recollé ic inbox 4.0;

[parodeity]

DAVE STRIDER

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

VOICE | TEXT | VIDEO | ACTION

GO HERE FOR NEW THREADS!!!!!!! This one loads slow for me.

Comments

[windeity]

[Time will probably help, and he doesn't quite register that it's kind of a dick move to be saying things like that. At the same time he's only focusing on his feelings for Dave and getting those in order.]

...that doesn't answer the question. I want these things to be a mutual decision, Dave, not just me answering things and you going with it. [The answer's yes, of course, he'd picked specific songs and he wants to continue sleeping next to him but if Dave's not okay with that now that they're dating then that's something they need to address.

...are they even dating? He's still not even sure. He thinks they are, probably, but they're working on it.]

[parodeity]

[ maybe someday months from now John will go “oh fuck” about it but for now dave can just avoid the topic like burning!! ]

If you want it to be mutual I think maybe you need to trust me to try. [ that is: ] Or are we gonna do this every time one of us has a question? It’s like a game of hot potato except the bomb hits both participants every time. So, like. I mean, I guess we can keep doing that? No trust all paranoia, it’ll keep everyone on their toes.

[windeity]

[It's better than "did I make you a homosexual when I changed the timelines" so there's some credit. Irregardless, he's suddenly at least aware that somehow something went wrong again and he takes his time to assess.]

If sleeping with me is going to make you feel paranoid then maybe it's not a great idea? [God. Okay.] Or. I don't know, I'm lost. What do you mean? This is one of those "not talking about the same thing" things, isn't it? I do trust you, but I also know you.

[parodeity]

I mean the thing where you won’t answer my question unless I give you an opinion first. You don’t trust me in that capacity. It’s not any more a mutual decision if you make me pick before giving me any idea what you want, babe. It’s just a decision you can control more? Hypocritical to complain, sure, but our decisions usually aren’t super mutual compromises because of that habit we definitely share. Even with the where are we staying over the holidays thing, when I cracked and told you mine you agreed without confirming for a while there that was what you wanted, too. So it’s usually just like, a change every so often of which of us is in the unfair position of having to ante up everything they want without any indication of where the other person is at, or confirmation of that indication?

[ ok that was a lot of words but ]

You asked me a question, I think, but you’re not really giving me any information beyond the fact you might’ve. And a question in return, which I haven’t answered either. Like, do we want to keep that up or what do you mean by “mutual decisions”? Is it me tellin’ you shit sans the reverse, dude?

[windeity]

[That sure was a lot of words, but it's enough for John to actually listen.]

You're right. [It's breathed out with a low sigh, a hand running through his hair nervously.] Hypocritical or not, you're right. We're not doing great at the mutual compromising thing when we just keep shooting questions back and forth without answering them ourselves. And I do not want it to be a case where you tell me everything without me responding either, that wasn't what I meant it to be.

[He pauses again.] Can we try that again?

[parodeity]

Sure. [ it was more or less what he was shooting for, so. ] So like. Did I read the music right? You want to sleep with me still? Platonically. Well, maybe not platonically but like - whatever you know what I mean. I hope that is what you meant by try that again.

[windeity]

Yes. And yes. [It's close enough at least.] If you'll still let me, I still want to sleep with you. Platonically-but-date-platonically.

[parodeity]

Okay. [ at least he already knew relationships required talking to people and complications. but since he brought it up he has to kind of uphold his end of the trade here. uh. ok. ] No, I don’t want to stop that particular thing. I haven’t magically found a different cure to my fucked up sleep schedule in the past four days. Cool as that would be. But even if it weren’t a thing with an obvious benefit, I like being close to you. And it’s fine if we both agreed not to do anything more than that. Which we did. So?

[ nnngh. ]

What if we make a deal? You try to tell me when you’re uncomfortable and I’ll try to do the same. [ since they both fucking suck at it.

he’s kind of desperate not to fuck it up so that means trying to suck less. ]

[windeity]

[He considers that for all of five seconds before he nods quickly. He still won't admit it, but he's kind of anxious about this whole...everything. Excited! But anxious and still trying to figure out how to juggle it all.]

Yeah. Yeah I think that might be a pretty okay way of working on it. [He ducks his head a little.] I like being close to you, too. It was weird again. [Not sleeping together, he means. But he's staring at his hands in his lap now instead.] You're still my best friend and I trust you with my entire life but I think this is just going to be new for both of us. But it's okay? I cannot think of anyone else I'd rather be with.

[parodeity]

And...not playing hot potato with questions? [ wryly. ] For things to work on.

[windeity]

I think that is also doable. Check each other and call each other out if it happens again?

[parodeity]

Calling you out on bullshit is surprisingly fun and I suppose it is only fair if you get to do it too. [ ok but ] So if we’re dating are you going to update your social media profiles to “in a relationship”?

[ why are his priorities weird and all over the goddamn place but that’s clearly? important? oh. this reminds him he can change john’s ringtone so he drags his phone out to do that. ]

[windeity]

[He nudges Dave's shoulder because wow, thanks. But at the same time there's a grin because of course those are his priorities.]

