01 [Text]

[stridercentric]

[If there's one thing Bro doesn't like, it's being tossed into an unexpected situation. SBURB had been filled with that sort of thing, but this place clearly isn't much better. Even after gathering some information about Hinoto-Ri, he continues to be filled with restlessness because he didn't get the answer he wanted most of all. No choice but to address the local network, then.]

sup kiddies. listen up. i got separated from my flock.

if you know what sburb is? drop me a line here. if youve been to skaia? drop me a line. if your name is dave strider? youre grounded. and drop me a line too i guess.

btw. i have a mad hankering for doritos. plz tell me they have doritos here. will not accept shitty poser brands. and maybe some orange soda.

Comments

[anotherdirkstrider]

Heh, I'd love to see that.

Hey, where are you at? I could use a good Strife practice, and I'd like to meet you if person.

[stridercentric]

right now im settling into my new crib. man. this place is severely lacking in stuff and shit. needs more weapons. more puppets. more everything.

and an ironic welcome mat. definitely gotta get me one of those. its pisces 6-05 btw.

[anotherdirkstrider]

Bro, I'm in Pisces 6-03, down the hall.

[stridercentric]

yeah i know. apparently theres an apartment listing that updates pretty much immediately.

so are you coming over or what?

[anotherdirkstrider]

[There is a prompt knock on Bro's door.]

[stridercentric]

[Now that's some genuine Strider timing, right there. The door swings open within a second, revealing a tall and luscious Bro. Despite having died and then magically traversed worlds only an hour or two ago, he looks just like he always does, baseball cap covering spiky blonde hair and pointy shades hiding his orange eyes from view.

Lil Cal is slung over his shoulder like the puppet's receiving a piggyback ride. Worth noting is that while Bro looks great, Cal was obviously torn to bits and then sewn back together with obvious white thread, giving him a rather Frankensteiny appearance. There's only so much Bro could do to fix his little buddy inside the Medium.

Goddammit, it's like he's seeing what he saw in the mirror over fifteen years ago. This is weird.]

Sup.

[anotherdirkstrider]

[Dirk stands in the doorway, his own less-tattered Cal draped over his shoulder and his shitty unbreakable sword clutched in one hand. He has to look up a few inches to meet Bro's eyes, but he's got plenty of growing to do, and as it stands he's not short by most peoples' standards. It's strange, seeing himself broader, older, wearing an actual hat instead of ironically donning a picture of one. And what happened to Cal? Well, at least his bro was a universal constant. Cal is the shit.]

Hey.

[He stands there, silent but for the shaded eye contact, for a few moments. Not every day you get to meet an alternate universe version of yourself.

Of course, for a first meeting of Striders, there's definitely something missing. The shadow of a smirk passes Dirk's lips as he draws his katana to strike out at Bro, as is the customary Strider greeting. Bro's got brawn and probably speed going for him, as well as experience, but he'd like to see just what sort of skills a softer life has left his incarnation with.]

[stridercentric]

[Customary Strider greeting, indeed. As Dirk draws his katana, Bro does the same. An identical move, right down to the blade itself. Like Cal, the unbreakable katana is a universal constant as well. It's nice to see that some things don't change, regardless of 'batterwitches' and not-so-distant futures.

The two blades meet with a metallic clang as he deflects Dirk's attack. Strifing in the middle of a hallway is probably not the smartest thing to do, but Bro doesn't give a shit about what's smart. He just does what feels right. Careful Dirk, he's flashstepping into the hall so he can have some more open space to move around in.]

Lol I love these idiots they are the best.

[anotherdirkstrider]

[So similar, down to reflexes and idiosyncratic movements, and down to the fact that this is considered a completely appropriate way to meet someone. What better way to discern someone's character than how they deal with an assault, though? It's telling.

There's something fond in his chest to see that they even have the same sword. Dirk wonders where Bro's came from, if he got his from Dave as well.

They separate and flashstep into the hallway.]

Roof?

[stridercentric]

[Oh. Well. He was fine with the hallway, but the roof is probably a better idea. More space to move around in, less chances of accidentally bursting through someone's wall. Pissing off the neighbors with property damage is probably not a good thing to do on his first day here. After the first week or so, all common sense rules go out the window.

Bro's only response to the question is a curt nod, then he flashsteps towards the hallway door. He can get to the roof by ascending the stairway, right? ... Probably. If he can't, he'll just go out the nearest window and upwards. It should be fine.]

[anotherdirkstrider]

[Dirk likewise heads up to the roof, running down the hallway and jumping out the window in a flash. Mid-fall he grabs his rocket board from his sylladex and stops plummeting down to the ground and instead rides straight up to the roof, hopping off and tossing the device back into his inventory.]

[stridercentric]

[Bro arrives at the roof just in time to see the rocket board disappear into Dirk's sylladex. Sweet, even in an alternate future he still has that thing. Part of him would expect a hover board, but he supposes the batterwitch isn't a supporter of developing hover technology. He assumes another offensive stance, ready to charge towards Dirk.]

I figure we have them clash a few times, and Bro probably wins?

[anotherdirkstrider]

[Dirk charges, leaping forward with Striderian speed and sending his blade whistling towards Bro. Fighting someone so similar to himself feels strange, but certainly gives an advantage. What will be more interesting is seeing just how different their fighting styles are.]

Sounds good!

