In my defense I have no defense.

[splinterself]

CHARACTERS: Dirk Strider (splinterself) and various and sundry other people who can speak for themselves.
DATE: The 20th, thus allowing for people to tag into both. Huzzah.
RATING: PG13
SUMMARY: I joked about a bunch of horrified level 1-2 people staring at the level for the dungeon before going off and getting e-beers. I was encouraged. Also, I'm starting with prose just because that's how I roll with intro posts, but brackets are strongly encouraged if that's what makes your soul happy.

...and after some stuff which doesn't particularly matter Dirk was staring at the level info for Δ Choosing Superior Offerings. Level 11 temple dungeon? He'd get his ass kicked.

In time he would go back and deal with this issue, go find people to team up with, whatever. But for now? Now? Goddamn.

So he turned to the nearest person who looks plausibly lost, alarmed, bemused, or other such reactions and said, "Hey. I don't know about you but I'm tired of dungeons right now. Know where a guy can get a drink?"

Comments

[hoperaider]

[Jake is silly. This is no big issue. However, he's not silly enough to go trouncing through an area he has no hope of surviving at this level. More likely than not, he will get his ass kicked with embarrassing ease. Yes, Jake is going to sit this one out for the moment. Maybe something else will come up!

He shakes his head, and he's about to leave when he hears a familiar voice and grins.]

You're a little young for that, aren't you, Dirk?

[splinterself]

Dude, that might've been an issue when you came from, but in my diluvian post-apocalyptic waterworld shithole of a future a minimum drinking age had long since stopped being a thing. Come on, Jake.

[hoperaider]

I'm sure you could convince the bartender if you really tried, but why in the first place?

[He's not terribly keen on getting a drink, but it's Dirk's choice.]

I have found a pub once. Maybe I can find it again.

[splinterself]

Mainly for the sake of knowing what alcohol tastes like. I spent all my life stuck in the middle of nowhere, was brought here unexpectedly, and I figure I ought to try everything I can while I can in case I'm sent back without warning. We still don't know what caused this, after all.

[hoperaider]

Right, of course. Well, follow me, and perhaps I can remember the way there.

[Off he goes! For once, he's not dragging Dirk along.]

I may have to decline an experiment with it, if only so that one of us is sober enough to get the other out elsewhere.

[sinkslikearock]

[Well, it's not like Toph could go there on her own. She tilts her head as the voice addresses her.]

Nope. No idea. I'll let you know when I see it. [She shrugs.] If you find one, I might as well tag along for the ride. Might be more fun than some stupid dungeon.

[splinterself]

Alright. Why the hell not. The more the merrier. I'm Dirk. [Exit, stage left heading towards the rest of town.]

[sinkslikearock]

Toph. [She follows him easily enough.]

I take it you were looking at whatever area the--what were they called? NPC's or something?--the area they were talking about.

[splinterself]

Yeah. It was level certain death. I figured I'd do something else instead. How long have you been here?

[sinkslikearock]

Certain death, huh? I've heard that one before. Doubt that anybody'd get lucky in this game. [Toph shrugs.] Few days, I guess. New arrival and all that.

[viiru2alert]

Sollux had been enticed by the rumors spreading around; dungeons were what you were supposed to do in games like this, and the NPCs always told you what you had to do next. But as he approached the Chaos Gate he turned right on his hell and strolled out, having seen the level requirement of the place; he'd be dead. Best to stick with Freshmeat Plains for now.

The Warlock was stopped on his way out by a guy inquiring about booze. Sollux had never been one for drinks himself (if assuming he could afford them), and his financial situation was no better now. But the shenanigans that were going on lately had driven him to do some very interesting things, so grabbing an e-beer was nowhere near the worst of it. "Not I," he said almost dismissively. "But I could really go for one."

[splinterself]

...a troll. For a near-extinct race they seemed to be pretty damn prolific, at least more so than he may have expected. Not that Dirk could exactly talk. For a near-extinct race there was no shortage of humans here, and he had absolutely no problems with that.

