#superstuckchrono

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 MP 44

Right. You dart to look at your phone to send Croft one last message.

At least you have someone you can count on through this.

You pocket your phone and enter the living room. It’s still just as empty as you left it, with dishes, half-empty liquor cans and bottles, and drugs lining every surface. The items do a great disservice to the expensive tables and counters.

You can clean it up. You should clean it up. But you can’t bring yourself to. The trash piles up like dust on an anthill.

But onto more important matters.

It takes a while to drive there. You don’t know how Dirk managed to walk there as often as he did. He could’ve had a shortcut or something.

Your mind is in a blur the entire time. You wonder if Roxy has told Rose yet. You wonder if she’s terrified. You wonder if she’s mad at you.

It would make sense for her to be; a child, missing, due to your negligence. Anyone reasonable would be upset over that.

You only just pray that she wouldn’t be mad, though. Although you do deserve it, the possibility of your close bond with her shattering is enough to drive you mad.

Rose Lalonde is a pretty woman who charades herself as serious and capable. But you know the playful glint in her eyes well; it’s a facade, just like yours.

Rose Lalonde is bright yet silly, but most importantly, your sister.

She kept your mother’s last name. You kept your father’s.

It’s a cruel foreshadow of your fates: no matter how hard you both try, you two will always fall in line with your parents.

You think about if there's a possibility for this cycle to end.

There are none.

Enough thinking.

You’re here.

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 MP 44

You opt to ask him when the last time he saw him was.

 Well, that didn’t answer anything. You guess it makes sense - as Dirk tends to keep to himself anyway - but the lack of answers doesn’t irritate you any less. 

But you remind yourself to keep calm; Roxy gave you as much information as she could.

The skate park. It all makes sense now; in fact, that should have been the first thing you should’ve checked. The skate park was like a second home to your kid - or rather, *his* home - and he’d go out to do God knows what.

You only know this because besides the corner store, it’s the only place Dirk walked to. And although he has his own skateboard, he usually goes without it. There must be some tranquility that place brings that you could never understand. 

Not that you would understand tranquility in the first place, anyway.

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 MP 44

You cut to the chase.

There is a long, uncomfortable pause. So long - in fact - that you think Croft has completely ditched you.

And here you are, sitting on your son's bed in anxious silence for thirty minutes. You wonder if you'll ever get to see his tired, orange eyes again. You wonder if you'll ever be able to touch his soft curls once more. Or pick up his hoodies that he casually lays across the couch. Or buy him orange soda.

The thought that you will never have the opportunity to do any of these again fill you with such strong, unimaginable dread.

And then he replies.

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 MP 44

You bid your farewells to your niece and immediately swipe away to add Croft as a contact. You message him after pasting his number into the CONTACTS area, expecting to wait until morning to get a response. It is nearing ten PM, after all.

He replies in an instant.

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 MP 44

You swear to God that name sounds familiar. But there shouldn't be any reason for it.

Or maybe there is.

You and the Crockers have never been on the best of terms. You've never met John Crocker and you're sure he's a great guy, but you can never be too sure with anyone with that last name.

As the Crockers have ran Earthternia for a while now, their collective iron fist have had a grip on Condywood. And before Dirk was even conceptualized, you were fighting against their reign through the fine arts of cinema.

Suffice to say, they do not like you.

You are the only person in Condywood who have been slandered more than any other celebrity. And really, you should be more careful of your actions.

Eridan tells you this all the time. And much to his annoyance, you do not listen.

In fact, you bask in the attention like a sponge. It's the only thing that's stronger than the white powder sitting on your coffee table.

Jesus, when did we get to talking about you? You're such an egotistical leech that you can't go one minute without thinking about yourself.

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 MP 44

You know, you don't think so. Dirk's always been sort of a hermit, and your niece is really the only person his age that talks to him. That you know of anyway.

But to humor the thoughts in your brain - though you already know the answer - you ask anyway.

Or perhaps you didn't know him as well as you thought.

You are like, 98% sure that is not their real name. It has to be some pseudonym. No sane parent names their kid 'Croft'.

Which only piques your interest more.

Interesting.

If you'd like, you can either stay on the topic of Croft, switch topics to Jane (or anything else entirely), or end the conversation here. The choice is yours.

This Croft kid is a mysterious one. You should find as much as possible about him.

But you get something better: a number. Direct access to Croft. You can ask about Jane, anything else, or end this conversation.

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 MP 44

She sends approximately 10 images. Below are the messages transcribed. The first message begins at 3:09 AM.

DIRK: Let's play a game.

ROXY: fun game or pretentious game

DIRK: Neither. Imagine you are a degenerate sixteen year old hipster in your room.

ROXY: so... u

DIRK: Yeah. And your dad tells you that he will be back by at least twelve AM. It is now three. What do you do?

ROXY: idk drugs

DIRK: Lame answer.

ROXY: wuteva

ROXY: did u text him

DIRK: I asked him to get me a slushie. But other than that, no. Images of him getting his shit wrecked started circulating about ten minutes after I asked.

ROXY: yea i saw mom kinda freaked out abt it

ROXY: but shes passed out now so im binging catfish

DIRK: Why Catfish?

