's fair to say that anything is possible." Realizing just how harsh he must've sounded, Evan significantly softened up, looking more sad now than affronted. "S-Sorry, it's just... through all the twists and turns in my life, God's never let me down, and no force in paradox space could get me to revoke Him. We all need something to lean on, and I put my faith in the One who gives me hope."
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Post by gantzgun74 on May 24, 2016 0:19:28 GMT -5
"Kendall see's the timeline as a line in the sand. One that can branch off in many differing directions for many differing reasons. He see's numerous twists and turns and where they lead. That's true. But this situation will twist and turn in ways not even Kendall might really foresee. A friend of mine once told me that Time isn't a straight line in the sand. Time is the sand. It's whatever you make of it. You said so yourself, Kendall prompts you to make your own choices and push the world onwards dependent on that." He takes a bite of his sandwich.
"Unfortunately however, that logic was tossed out the window the second we saw a version of Kendall die right in front of us." The man intoned somberly letting out a sigh. "Look... I understand that Kendall is your friend, and I understand more then you realize how difficult that must have been to watch... Really. But there in is the problem. Kendal probably IS good at seeing certain points and where they SHOULD lead, And yet he was completely incapable of avoiding the confrontation that put him in that sorry state. It's like I said, Kendall can only see lines in the sand... The problem with that logic is that it never accounts for the tide."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 24, 2016 0:41:11 GMT -5
"I... guess I can understand that." Evan took a break from idly sipping his coffee, his eyes glumly trained on the sandwich he had yet to eat.
"On one hand, I've learned a lot from Kendall, and on the other, there are a lot of things that I know he would never tell me, not that I would ever think to ask most of them. But he has told me that his vision isn't perfect. He can see a lot of things... He could probably tell us how this whole adventure ends! But there are blips here and there that evade his foreknowledge. More often than not, said blips are either events that are, for one reason or another, vital for him not to see for the sake of allowing certain events in the timeline to fall into place naturally, or those pertaining to his own death or the abuse of his soul. But given the fact that he's an angel whose duty is strictly off-Heaven, even if he dies, Kendall always comes back.
"Nonetheless... though I've seen him die plenty of times, it never gets easier to watch. Him pushing me out of the way of Clockwork's blade was his effort to prevent a doomed timeline from happening, to completely erase it from existence... Usually when he carries out such actions with reality-altering effects, there are consequences for him personally. Such is the weight of his responsibility." Evan kept still as his eyes lifted to stare at Alex. "Kendall's not perfect, but he knows what's best. That's why I trust him."
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Post by gantzgun74 on May 26, 2016 23:21:48 GMT -5
"And secondly." Alex said, finally putting down the food and drink and giving Evan a sympathetic expression. ".... Look... I understand how it is with being a Christian. Really I do..." He takes a small sip of his drink. "You may not believe it now looking at me and seeing some of my cynical disposition... But I used to be from a Christian family as well. Raised by a Christian mother, raised in a christian household, brought up on christian ideals... Heck I still follow many of them even to this day." He takes another drink. "I believe in 'treating others how you want to be treated'. I believe in loving others regardless of their circumstances... So hopefully that puts you at ease a little bit about why I've been so helpful recently."
It likely did... But where was he going with this-?
"Just know this as well. Our Evan believed that stuff too. And during my time in the Dream Bubbles something one of his ghosts told me still rings in my mind." He let out a breath, taking a moment to think back to that particular ghost, remembering the poor pathetic creature readily. "He told me that when he lost Swift, he let a lot of things about the game bug him. Most in particular, the fact that 'we destroyed the world that god created for us', and 'creating a new one was wrong'... That we were messing with things we did not understand and we were attempting to 'Play God' in doing so."
...... Alex's gaze narrowed.... "That's not going to be a problem for you is it? Because let's get something straight. Part of this game IS playing god and attempting to do the things he was said to do. And indeed that's entirely the point. To crown new gods and allow them to create their own galaxies. If indeed they can."
.........
"Do you have any questions? Concerns?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 26, 2016 23:51:39 GMT -5
"Well, I suppose that revelation was and is a startling one, all things considered," Evan responded plainly, shrugging at... his food? Whatever. "Like I said, though, there are characters here from a story my friends and I wrote. So... I kind of already have made a universe! I-In all seriousness, though, I can understand your Evan's mindset. Destroying your God-given home and going on to essentially rewrite the book of Genesis... I know my world view would be pretty harshly shaken, especially if it meant... losing everything I knew and loved..."
He had to stop himself right there. On one hand, he couldn't be selfish. He couldn't let himself forget the pain that this game had caused. He wasn't going to be the best ally if he spent every waking moment of this journey in the Land of Sunshine and Rainbows...
