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Constants & Variables: Act 4

Summary:

The game is over. The glitch that once threatened to infect reality is dormant. All that's left is to watch over the newly created universe as immortal godlike beings.

It doesn't take long for a victory littered with casualties to feel hollow.

A new threat lurks in the game the players left behind. Ghosts of strangers reach out for help in their dreams. And when doomed timelines branch off by the thousands, the alternate iterations of an old adversary never end.

(Direct sequel to Constants & Variables)

Notes:

I've hesitated to commit to this, but y'know, there's just not gonna be a better date to start posting Act 4 than C&V's fourth anniversary on 4/4.

Chapter 1: Intermission 3

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

-- arachnidsGrip [AG] began pestering adiosToreador [AT] --

AG: Nitram, what the fuck????????
AG: What's this about you and Megido getting a LARPing group together all of a sudden? I thought you weren't down with LARPing anymore!
AT: wELL,,,,,,,
AT: nOT,,, wITH YOU, nO,
AT: bUT aRADIA,,, sHE, uHH, iS MY SISTER,,, sO,,,
AT: wE SPEND TIME TOGETHER, sOMETIMES, lIKE FAMILY DOES,,, i THINK,
AG: Pshhhhhhhh. Wow, you're falling for THAT old trick? Come on, use your 8rain! What is family even good for?
AG: Actually, I'll give you a free8ie: all family does is use and a8use you.
AG: They prop you up so they can push you down. Aaaaaaaall to feel 8etter a8out themselves.
AT: uH,,,
AT: i KNOW YOUR MOM IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE VERY NICE, bUT,,,
AG: My mom was a giant 8itch, just like all the other moms. Trust me on that.
AG: Did you ever meet YOUR mother?
AT: sHE, uH,,,,,,
AG: Hahahahahahahaha, yeah, I 8et you wish you'd gotten spewed from the Serket ectoslime instead of the laaaaaaaame com8o of Megido-Nitram!
AT: i LIKE aRADIA, aCTUALLY,
AG: Well, don't say I didn't warn you when she 8acksta8s you!
AG: 8ut whatever, at least I tried!!!!!!!!
AT: yOU KNOW i'M REALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO TALK, tO YOU ANYMORE,,,,,,
AG: Yeah, like I haven't heard that 8efore!
AG: Let's face it, I'm the gr8test friend you've got and that's why you keep crawling 8ack.
AG: I tell it to you str8 and get shit done.
AT: aCTUALLY,,,
AT: tHAT ISNT TRUE, i DONT THINK,
AT: aND THERE IS A GOOD REASON NO ONE INVITES YOU,,, tO OUR GAMES ANYMORE,,,
AG: You mean 8ecause they're WUSSES who h8 to admit they can't 8eat me at a stupid game for toddlers?
AT: aND,,,,,
AT: i THINK,,,,
AT: i SHOULD LISTEN TO THEM,
AG: A8out what?!
AT: sORRY, bUT,
AT: nOT SORRY,

-- adiosToreador [AT] blocked arachnidsGrip [AG] --

AG: Are you fucking kidding me?!
AG: You're leaving me on a 8urn THAT lame?
AG: Yeah, well, whatever! I was too good for you anyway!!!!!!!!
AG: Don't 8lame me when your life goes to shit 8ecause you're too 8usy hiding from anything with a little teeth!
AG: May8e this time when you crawl 8ack, I won't 8e w8ing for you!