ROXY: idk bored :3 i like trashy reality tv

DIRK: Makes sense.

They proceed to talk about Catfish for five whole screenshots. You swipe until it gets to something interesting.

4:01 AM

DIRK: You know Rox, I don't think he's coming home.

ROXY: :(

ROXY: do u want me 2 come over

4:23 AM

ROXY: dirk??

4:31 AM

ROXY: lol did u fall asleep

DIRK: Sorry. Got busy.

ROXY: with what

DIRK: I dunno.

ROXY: are u feelign OK?

DIRK: Maybe it's the sleep deprivation.

ROXY: u didnt answer my question do u want me to come over

DIRK: No, but thanks.

DIRK: I'm heading off to sleep now. Night.

ROXY: nini

You cannot help but pick up on how disjointed he begins to sound at the four thirty mark. Your shoulders tense. There's a bead of sweat on your forehead.

You do not feel good about this.

What now?

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 MP 46

Good idea.

There's a momentary pause. The three dots indicating that she's typing keeps you on edge.

The anxiety seeps through her words.

She's hiding something and you know it. The hesitation. The fact that she didn't tell you immediately what they talked about.

You can almost feel her hands shaking through the phone.

It sickens you a bit to think this, but she's got to crack one way or another.

You need to know what's going on.

But she's adamant. You don't know if you should push her or let it be.

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 MP 46

She responds.

You walk over to the desk.

Dirk's always been a very artsy kid; has his own sketchbook and everything. You've tried your best to support his lifestyle, from buying god's handcrafted sketchbooks to the world's most expensive drawing tablet. Artistry just runs in your genes.

If he left a note, it would be in his sketchbook. If he didn't take the damn thing with him, anyway.

Fortunately though, it's on his desk.

An unfinished sketch. You hope he will come home to complete it someday.

A pencil lays stagnant on the desk.

No note, nothing.

Just a drawing.

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 MP 44

Here goes nothing.

> i mean that he's missing i just came home and he was just gone

A little harsh to say to a 16 year old girl, don't you think? This is the type of tone you would use for your sister.

She goes quiet. You play the waiting game.

In the meantime, you take a few deep breaths.

In and out. In. And out.

There you go, bud.

+2 MP

[superstuckoff]

50 HP 46 MP

When you hang up, you're greeted - no, accosted - by deafening silence. An unsettling thought creeps into your mind: you're not sure if he's even going to hear it.

-2 MP

You can't really go to Roxy, not at this point in time. But you can certainly call or text her.

You choose to text her. You don't want to scare your niece with your quivering voice and your anxious stuttering.

Your heart plummets deeper into your stomach.

-2 MP

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 48 MP

You record the message. Calmly.

"hey uh dirk haha its me dave" "this no-contact shits really freaking me out can you i dont know uh call me back when you get this haha" "call me back"

That didn't really sound calm. But you're trying and that's all that matters. You're trying.

That's how you've excused everything; how you failed your twelve-step program, failed as a brother, and failed as father. You're trying. Maybe it's not enough, but you're trying.

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 48 MP

Your thoughts are screaming at you. Dirk never leaves his room, just like how you can't leave your own head.

Call him. Call him. Call him. You need to call him. Stop standing there so paralyzed. What good has that ever gotten you?

Your hand shakes as you press in his number. You notice your text is left on sent.

He didn't even read it.

He didn't even read it.

'please be okay,' you think. He must've decided to hang out with Roxy or whatever. Or in a feat of beating his agoraphobia, he decided to take a stroll to the nearest store to grab that slushie. That has to be it. He must be ignoring you and is out of the house.

You call him.

It rings for what feels like an eternity. The low hum is enough to drive a man insane. You'd like to say you don't know how he's just gone; but you do know. It's because you spent all day doing fuck all, you worthless sack of shit.

The ringing stops.

Your heart leaps out of your chest.

"jesus christ dirk wher-"

"Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice message system. This caller is not available. At the tone, please record your message."

[superstuckoff]

HP 50 MP 50

Pure silence from the other end.

You open the door.

He's gone.

-2 MP

[superstuckoff]

You arrive home, slushie and magazine in hand. The clock on your phone reads 7:54 PM. What would you like to do first?

Right. You haven't seen him at all today. You should check up on your son.

Your sixteen year old son, who you left alone all day without warning. You said you'd be home at least by noon. It's almost eight.

"dirk" "dirk hey man sorry for being home so late yknow how busy i get"

Busy being hungover in someone else's home, that is. But you don't tell him that. Of course you don't. You don't tell him anything, and he doesn't utter a peep about his life to you. An exchange of nothing.

You call for him for about forty seconds. He's not usually this unresponsive.

Quiet, sure, but he at least opens the door or says "It's unlocked." He's a night owl. You know that he's not asleep.

"look i know im an ass but you dont gotta give me the silent treatment"

His silence disturbs you.

He has never been this quiet; even if he was pissed, he would at least reply just to shut you up.

"ok im coming in" "last chance lil man"

[superstuckoff]

ACT ONE COMPLETE.