He was intrigued despite himself. "Name's Dirk," he said, fingers idly tapping against his Relic twice before he came to a decision. "You could join me. One guy drinking is sad and lonely and it sure as hell beats dying in Death Dungeon, if you came here because of the rumors." Pause. "Unless you're secretly level 12 or something along those lines. I guess I shouldn't assume."

So many S sounds in this post /).(\

[viiru2alert]

Yeah, a troll. You may want to get used to those, Dirk; I heard they come in waves. Anyway, yeah, the humans had surprised him too... it was weird, to have a game that was so natural like this be filled with nothing but gelatinous pale fleshbags. But you know what, Sollux Captor got used to it, you can too.

"Tholluckth," he said. Notice that lisp, Dirk? That's not going to get any better further into the night. "That plan thounds alright. Problem ith, though, that I'm only level negative frethmeat thquared, tho I don't think I can walk muth farther before I trip over my own thtupidly long robe and die." He shrugged. "But what can you do."

This post is brought to you by the letter S.

[splinterself]

"Yeah, I know that feeling, bro," he replied. The subtle sounds of the sallow sorcerer sonorously slipping up on S sounds was - again - subtle, but Dirk picked up on it. Just a little. "I've been here for a god damn month and I only managed to climb up to level two." He inclined his head towards the exit, implying that momentum was salvation: they could walk and talk and then chill at their leisure. He then, in the interest of providing a good example, started strolling in that direction. Exit, stage right.

Splendid.

[viiru2alert]

"Theriouthly?" Sollux peered at the human, unsure of whether he was serious about his less-than-admirable stats. How do you only go up one level a month? Is he the King of Slackers or something? "I can thee why you're tho hell-bent on getting a drink. That'h jutht thad." Still, it isn't like he is in any better position, so he followed Dirk. It wouldn't be that hard to find a place that serves drinks, he decided. Unless this place had different laws than Alternia, in which case they would just have to work around it.

[mercuryangel]

Dirk's question hadn't caught her off guard, really. It's not like she was out treasure hunting 24/7... Naoki Kashima she was not.

At any rate, she'd been playing some card game at an alright place for that not too long ago.

"Actually, I do. It's in that direction."

The thought that maybe he would be able to help with this 'sealed chest' didn't even cross her mind.

[splinterself]

"Thanks."

He was just going to head over, and yet...and yet the fact that she was Level WTF to his Level Freshmeat made him pause and wonder something. Nothing too big, don't get the wrong idea, just the sort of thing that would get a bro to pop off his shades for a moment and clean them off with a corner of his shirt, glance over, casually ask, "So, you gonna go for that chest?"

[mercuryangel]

It was a valid question. She had checked the area, and her own level was close to (or significantly higher than) that area's...

"I think so. I'm not about to go anywhere alone, though."

[splinterself]

"Then you oughta come join me if you've got nothing better to do. I'm not going anywhere near it." Shades properly cleaned, he placed them back in their rightful spot.

[mercuryangel]

That's all right. I'll just find other people to go with me. There are probably people that want to go, but can't handle the area yet.

[stubbornskeptic]

[Jane laughs, surprised.]

Have you been replaced with Roxy, my dear Strider?

[splinterself]

Hey, I thought I'd try something new while I'm here. Plus, goddamn, have you seen the level on that dungeon?

[stubbornskeptic]

I haven't hardly leveled at all since I got here, Dirk. I wasn't planning on going in without you strapping boys to stand out front. [Wink.]

Still, I'm not sure why drinking is your first thought as an alternative activity! Have you ever done it before?

[splinterself]

Nah. First time for everything, Jane. We still don't know what brought us here, how long we're going to be here, or if we're going to be sent back without warning at any time. The way I see it, given what's waiting for me if I get sent back, I'm going to try as much as I can while I have the opportunity, and that includes alcohol.

That, and goddamn, the dungeon is level eleven and I'm level two. In short, it seemed legit.

[stubbornskeptic]

Well, as long as you don't get it into your head to drink and then go dungeon-crawling, hoo hoo. Should I be your designated walker?