Ruby City Inbox

[callbacks]

text . voice . video . action

Comments

[callbacks]

yeah
so the basic structure of what im thinking of looks something like this



since the nature of my powers is still technically linear its not like i skedaddle laterally to a parallel timeline
i mean ive never tried that so i dont know if i even could
if so id be jumping blind and that sounds like a completely dunderheaded thing to do
its more natural and definitely safer and confirmed possible for me to wind back to a moment just before whatever event it is im trying to change
so before the point of divergence

[uncertainrelation]

...What is the small blue explosion there on the alpha timeline?

I see the Dave of the "doomed timeline" goes back to before the divergence and counsels himself to continue on in a manner consistent with the Alpha Timeline, but then it seems he follows the Alpha Timeline for a spell until...?

[callbacks]

well in this case
unlike in a stable loop
weve got a case of a dave whos not the alpha dave right
he doesnt and wont share alpha daves experiences and is in fact a separate other
its more like the example you were giving before
so once conditions have been un-OH FUCKed the universe takes action to reduce things back to a simple single dave situation

[uncertainrelation]

...You're suggesting the universe will not tolerate divergence from its designated alpha timeline.

But how can any given Dave, presented with any given decision, possibly know what the alpha timeline IS?

...

Are you saying that for every decision you make, there theoretically existed a Dave who made the opposite decision, but because that decision did not align with the designated alpha timeline, that divergent Dave becomes responsible for looping back to unmake his own existence?

1/2

[callbacks]

no
that would get way too complicated thered be daves busting in ninja style all over the goddamn place
but say something big happened
like
ok let me give you an example
this is the least fucked up one that happened to me as far as i can remember

2/2

[callbacks]

when i was new to this time stuff and didnt have a sense yet how to roll with things intuitively
i happened to shenanigans my way into possession of copies of my sisters weird journals
these journals APPARENTLY housed sensitive information that neither of us knew about until literally two seconds later when she woke up out of nowhere and burned her own copies??
so i being a reasonable young man and not at all a snoopish disaster decided i would go back to my room and do the same only to find some dbag ganked them while i wasnt looking
1 my natural inclination of course was to go back in time a few minutes to catch the fucker in the act
here im thinking thatd be fine and an obvious implementation of a time loop
2 as soon as i decide to do this thing i notice my own lacerated corpse stacked over on my turntables
3 i realize oh hey looks like i already decided to go back in time to stop this asshole and it turned out to be a stupid idea
4 i choose not to make the idiot choice and chuck poor hero dave out into the lava
5 thus the timeline is saved

so: dead dave was in a doomed timeline and didnt know
the fact of his corpse was enough of a warning to keep me from doing the same
my choice not to pursue the dude led to a new timeline in which i continued as alpha dave

its not exactly like two roads diverged in a yellow wood and one happened to turn out better
its more like the knowledge of that doomed timeline is necessary in order to secure the integrity of the alpha timeline
so doomed dave has to make that sacrifice to CREATE a timeline where things go a little better
luckily i had a guide who helped me largely keep this shit to a minimum

[uncertainrelation]

...Which means the continuance of the alpha timeline is predicated on you repeatedly discovering your own corpse, resulting from choices that diverged from the course you were "supposed" to take?

[callbacks]

jesus not ALWAYS
i had a perfectly civil discussion about what to do and not do with an alt future me once
then he kickflipped acrobatically into a seizure ball and became half bird
but that meant he could stick around the timeline for a while at least because he at least partway became an entity in his own right and didnt have to worry about being alpha dave no more
i wonder what happened to him
i mean hes probably dead now

[uncertainrelation]

...David.

You do realize that being confronted with the necessity of disposing of your own corpse EVEN ONCE is not...normal. Don't you?

[callbacks]

my name isnt actually david i was kidding about that before

[uncertainrelation]

Mr. Strider, please.

[callbacks]

yes i know its not normal
but its the world i was born into so what else am i gonna do
cry about it?
it was like five years ago i have better things to do than ruminate on the unadulterated baloneyshit mindfuck the majority of my existence has been when theres nothing i can even do about it now

[uncertainrelation]

You do. And that's a way of thinking that your universe conditioned into you, because your natural means of addressing and resolving any conflict presented to you is through the determination of an action, and the execution of that action.

I'm not saying it's a wrong approach. On the contrary, I think it's one that's served you very well. When people are...mistreated by the environment that surrounds them, they erect defenses against it, and become tempered by it, and grow strong.

You remind me of someone very strong, with the way that you talk about things like this.

Has anyone ever told you that you're ALLOWED to cry about it? That you would be justified in crying about it, if you wanted or needed to? Because you are, far moreso than you seem to realize.

[callbacks]

jesus christ
ok yes
back home i go to therapy and junk and we do get into this sometimes
but honestly its like the least of my fantastic and hilariously deep seated issues
you dont have to play that role with me dude ive gotten the useful coping mechanisms talk before
god this is why i dont talk about doomed timelines

1/2

[uncertainrelation]

I am MERELY TRYING TO

[uncertainrelation]

...Yes, well.

Very good, you seem to have things well under control, then. And I appreciate the education into the subject, it was...illuminating.

[callbacks]

look
no offense dr rolute but im a big boy with my own support network and im pretty sure youre not that kind of doctor
ok?
youre welcome for the intro to sburban game mechanics but you dont have to pretend to think im even a remotely ok and well adjusted individual for it
i just dont want to talk about its impact on me personally is all

[uncertainrelation]

Understood.

And you do have my apologies. I'm afraid I'm not always the best at keeping my opinions to myself, as it were.

[callbacks]

never wouldve guessed
no harm done though man
at least youre not the poor dude i almost headbutted in the donuts because he dared to imply i could use some security and comfort when meridiana and i first showed up here

[uncertainrelation]

...Dare I ask what part of the physical form is "the donuts", colloquially?

[callbacks]

you havent met giorno giovanna yet?

[uncertainrelation]

Can't say as I recall making the acquaintance of anyone by that name, no, I'm afraid.

[callbacks]

youll recognize the donuts when you see them
also hes a nice dude
runs the coffee shop
very nosy and italian

[uncertainrelation]

Well, with a description like that, how can I fail to spot him?

I take it the nosy part is what nearly earned him the headbutt to the donuts.

[callbacks]

yeah p much
i wasnt at my best
i got dragged here from CHRISTMAS MORNING