recollé ic inbox 4.0;

[parodeity]

DAVE STRIDER

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

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[parodeity]

[ it is normally the reverse. dave likes to sleep with a heartbeat at his ear. but he doesn’t seem to mind this, his arms loosely circling john and one hand running gently up and down john’s back in an idle, soothing motion. ]

He was tearing the universe apart.

[windeity]

[His eyes are definitely shut and he's wincing a little as he shifts to get comfortable but seems to relax a little under the hand.]

Of course. Do we know why?

[parodeity]

Mhmm. Looking for his sister or something. Her ghost. Whatever.

[ Dave’s hand keeps trailing up and down, relaxed, and he brushes a kiss to the top of john’s head. ]

We can take it easy tomorrow. [ Christmas Eve but dave will forgo Christmas if it comes to that. ]

[windeity]

That does not sound very productive to trying to find her then. [There's a small shiver but otherwise he's comfortable this way. On the other hand, his face scrunches up at Dave's suggestion.]

No way...I have plans and everything.

[parodeity]

We can rain check them. Just relax for a while, okay? Go to sleep.

[windeity]

I’m not rainchecking Christmas just because I’m a little sore. [There’s a short huff but he also shifts a little closer.] It’ll be fine. Anyway...what do you know about James?

[parodeity]

I wouldn't say it's "a little" when it hurts to breath in certain positions? Also, time is fake and Christmas can occur after you feel less sore. [ he's less interested in dates than he is in john resting, apparently. ] And I know he has an emo music band? He's shared some of his stuff. It's like...peak edge teenager. I think he and Ami are friends. He's...very angry about Retrospec, and it's not really worthwhile to try to talk to him about it. I usually just deviate from the topic when it comes up.

[windeity]

Missing Christmas is pretty much the one thing I am not agreeing to, so I will make it work even if I have to improvise a little. I think I will feel better tomorrow. [He's pretty content here so long as Dave's touching him and letting him rest, but he's also stubborn about Christmas.]

That was kind of the impression I got. I'm not sure he was really aware of what was happening after a while. He seemed a little surprised when the cops showed up.

[parodeity]

If you're still sore we will have Christmas in our room, okay? [ BE LESS STUBBORN or figure out an alternative maybe but. ]

...But as to that, he's been getting angrier and angrier the longer we've been on the network.

[windeity]

I'll swallow a whole bottle of Tylenol if I have to. [Grumbling. He won't do that but he's pretty fussy about maybe fucking up Christmas and now that they're resting and laying still he's regretting not grabbing a shirt.]

I would say I cannot blame him, but anger management exists. You think maybe...it's a case like Malik?

[parodeity]

Ummm. [ hm. ] It's honestly hard to say. You could ask him if he thinks he has...that. [ split personality. ] The thing is, with Malik I couldn't see him doing the whole...

[ KIDNAPPING AND TORTURE? ]

...look, if he'd just decked someone a bunch, yeah, I could have seen him doing that, no help. The extent to which that shit went on was harder to connect. So yeah, I could see James attacking someone randomly on the punching level. It might also have somethin' to do with memories. I don't know. But he's always been kinda angry.

[windeity]

Wrong place and wrong time and wrong comment. Got it. [He's debating what to do about that though. He'll continue the thought in a bit though because he's kicking his foot to try and grab a blanket.]

I thought about maybe contacting him to ask but that also sounds ill-advised.

[parodeity]

Except it's gonna bug you if you don't. [ ...john what the fuck. dave has longer limbs and is more flexible, so he manages to get the blanket up easier to pass to john, although actually he kind of wants to get under the covers himself but he won't...move john??? so? ] As long as you keep it casual I don't see why not. But just be ready to distract if it goes sour.

[windeity]

Yeah, maybe. [It will. Dave knows this and John knows this and the blanket moves and he's covering both of them. He wouldn't be opposed to moving under the covers but he's also not doing it himself.] I am not sure how to casually mention "so you beat me up as Santa, what's up with that"?

[parodeity]

That sounds pretty casual to me. Maybe add "this would make a kickass song, probably" and somehow work in talking about music. [ dave is fine w/ being slightly chilly if it means not dislodging john so there we go ] Also, definitely. You're worried it was your fault, somehow.

[windeity]

I can probably do that if he doesn't jump me on sight, but I assume that was more the Santa suit than anything. [But there's a sigh.] And kind of? Not so much that it was my fault but I did not do much to stop it either. That was a problem.

[parodeity]

What way did you want to do more to stop it in? I mean. [ pausing to rephrase. ] Are you upset with yourself for not bein' able to talk him down, or are you actually concerned about your combat response?

[windeity]

Both. [ An immediate answer.] Usually whenever people got pissed at me in high school I could talk my way out of it or hold my own. This wasn't the same and we're supposed to be gods and stuff.

[parodeity]

That doesn't mean we're infallible. [ his hand runs up john's spine and ruffles through his hair. ]

[windeity]

[There's another shiver but this time it's not entirely just because he's cold.] Well then what the fuck's the point? [Is that a pout? Kind of.] So what you are saying is I should get better at punching.

[parodeity]

No? I am saying that no one is perfect and you can't expect yourself to always come out on top or whatever. And yes, maybe you could stand to learn some techniques to physically disengage from a fight moreso, but like...

[windeity]

I should get better at punching. [No????]

[parodeity]

Babe. [ he's just laughing... ] Okay, sure, you should clearly get better at punching. But that aside - maybe just try talking to him later.

[windeity]

Easy for you to say. You're not the one whose ass got kicked in front of a bunch of people. [Grumble.] But maybe I'll send him a text or something. I have no idea what they're planning to do with him now that he got himself arrested.

[parodeity]

Juvie, maybe? But seriously, John. I'll teach you some hold breaks, okay?