* * *

-- arachnidsGrip [AG] began pestering apocalypseArisen [AA] --

AG: Hey, what's this a8out leaving me out of the loop, Megido? You're LARPing without me?
AG: How many years have we 8een friends? You can't get over a little mistake or two in a past life?
AA: i saved your soul from stagnating in the dreambubbles and brought you to this new earth
AA: you can consider that a final nod to the friendship we once shared
AA: you have proven on numerous occasions that you cant be trusted
AG: That's 8ullshit!!!!!!!!
AG: This new "Earth" suuuuuuuucks and we all know it!
AG: We might as well have just stuck it out in the dream8u88les, for as irrelevant as we are outside of S8ur8!
AA: i did enjoy traversing the bubbles and witnessing the chaos unfold amongst the horrorterrors
AA: however there is one thing more important than any of that
AA: my friends are alive again
AA: and i intend to keep them that way :)
AA: that means you arent invited to join our activities again
AG: You're all just sore losers!
AA: think what you like
AA: i dont care
AA: your insults lost all meaning to me long before we ever entered the game
AG: Yeah, like I really 8elieve that! You'll just 8lock me and act like you won!
AA: no that would be pointless
AA: youll just redirect your screeching at another one of our friends if i become unavailable to you
AA: given your words mean nothing to me
AA: i might as well let you waste your breath on me :)
AG: FUCK YOUUUUUUUU!
AG: You think you're such hot shit???????? None of you could even win the game without me around to kick ass and take names!
AG: You all just DIED!
AA: tavros died by your own hand
AA: your point is invalid
AG: He deserved it!
AA: you killed his dream self unprovoked
AG: It was glitching up! Did you idiots really want a 8unch of glitchy dream selves w8king up and wrecking havoc?
AA: why dont we agree to disagree before we continue this argument in circles ad infinitum
AG: WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO DIE AGAIN????????

-- arachnidsGrip [AG] ceased pestering apocalypseArisen [AA] --

* * *

-- arachnidsGrip [AG] began pestering caligulasAquarium [CA] --

AG: GOD! Can you 8elieve these losers????????
AG: They owe me so fucking much but do they even appreci8 me anymore? Noooooooo! They think I'm CR8ZY or something!
CA: i knoww wwhat you mean
CA: fef wwont evven talk to me :(
AG: You killed her, num8nuts. Don't act so surprised. Christ.
CA: you killed tavv
AG: UGH, that was DIFFERENT!
AG: He 8ETRAYED me.
AG: Didn't you like kill a 8unch of our parents????????
CA: they wwere gettin in my wway
AG: They're the only ones who didn't get to come 8ack to life! GOOD JO8, AMPORA! WE'RE ALL STILL ORPHANS!
AG: How's the foster life treating YOU?
CA: meh
CA: i dont really miss my uncle
CA: wwasnt your mom a giant bitch
AG: She was GR8, thank you!!!!!!!!
AG: You're such an insensitive asshole! God! I can't 8elieve you're the only one who still talks to me!
CA: wwhat about that swweaty horse guy
AG: UGH, he's almost worse than you are.
CA: im sensin some unfair hostility here vvris
CA: arent wwe in the same boat
AG: I'm not your idol girlfriend who pretends to be a mermaid on TV, Ampora. You don't have to use water metaphors.
CA: force of habit
CA: she isnt an actress on this earth you knoww
AG: WHATEVER. I can't keep track of which cele8rities still exist on this weird duplicate-ish Earth!
AG: It's like we landed on John's troll planet or something. Sure, troll Adam Sandler exists, 8ut I guess they don't have troll Nic Cage for some reason!
AG: Does Nic Cage even exist in this universe???????? I forget to even check on half of those assholes. Maybe he works at a Wendy's or something, and serves him right for having such a WEIRD filmography.
AG: The point is, Feferi still let aaaaaaaall that fame from the last Earth go to her head pro8a8ly!
AG: Not as much as you did, though. :::;P
CA: my fame wwas wwell fuckin deservved
CA: its just not wworth goin back into showwbiz wwithout fef at my side
AG: Excuses! Just because Feferi likes 8eing a 8oring loser no8ody this time around doesn't mean we have to!
AG: God, this world SUCKS.
CA: i did expect a little better from a frog kan and kar made together
AG: Yeah, maybe one of the trolls fucked it up for them.
AG: Those guys sounded disorganized as shit. Even if John seemed pretty cool, compar8tively speaking.
AG: 8ut I haven't heard from him since I died, so fuck him along with the rest of the dum8 aliens, I guess. :::;(
CA: wwhat the fuck even is that
CA: wwinky frowwny face
AG: It's a CRINGE, you moron. O8VIOUSLY.
CA: wwhat are you alwways harpin at me for
CA: wwere in this together vvris you dont gotta push me awway
AG: Yeah, sure, I guess you HAVE been the most sensi8le asshole to make it through the game.
AG: Hell, I must have seen something in you if I was willing to d8 you 8efore, anyway. May8e it's starting to manifest finally.
CA: wwait
CA: are you askin for another date
AG: Dream on!!!!!!!!
AG: Nothing personal this time, 8ut my aspirations are too 8ig to get 8ogged down by romance! I have plans here! 8ig plans!
AG: I just have to survive another two years of this 8oring "normal life" 8efore I can land a jo8 in the military.
AG: Thief of Light or not, I'm always meant to 8e a hero!
CA: wwell maybe youll havve me nearby
CA: as your superior officer
AG: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, oh, 8ring it on, Ampora!
AG: I'll relish an actual challenge. Not that I'm keeping my hopes very high here.
CA: hey wwhat a coincidence i think its time for my daily exercise routine
CA: since i obvviously stay in top shape
AG: Oooooooo8viously.
CA: talk to you again wwhen im a little bit more ripped
AG: Snrk.

