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[parodeity]

DAVE STRIDER

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

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[windeity]

["Not strong-arming you into something that's clearly made you uncomfortable?"

Naturally he doesn't say that. He lets Dave tap out a pattern on his neck and he keeps his expression as calm as possible while he thinks of a more appropriate answer.]

I don't know. I just wanted to be sure that the decisions I've been making aren't caging you in just because you'll follow me pretty much everywhere I'll go. Just because that's a thing doesn't mean I want to abuse it.

[parodeity]

[ stupidly it does not occur to dave that there is any sort of relationship that does not involve someone strong-arming him into things that make him uncomfortable so. whatever. ]

As you've pointed out, I'm an adult. My decisions aren't yours to get all bent up out of shape over. I'm fine? You're...you.

[windeity]

[He opens his mouth to say something and there's a little puff of air when he changes his mind but he falls quiet again.

Saying "I don't want to be like your brother" isn't going to help, maybe.]

You get crazy about my decisions, so I am just saying it should be allowed to be both ways. You got on my case earlier about what I want and...this is what I want. So. Shut up.

[parodeity]

Be more specific?

[ because john cannot mean having what feels like but does not sound like an argument in the kitchen at nearing five am while pancakes get cold, surely. ]

[windeity]

[He's also yet to let go of Dave so that might be another hint.]

I want to actually understand what it is you're thinking half the time if you'll let me. I know we've talked about this but I'm serious.

[parodeity]

[ IS IT REALLY. john has his arms around dave and dave has a hand at john's waist and he has no fucking clue how to deal with serious faced john.

abruptly, he lets his hand fall from john's neck and executes a spin to the right and pulls him into

a waltz

to keep himself busy, mostly. it's a little easier to think. he could have done something stupider but it is hard to think what. ]

Worry a little less? I'm not running away from you. Do you want me to?

[windeity]

[What the fuck Dave.

Luckily (or unluckily? Fuck why is their life so goddamn stupid?) this isn't the first time that Dave's done this and he can keep up even if he's now apparently waltzing with his roommate at nearly 5am in his pajamas and their mutated cat is watching them.]

Absolutely not, why the fuck would I want that?

[parodeity]

[ the other option was asking john to have a sword fight at five am and that would maybe be stupider????

stop going along with this sort of bullshit, john. ]

Lots of reasons, but mainly I don't know how to say it so you'll believe it when I say you're not trappin' me into shit. Or at least I - [ annoyed noise and he will do another stupid turn in the kitchen because it's activity and that helps ] - do not think that anyone ever cares about anyone else without kind of tyin' themselves down. That is a thing that happens when you love people regardless of whether or not you mean it to. I would cut out my heart and stamp on it if Rose asked me to, but that doesn't mean she's makin' me stay, or that she's at fault for my loving her that way?

[windeity]

[Also acceptable but that is colder so. Okay. He'll play along for a few minutes but give him time and he'll stop them.]

I do believe it but you have to admit sometimes it can be hard to tell what you're thinking when you close on me without warning. I don't mind if you wall off but it's a shift I'm getting used to. [What if he tries to take the lead and spin them?] But you also argued with me about monopolizing my time no matter what I said, so what's that about?

[parodeity]

[ dave gives the lead away without missing a single beat, allowing himself to slip into follow-along role and matching his pace to john's instead of the other way around. it's a familiar sort of routine; he's spent too much of his time dancing in this life not to take comfort in it.

this is really the sort of thing he should drag yuri or anya into instead. but.

it's enough to get him to try to be honest: ]

I'm not sure how I'd handle losing it.

[windeity]

Well first of all. [A twirl.] You won't lose it. Do you realize it's five in the morning and I'm dancing with you and I don't even dance, how in the fuck do you keep getting me to do these things?

[parodeity]

Five thirteen forty-seven. [ dave's lips twitch. ] It helps?

[windeity]

[He narrows his eyes a little.]

Because it's second nature? [Dancing and time, he thinks.] Do you do this with everybody or just me at this rate?

[parodeity]

[ ...um. that's a good question and dave doesn't quite miss a step but yeah he hasn't really thought about it? ]

- It's a just-you thing right now. It...gives me something to count.

[windeity]

You're already counting minutes in your head, aren't you? [He's trying to understand what the fuck but hey.]

[parodeity]

Milliseconds, seconds. Yeah. But I don't have to think about that. It's a thing I am.

[ look. ]

I don't know how to say things in a way you'll believe?

[windeity]

You are time personified. [He finally slows the dancing though because Dave, seriously, stop.]

How's that any different from I have no idea how to say the same thing?

[parodeity]

Because the reasons you wouldn't believe me aren't wrong, it's just...

[ let's go back to laughing at inappropriate times, here. ]

...I don't know if I care?

[windeity]

[...]

Explain. I'm lost again.

[parodeity]

I don't care. If you don't give me outs sometimes. Or if I'm trapped, or whatever. I just don't.

[ which is maybe terrible, but whatever - ]

- As long as you call the place we go back to "home" I really don't care about all the other details. I'll do whatever.

[windeity]

[He stops again, keeping close and he stares at him carefully while he holds onto Dave's arms. There's a whole mess in his head and Dave's face is too close and the things he's saying are both overwhelming and still make sense to what he knows about the old universe and how he wants to go forward.

Dave Strider is his best friend and knowing that everything's been destroyed and pulled out from under them a few times, stability's...nice. It's nice to know that it's something centering and steadying and calm, it's nice to know that Dave at his core really just sort of cares about the thing John knows he wants to have and maybe it's weird but they've never been normal.

So yeah. He's too close and he's staring before there's a very slow nod.]

...yeah, dude. Always? I've known that since September.

[parodeity]

You met me in September. One way.

[ john, what the fuck. it's not like that isn't true for dave (since september, since he was ten, since over half a year ago when he remembered a best friend who wasn't there) but there's a wryly amused tone when he says it anyway because dave acknowledges how utterly stupid everything he says is, mostly. ]

Why don't you try thinkin' about it like...birds. If it worries you. Is what I mean.

[windeity]

I met you in August, idiot. You think I didn't remember that dream?

[But yeah, John, what the fuck. It doesn't help that the memories he has are a little too important.]

...birds? Like actual birds or metaphorical birds in metaphorical cages?

[parodeity]

Okay, but you didn't know you met me until September, when you met your weird new roomie and we mean both, god.

[ dave no one follows your metaphors ]

Look, just - why don't you ever take any of my outs? Do I not give you enough? I know you've done shit you don't want to because of me, haven't you? How is that different from the reverse?

[windeity]

Maybe not, but that doesn't change what I remembered when I did meet you. Is that weird?

[Does Dave even follow Dave's metaphors…?]

You give me plenty of outs but I've never been bothered enough by stuff to take them. The difference is that you're loyal and you value all of us higher than you value yourself. I know what fights to pick and what ones not to pick.

[Case in point, he stopped their waltzing so that he could hold Dave in place to talk to him.]