But truth be told, Evan was somewhat thankful that he didn't have to carry the emotional burden that his alternate self had. It certainly would've taken a hefty toll on his optimism, the very thing he was trying to provide for his friends. He could scarcely imagine what it had to be like, and he didn't want to imagine it. The thought of your home being destroyed, your universe collapsing, everything you thought was real being torn apart, your family DEAD, THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE TAKEN FROM YOU JUST MOMENTS BEFORE YOU WERE ABOUT TO SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE TOGETHER, ALL BECAUSE OF YOU, EVERYTHING IS GONE AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!!
"SNRK-! K-K... Gck..." Right out of the blue, right in front of Alex, Evan broke down crying. Just... quietly sniveling, tears escaping his eye.
"Ah-! W- Wha-?" And just as suddenly as he had broken down, Evan pulled himself back together, wiped his face off and stared up at Alex as if merely recovering from a sneeze. "S-Sorry. Not sure where I was for a moment there."
Oblivious to the confused expression the thief was no doubt giving him, Evan took a massive bite out of his sandwich and washed it down with a gulp of coffee, his sudden mood swing already a distant memory. "Anyway, yeah. No. No questions. I'm still down to help out however I can."
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Post by gantzgun74 on May 27, 2016 0:04:26 GMT -5
.............. A distant memory to all but Alex.
That sudden case of sobbing had completely caught him by surprise and just as he was about to stand up and see if something was the matter, the tears dried up and the crying fit seemed entirely forgotten... Forgotten to everyone but the Thief of Void himself. "......... Evan-? What was-" Evan just looked at the man, utterly clueless towards the question he was about to ask, and, in fact, looking clueless to the last few seconds. "... Nevermind...."
He shakes off the moment... Though not without a rather NOTABLE amount of hesitation on his part... He would have to file this moment away... if not for just how random and out of place it seemed...
"..... So... We understand each other then?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 27, 2016 0:15:23 GMT -5
"Yeah... Yeah, I think so." Evan gave Alex a gentle smile and a nod. "The most important thing is stopping Clockwork. After that... the whole building a universe thing... if that comes around, I certainly won't complain. It's a hefty task, one that none of us were really prepared for, but one I'm not gonna let you guys down on."
Because that was what this was all about. From the start, Evan was never doing this for himself. He certainly wasn't about to back down on the people... the friends he swore to fight for.
Although...
After finishing off over half of his sandwich, Evan brought up a new point. "If you'd allow me... something's been bugging me. We've made it clear that I'm not the same Evan as the one who played the game with you guys." He stared at Alex and blinked, his eyes shimmering with confusion. Or possibly the remnants of tears. "So... why do I suddenly have control of his dream self? Why is Clockwork chasing after me like I'm the hope player he expects me to be?"
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Post by gantzgun74 on May 27, 2016 0:31:02 GMT -5
................. Alex looked up thoughtfully, wondering when someone was going to think the exact same thing Evan had just mentioned... Really... ".... That's a very good question Evan... And in fact, it was the very reason why I thought you trying to activate the game in place of our Evan was ridiculous... Really.... I have no idea why you can... All I know is, when we factor in you AND Eevee having hope powers, we're kind of in a tough spot."
There was an expression of seriousness and somberness. "Remember that Clockwork NEEDS Hope Powers to finally be unstoppable... Having Eevee here was bad enough... But at the very least Erin kept close and could hide her.... I have no idea what's going to happen when we factor you in as well..."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 27, 2016 0:44:03 GMT -5
"Right... Right..." Evan muttered with food stuffed in his cheek, swallowing before continuing, "Evelyn... Chances are she's gonna have it rough, seeing as how she's tiered. Plus there's the trolls' hope player that he's apparently been after too. And the trolls' void player who wants to kill all three of us..." he begrudgingly added under his breath.
"But yeah, power-hungry psychopaths and stupid decisions on my part aside, actually fulfilling your Evan's role was honestly the last thing I expected to happen. Brendon and Kendall, while not giving me all the details of course, are definitely hinting at this being part of the grand scheme, and they've made it clear that only players get dream selves." He paused to take another sip of coffee. "So... does this... actually make me a legit Rogue of Hope? Y-You can say no, I won't be offended."
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Post by gantzgun74 on May 27, 2016 10:55:00 GMT -5
"I don't know WHAT this makes you if I had to be completely frank Evan..." ALEX answered flatly checking over his drink when he realized it was empty... He then held it up in the hopes the Waitress would see. "Clearly something wants you to play the game and take our Evan's place... Whether that makes you a Roge of Hope or not remains to be seen..." the waitress came and was quick to claim the cup.
With that said Alex's expression of uncertainty returns. "I guess... As with many things... That falls on you to define.... I hope you will be a good one though... We're probably going to need another good god-tier on our side."
He was so unsure about any of this... He had been so violently opposed before...
And yet...
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