[stridercentric]

[It feels strange to Bro as well. He's used to fighting Dave, but Dave's style is clumsy- not quite as smooth as it should or could be. There were times when Bro considered having Dave fight with a different type of sword, only to discard the notion like last month's trash. Real men fight with katanas.

For now, Bro will fight as he usually would. Block, flashstep somewhere unexpected, make a swipe of his own. Block, flashstep, swipe. And so on. He suspects Dirk will use the same kind of strategy, but he'll see how things pan out before attempting a different approach.]

[anotherdirkstrider]

[Block, flashstep, strike--

Bro fights in the same rhythm as he does, which is something Dirk isn't used to. Not many can keep up with him (save for maybe the drones), and they are matched speed for speed. The disadvantage is that Dirk is a good decade (or two) younger, and thus lacking the muscle power that his elder has developed in that time. Normally that doesn't matter to him (he would calculate a way to use that force against them) but considering it's someone as attuned to strategy-- particularly his own strategy-- as Bro is, the situation is much harder.

clang clang clang]

[stridercentric]

[Damn, Dirk's fast. Much faster than he was when he was that age. Bro didn't start training his flashstep abilities until he was thirteen years old or so, but this kid must've started at an earlier age. It makes for an interesting strife, that's for sure.

There is one other thing that works in Bro's advantage, though; his limbs. He's much taller than Dirk, with a longer range. That's why, in the midst of all the swiping and blocking, he'll suddenly raise a leg to try and kick Dirk in the chest, Chuck Norris-style.]

[anotherdirkstrider]

[Necessity breeds skill. Bro may be his alternate-universe doppelganger but he never had to physically fight to survive from such a young age, and never against giant robots out for his blood. That kind of shit makes you get good fast or get dead.

He sees the kick and starts to dodge but it clips him on the ribs, just enough to send him flying backwards into a roll. He rights himself fluidly, as though he was expecting it, but Bro really did catch him off guard. Bro is faster than anyone else he's fought-- no one before has been able to stand up to Dirk's speed, not since he was a child.]

[stridercentric]

[Dirk getting hit is exactly what Bro was hoping for. The moment the kid rolls backwards, he flashsteps after him, hoping to get behind him and land another kick from back there. This is the sort of stunt he could pull on Dave all the time, but Dirk might just recover from the roll fast enough to dodge his next kick. It's hard to tell. Only one way to find out.]

[anotherdirkstrider]

[Dirk is no Dave-- he knows what tactic he'd use in this situation, and it seems like Bro would do the same. He stays low and ducks under the kick, swiping a leg out to knock Bro's grounding out from under him. Dirk is in a vulnerable position now, and he can't afford to let Bro get the better of him again. That reach could do him in.]

[stridercentric]

[With the way Dirk ducks under his kick, Bro would have a hard time avoiding the kid's swipe. So he doesn't. Instead, he allows his other leg to be knocked out from under him and moves along in that same momentum by flipping backwards, first landing with his free hand on the ground and then flipping straight on to plant both feet on the ground again. He's nimble like a gymnast, this one. No time to stand around and gloat, though, because he fully expects Dirk to continue on the offensive and he needs to counter with his own slashes again. meanwhile, Lil Cal's still holding onto his shoulders for dear life.]

[anotherdirkstrider]

Rather than go in for a follow-up Dirk distances himself, taking the opportunity to spring backwards and re-establish his fighting stance. Bro is fast, and moving into another combo would have put him in range for a second kick. With most enemies he can hound them with his speed and ferocity until they are beaten into submission-- but that won't fly against this opponent. He's got to play it cool and wait for the right moment.

[stridercentric]

[That fighting stance is exactly what Bro was hoping for. It means Dirk's ready to counter at a moment's notice. He would be too, if he were in Dirk's shoes, but instead he's the one dashing forward to attack. He needs to try and use that to his advantage.

His charge is unrelenting. He rushes straight towards Dirk, sword at the ready, but just before he reaches the kid he suddenly disappears from the spot to try and get behind him. If he's lucky, Dirk fell for it and countered a person who was no longer there, leaving his back open for another kick. If he's not lucky... Well, that just means Dirk knew exactly what sort of strategy Bro was going for, which would make sense considering they're the same person.]

[anotherdirkstrider]

[Dirk braces for a block only to have Bro disappear-- which means he knows just what's coming. He turns around just fast enough to block the blade still takes the brunt of another kick; this time only staggering back a moment before returning with a parry. They would be evenly matched but for the extra decade or so of growth (and practice) on the part of Bro, because even the harsh conditions of the Crockpocalypse can't make up for years of training.]

[stridercentric]

[The parry's good, but not good enough. Bro tilts his sword into a vertical position to block it, then immediately flashsteps upwards to avoid any further attacks. It's been a fun ride, but he'll try and find a way to end it now. If it was Dave, he would've grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and flung him off the building, but Dirk is older and taller. No dice on that. The next best thing would be knocking his katana out of his hands, so he'll attempt just that with a well-aimed swipe.]

[anotherdirkstrider]

[His sword clatters to the ground a few feet away. He's sagging in his stance and breathing heavily; Dirk looks frustrated-- but with himself more than anything.]

Alright, alright. Got me.

[He begrudgingly yields, walking over to pick up his sword.]

Good fight. Haven't been bested like that by anyone before.