recollé ic inbox 3.0;

[parodeity]

DAVE STRIDER

consider this your warning about stairs. itll just keep happening bro. im telling you man

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[parodeity]

[ this is stupid. but he will keep doing that, idly. ]

That doesn't work out, usually.

[windeity]

I didn't think it would, but then I made her think about horses and that was actually hilarious. It's kind of fun being on the other side of stuff. [It is stupid because he's also relaxing under Dave's hand so. Okay.]

[parodeity]

[ ok cool dave will just keep carding his hand through john's hair ig. why. ]

You mean as opposed to when I made you think about horses?

[windeity]

[Because they're stupid. Hilariously while he's letting Dave do that his hand's mirroring the motion over Mewpac's head.]

Okay well first of all, fuck you, but second of all yes exactly. It is way funnier this way and now I get it.

[parodeity]

[ cool time to die ]

That means I'm in the clear for doin' it to you. Hey, so...what are your weekend plans?

[windeity]

I don't think that's how it works. [But. Ah.] ...well Saturday we need to pick what we want to do. Breakfast and movie marathon maybe? Or video games. And Sunday I am going to Ayano's for a little while I think. [Which he is currently planning while apparently arguing about if he's dating Dave. Cool.]

...and...maybe something else...

[parodeity]

[ ...john you suck at lying and you haven't even started lying or anything. ]

You should make me breakfast. [ APPARENTLY HE'S NOT EVEN GOING TO BOTHER CALLING JOHN ON THE BLATANT UNCERTAINTY. ]

[windeity]

Because I made you make me eggs? [A teasing smile before he finally looks up from his phone.] ...hilariously I know exactly what I would make you. So sure. Why not?

[parodeity]

[ no return smile, but it’s dave: his neutral expression could mean anything from contentment to the end of the world. ]

That sounds ominous?

[windeity]

You'll like it, I promise. If you really want breakfast, sure. My Saturday is pretty wide open for whatever.

[parodeity]

As long as you’re not busy, sure. If you need to leave early, that’s fine. There’s some stuff I may do? Lots of shit that eventually has to get done, someday.

[windeity]

I told you a while ago that you have my Saturdays. It's Sunday I will be busy for a few hours with Ayano. She's out of the hospital finally so...[What if he just turns his head to press up against Dave's hand instead?]

...I do kind of want to ask you about something though.

[parodeity]

But if something comes up, you can renege. Just sayin’.

[ and the what If depends on how? if John is pressing his hair into dave’s hand, dave will keep up finger combing john’s dumb hair. ]

You can always ask.

[windeity]

[He rolls his eyes because yeah that's not a thing that's happening. But yes, it's mostly his hair while he lets Mewpac bat little paws at his hand.]

Did Aradia text you earlier?

[parodeity]

[ a good guess. dave figures john is asking because she must have texted everyone. the fact he’s only semi smiled like twice over the course of this conversation is not a factor. ]

Yeah, she did. You guys are meeting up Sunday, then?

[windeity]

I don't know yet. I did not say yes or no to her yet. [...] I get what she's trying to do and I understand that it sucks not knowing stuff and worrying about forgetting it all, but I am still a little confused, I think.

[There's a short pause.] I'm not going to make you go if you don't want to. But I am also not sure what I am supposed to tell her information-wise.

[parodeity]

John.

[ and that sounds like the start of a sentence, but dave stalls out, gaze shifting to the ceiling. his hand keeps moving, and after a little while he tries to continue. ]

What if I never want to tell you anything I remember ever again? Not now, not in six months, not in a year. What if all you got to know about me was from this life? What I like or what I do or...whatever? Would that be enough? If I was never ready to talk to you about back then, or things now. Would I still be enough?

[windeity]

[At this point he's shifted so he's more on the bed than Dave's legs and he lets his eyes close for a minute, also ignoring his phone.]

...if I recall--[It starts out quiet, slightly amused but mostly calm.]--it was enough before I remembered who you even were. It would be enough after too, I think, because I do not really need to remember a whole history to understand that all four of us were important to each other and we were a part of something bigger. On the other hand, I would probably worry about you but in the end it's your choice. I am pretty sure you don't even tell me everything now anyway.

[parodeity]

You don’t tell me everythin’, either.

[ it’s not a complaint. dave’s still carefully running a hand through john’s hair, and he’s not sure who it is supposed to soothe any longer. ]

But even if I don’t, [ tell any of them anything ] you know I love you, right? You and Rose and - [ jade, jade who isn’t here and who he’d been too awkward with the last time they spoke, and he regrets that ] - You’re all...I do care about you. That I don’t want to talk about shit, you know that doesn’t mean I don’t care?

[windeity]

I told you about the butler thing. [But okay, okay. He gets the point and he doesn't move Dave's hand, but his eyebrows furrow together slightly as he tries to process where this is all coming from.]

I know. [And it's not just to placate him, it's just what he knows to be true after everything from the last month and his own memories of Dave from this life and the last.] Of course I know that. What's...are you worried I don't for some reason?

[parodeity]

...you’re kind of unique that way.

[ so yes, he worries every time John doesn’t seem to mind dave being...dave. ]

I...don’t know. [ if he’ll go, if he’s still invited, whatever. ] But I don’t really want to be the guy who makes everyone remember dying again and again. And I don’t...want them to remember a specific...I don’t like it when I can’t choose to tell people shit or not.

[windeity]

[He opens an eye to look at him again.]

There are some things I do not like, I will admit, but they're just you and I can get used to it. And it's not like I don't understand why anyway. But it's different for you and me because we're best friends. Aradia and Karkat...I remember talking to Karkat. He's in a lot of my memories. I think maybe we get along pretty okay. Aradia remembers me but I do not remember her.

And who the hell is Ryoji? [Since that's important prior to elaborating further.]

[parodeity]

Aradia didn’t have much to do with us. I - Karkat and I got along way better before. Eventually. After bein’ locked up for like three years together. But how well I knew them isn’t why...I’m specifically not cool with....

[ he shrugs, helpless. ]

Ryoji is a guy who used to be on the network. Why?

[windeity]

No I know, I meant me. [What?] I don't mind sharing stuff with them but I also don't really know them that well here or there so I am a little confused what might help them. Game mechanics without the specifics of the universe being fucked, maybe? The trolls played the same game we did, didn't they? That's the impression I got.

Aradia said Ryoji might be from our universe but that would have been one too many people from what you said.

[parodeity]

I’m reasonably sure he was from the summon squad universe. [ there’s a slightly baffled tone here since he doesn’t immediately think of july. ]

...and yeah, they did. Just... [ hm. ] I don’t know. How much do you remember about them?