I am pretty sure the only one that actually can be changed is my Facebook and I hardly use the dumb thing. I guess I could change my profile picture on the Retrospec network instead to make up for it? [He's not that serious, but whatever.]

[parodeity]

That is because Facebook is obsolete. [ dave has a Facebook? ] But also “no” is an acceptable answer, y’know. I will avoid switching any of mine. Also your profile pic is fine?

[ so the level of secrecy is social media no, in person yes but don’t make a huge deal. it’s a framework, at least, and a game plan always makes dave feel a little less anxious. anxious isn’t exactly uncomfortable so he doesn’t feel obligated to mention where he’s at. ]

We should technically be looking up. Meteors.

[windeity]

I don't know. I like this view a lot. [He's. Staring directly at Dave's face. Lord.] Also I didn't say no, but I don't have as many accounts as you do that actually ask for that kind of thing. I don't think Instagram does or anything like that.

[parodeity]

[ ...he just reaches out and grips john’s jaw and tilts his face to the sky instead. ] You didn’t say yes, either. Also Instagram official is just couple pics. Never done it, you know I don’t post a lot of pictures of me on there. That was trhirteen year old Dave’s thing.

[windeity]

[Hehehe. He's still giving him a teasing grin while he finally looks up at the sky then.] Let me clarify then. I don't mind if you change it on your accounts, and if I have accounts that I can change that I will.

[Hm.] Does that mean I get the perks of requesting more pictures of you?

[parodeity]

No. [ a pause, before he clarifies: ] You already had that perk you just never used it.

[ also he lets go of john’s face and looks up. ]

And maybe I will change them, then. [ so he almost definitely will. ok then. ]

[windeity]

How can I use a perk I didn’t know I had? That sounds a little unfair. [Not that he minds too terribly much and not that he won’t takw advantage of it later but details. He keeps his eyes on the sky for meteors.] Like I said, you can change them if you want. I don’t mind. We can take all of this one step at a time.

[parodeity]

It isn’t my fault if I don’t give you shit you don’t ask for? [ see: not taking off his shades.

dave decides the next step can actually be deploying the extra jacket and shrugging it on, and the slouching over into john’s side to leech heat. he’s hysterically kind of exhausted but he’ll keep his eyes open and skyward. ]

Know how to find where you’re meant to be looking, or do you need the primer?

[windeity]

[He's glad for the foresight to give Dave an extra jacket before he shifts to loop an arm around his shoulders and pull him flush against his side for body heat. He's also using a free hand to grab for one of the blankets to bunch around them while he's looking overhead.]

It's your fault because you didn't even hint it was an option to ask. [A very gentle poke to the cheek.] Anyway sure, school me on the stars. I kind of thought I would look up and figure it out from there.

[parodeity]

That would be telling, and then where would we be? [ besides john having actual information to go off of but details. he reaches across john's chest to snag his other hand, and drags it up to point towards where he's talking about. ]

See that? Orion's belt, easy to find. Then just up on his shoulder is Gemini...there. That's where they come from. But actually you're pretty much supposed to just focus on the dark points of wherever? You can see 'em anywhere in the sky. That telescope ain't needed for the meteor shower, but if we set it up again the asteroid they come from - Phaethon, I think? - is makin' a close pass apparently. Sort of like how you commented on staring at my face.

[windeity]

We would be in a position I can do things with you? [There's a soft laugh but he lets Dave take his hand and he follows the line of sight up to the sky again.]

Orion's belt is supposed to be a handful of the brightest stars, right? [He likes the stars but he doesn't know as much about them as other people do. He's letting his eyes follow though.] I guess they really are big enough to see from here without a telescope but it would be cool to see the asteroid, too.

[There's a sly grin though.] Is that a problem? It is a good face to make passes about.

[parodeity]

If you think I embarrass that easy you're wrong. [ dave says, telling like. one of the biggest lies ever. he's actually pretty easy to fluster if you know how to go about it, you just have to like, be able to read the reactions, too. he is kind of flustered now but keeping a neutral expression and refusing to look over at john since he'd probably get more flustered LET'S NOT. ]

Also, yeah, that's right. We can check out the asteroid after the meteors. [ timing won't be an issue but also he doesn't think he'll need to loop to make that a thing. after the like. loop to get them here. ] I should totally get a job at the planetarium.

[ no. but also: ]

You'd better start thinking up wishes. Meteors are just about as good as shooting stars. [ meteors. um. ] As long as none of those try to hit us we should be fine memory-wise.

[windeity]

Yeah, okay. [Hard to say if that's "yeah okay I'll stop trying" or "yeah okay you're full of shit" but he doesn't specify. Instead he's just keeping Dave close by and letting his hand rub over his outside arm to keep him warm.]

You're only allowed to get a planetarium job if you quiet, like, at least two of your other ones. On the other hand you would be good at it. [This is all said while he's keeping an eye out for meteors.] I already remember the meteor coming for my house so I'm not too worried. But wishes...

["Do you believe in wishes?"
"Not really. I wish on shooting stars sometimes. Sometimes I do those things, but it's nothin' that ever comes true."

Hm.]

Are meteor-wishes the same as star wishes or birthday wishes where you can't talk about them or they won't come true?