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WEEK THREE: SUNDAY AFTERNOON, LUNCH
[ well, last week was a week. this week is already a week. but dave shows up for lunch with velvet like clockwork, maybe a little quieter than usual (that's been happening since last week) but not making her track him down like she once told him she would do. ]
Hey. How're you doin'? [ paranoia and lack of trust is a thing apparently but he doesn't show any signs of being any different. he's been having those issues for weeks, and it's only monday. ]
Hey. How're you doin'? [ paranoia and lack of trust is a thing apparently but he doesn't show any signs of being any different. he's been having those issues for weeks, and it's only monday. ]
I CaN'T BELIEVE
As she finishes plating the meal, she looks to Dave.]
The same as ever, I guess. You? Are your injuries healing alright?
he'll miss u velvet
he looks up and nods after a second. ]
Yeah, mostly. My arm is...weird, but it's not really injured. [ ...that's probably a weird statement so he shoves his left sleeve up. it's still bandaged all the way, but he tugs down the top just a little so she can see.
underneath, there are red eyes open and staring across his skin. it goes down the entire length of his left arm, but he doesn't unwrap the bandages so far; just lets velvet see, before tying it back off. ]
she will avenge him
They did this to you?! Why? Is this another part of their game?
[Her expression turns to a frown as she considers their earlier conversation about like... becoming a daemon.]
You've got the right idea hiding it. Someone might think you're somehow involved with those in charge or that you might kill them or... who knows.
HE KILLED HIS MONSTER KILLER kinda
[ it isn't even what he meant about being a bad person or becoming a daemon, really. ]
Technically even if we get out of here, I'm dead, you know? Like. Back home. That's what happens next. I die? [ he says it suddenly, but it's something he thinks about a lot, since dirk told him their timeline dead ends. he's another doomed dave just waiting on his time to die. ] So whatever they do to me doesn't really matter. Since...I'm pretty much just gonna go back to get kinda slaughtered?
[ which he's like, Resigned to as ever, even though the last thing he wants is to go back "home". ]
SHE'S PROUD OF HIM
[It's worth a try? What is she even saying...]
... When I return, I won't have much time left either. I won't be slaughtered, but- even if I kill Artorius, the world will be out of balance. Innominat will be untethered and I... If I kill him, I'll die, so will my brother, so will Kamoana and Medissa and... I know you don't know any of them, and what happens to my world probably doesn't matter to you, but if I give my life... they'll be able to keep living. The world will continue to turn and I'm sure villages will celebrate the demise of the Lord of Calamity. I... I haven't told anyone yet.
I probably wasn't supposed to live this long anyways.
But I did. And so did you. And I'm... I'm glad for that.
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It matters. I'm...back home. I'm the Knight of Time? It's what I'm supposed to do. Die to set things right. Like you plan to.
[ so. he understands. it's not exactly easy to throw your life away for the universe, except - it always is. the choice dave would always make would be my life for yours no matter whose life was in the balance. ]
I'm...glad we lasted longer than we were supposed to, too. I kind of...don't want to go home. [ to do nothing other than die, because he has to die. he won't even be the dave to set things right. ] But it's not so bad, if at least for a little while, I got to...do this? I know you don't think of it the same way as me. But, like. If I'd ever gotten to choose what my Guardian would've been like. I would've wanted to have an older sibling like you.
[ he knows he probably would have ruined that, too. but it's been almost comforting to pretend to himself that velvet cares about dave strider in that manner. he never had the domestic shit in his life that she's sort of let him take; the meals and doing laundry together, even mixed with death threats, is...nice.
it makes him feel human, and he knows he doesn't deserve it, but it's nice. ]
You always say you're not a good person. But you are. You're a Knight, too, I think, but maybe a better one?
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... That means a lot to me. You really remind me of my younger brother, honestly. He knew he was going to die too... he was really sick. But he'd always push himself each day to keep going. I always got so mad at him... And my brother, he wanted his life to mean something. More than I do. He gave everything for the world... But he never got to truly live in it. I ended up living his dream, in a way.
[There's a softness to Velvet's tone that's unlike anything else. She's not necessarily sad as she reminisces, and there's a small smile on her face. Although she's talking about Laphi, her feelings are directed towards Dave as well.]
He might have been a Knight like you. But I'm a Lord. A Lord isn't as selfless as a knight... they do as they please, ignoring the wishes of everyone else. Still, they have to face their responsibilities one day, for themselves and for those who serve them.
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...I guess mostly I wanted to say thanks for...letting me have this. [ it's the closest thing he's had to something normal and domestic, and it's in a place where death waits around every corner. ] I sort of figured I just never would. Not even pretend.
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[She smiles brightly, with the kind of smile that belongs to a kind older sister rather than a therion. Velvet's far from the girl she once was, but this is the probably the closest Dave or anyone here will get to see.]
I don't feel like I did anything particularly remarkable, but... despite everything, you still see me as a person. Thank you, Dave.
[A thought suddenly hits her!]
Oh... do you have any um, nicknames you like going by? Dave's a pretty short name, so my first thought was Davey, but that sounds kinda silly... I guess, just Dave is fine, huh...
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[ geeze. ]
...You can call me Davey if you want, though.
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[She says, trying it out.]
Davey. Does that sound alright? I won't... um, say it in front of anyone. I'm sure that'd embarrass you, after all...
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I don't mind. I mean, if you do? It's not..embarrassin' really. Is there something I should call you?
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[Phi too, but it's too difficult to explain her two brothers named Laphicet thing.]
But Velvet is fine. Big sister seems a little much, and my brothers really never called me that either.
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[When she was a younger teenager, she hated being called young so she could understand some of Laphi and Phi's distress. Still, she had to grow up pretty quickly...]
Sis is... it's nice. Maybe just when we're alone, though.
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[ he knows he sounds pathetically hopeful, or maybe just pathetic, but he wants something even if he deserves nothing. at least he'd like to pretend a little bit. ]
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[There's a pause as she thinks of something else amidst this very sweet moment.]
What would you do... if you didn't have to return to your world? I don't mean staying here forever, but...
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If they were able to bring us here, it's possible you wouldn't have to return. That's what I'm wondering...
If you came to my world, your life wouldn't be easy, but you'd be able to live. I'm sure Phi would like having someone his age around too and... Sorry, this probably sounds so stupid coming from someone like me.
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It doesn't sound stupid, I...I'd like that. I dunno what I'd do with an easy life, anyway.
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[She huffs, and although she's not going to scold him on the existing thing it's clearly an angry huff. It's only okay for her to stop existing.]
The village we're stationed in right now is called Meirchio. It's covered in snow, but it's known for its hot springs. We scared all the villagers away so you'd have the place to yourself. Well, along with a bunch of pirates. I won't be there for much longer... like I told you before. But there'd be others, of course. And I guess you could become a pirate if you really wanted to.
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You can have whatever Gald I leave behind too. There's a witch who might try to swindle you out of it, though, so just don't listen to anything she says. That's... pretty good advice for dealing with her on a regular basis, actually.
I'll do my best to create a world you can live in. Not just exist.
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