-- caligulasAquarium [CA] ceased pestering arachnidsGrip [AG] --

* * *

-- gallowsCalibrator [GC] began pestering arachnidsGrip [AG] --

GC: VR1SK4 4R3 YOU TH3R3
GC: 4R3 YOU G3TT1NG TH1S
AG: Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, WELL!
AG: Look who it is, finally gracing me with her presence!
AG: Where the FUCK have you been, "sis"????????
AG: Does this mean the high and mighty Judge Pyrope has fallen so low that she's also a meaningless survivor on this chunk of rock that's claiming to 8e Earth?
GC: 1'M NOT ON YOUR PL4N3T R1GHT NOW
GC: 1'M CONT4CT1NG YOU FROM YOUR UN1V3RS3'S W4TCH TOW3R
AG: What the shit does that mean?
GC: 1T'S WH3R3 TH3 3NDG4M3 DOOR L3D US WH3N W3 B34T TH3 G4M3
GC: W3 C4N LOOK OV3R YOUR 3NT1R3 PL4N3T FROM H3R3
GC: 1 W4SN'T SUR3 TH3R3 W4S 4 W4Y TO COMMUN1C4T3 W1TH 4NY OF YOU THOUGH
AG: So, what, you're here to ru8 it in my face that you 8eat the game and left me 8ehind to fade away? Is that it?!
GC: 1'M H3R3 TO S4Y 1'M SORRY
AG: Wow, look at all those apostrophes! You've really moved up in life!
GC: PL34S3 DON'T P4TRON1Z3 M3 R1GHT NOW
AG: Give me 8 reasons why I shouldn't, after eeeeeeeeverything you pulled on me! After killing me, abandoning me in the 8u88les, and leaving me here alone on this 8oring planet for THREE YEARS!
GC: B3C4US3 YOUR WORLD 1S GO1NG TO CR34T3 4 COPY OF SBURB SOON
GC: 4ND 1 W4NT YOU TO PL4Y 1T

Notes:

So. This is happening I guess.

I debated a long time about writing this. It had always been in the back of my mind that I might revisit this AU once we had more material from canon to mirror, but at the same time, Constants & Variables is a complete story as-is. It doesn't need a fourth act, even if I have tempting ideas for one.

That's why I'm posting this as a separate fic instead of continuing the old one: if you like the original as-is, this continuation won't alter it and you can reject this like any other sequel. I'm not saying that because I don't have faith in my storytelling abilities, but because I recognize that Act 4 is going to be a very different beast that might not appeal to the same audience. My writing has evolved, for one, but more importantly, C&V Acts 1-3 were written out of love for the source material. Act 4 is written out of spite.

I've made no secret that I utterly despise the retcon arc and everything that came with it. That will probably come through in Act 4. This AU may be about mirroring canon, but nothing says a mirror has to be flattering.