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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[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.]

[parodeity]

[ dave sometimes follows dave's metaphors and that has to count for something ]

I want to stay with you more than I'm bothered by...whatever. [ the thing is he can't figure out how to say that in a way that isn't "like yes, i'd cut off my arm even if i didn't want to in order to do this,,, what is your point,,," ] If I can't handle somethin' at all, I'll tell you.

[ probably

maybe ]

[windeity]

[Maybe John should notice that this is a little more intense than it should be, but he doesn't say anything about it. He's grown used to Dave being clingy and he's grown used to having weird conversations such as allowing Dave to eat his insides.

Haha. Gross. Still. His hands are back to rubbing Dave's arms to warm him up even when he's wrapped in John's blanket and he thinks for a moment. There's a noise though that seems to indicate "sounds fake but okay" to that last part though.]

So hey. Wanna hear something dumb that I'm worried about?

[parodeity]

Yeah, sure.

[ although rude af about the "sounds fake but okay" noise, and dave flicks john's cheek. ]

[windeity]

[He puffs out his cheeks so that Dave's fingers just bounce off of his face.]

I'm worried that this whole meeting with the others is going to fuck stuff up no matter how hard I try.

[parodeity]

[ ig he is now tweaking john's nose. why. ]

...I won't run away from you, so... [ a shrug. ] It's not hurtin' you, right?

[windeity]

[He wrinkles up his nose, scrunched like a rabbit and he pushes at Dave's hand instead.]

No. But I know you're still not cool with it and that is where I kind of want to make sure things are going to be okay.

[parodeity]

...I'm fine with it. [ what if we just lie to john's face as dave drops his hands to his sides finally. ] None of you are wrong about all of it.

[windeity]

[That depends, Dave, how much do you want to watch John flip his shit when he inevitably finds out?]

I'm still kind of unsure myself, but I think it'll help. [He bites his lip then.] And if you need an out, Rose and I can cover for you.