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[parodeity]

DAVE STRIDER

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

VOICE | TEXT | VIDEO | ACTION

Comments

[windeity]

somehow i do not doubt it.
but anyway do you need me to come up or do you want to meet me downstairs?

[parodeity]

depends
i guess they both count as doors so downstairs is easiest

[windeity]

cool. i'll see you down there and we'll go.
bring a jacket too, it's getting cold again.

[parodeity]

yes mother
need me to grab anything for you before i come down?

[windeity]

no, i don't think so?
maybe that scarf natalie got me for christmas actually.

[parodeity]

got you covered
see you in five

[windeity]

[And true to his word he's in the car and he's idling outside, waiting for Dave to show up. The moment he sees him John leans and opens the door to let him in.]

[parodeity]

[ dave is not in a sweater, at least. kind of? he’s in dress slacks and a button down under a sweater, but it’s nice and solid colored and soft. dressy. there’s also a jacket. he immediately leans over to loop the requested scarf around john’s neck. ]

Hey, darlin’. What’s the plan?

[windeity]

[The scarf gets looped and John grins at the fact that Dave's not wearing a monstrosity today. Not that he cares too much, he has his own share of ugly sweaters, but it's January and it's their first official date. So.]

Dinner and playing it by ear, which is sort of my specialty. I wasn't sure how you felt about sushi so is Italian okay?

[parodeity]

Either is fine. I don’t actually really have anything I absolutely won’t eat. [ sometimes he’s a pain about eating but it’s not usually a picky eater thing... ] So yes, that’s chill?

[windeity]

Good to know for the future. [And off they go. John himself is in a white button down and an actual sweatervest and now the scarf, slacks and nicer shoes finishing off the whole thing. His jacket's in the back seat but the car's warm enough he doesn't mind.]

I figure it would be nice to have this before things inevitably get stupid like they do every month.

[parodeity]

Mm. [ no comment from dave on the brand of stupidity that may or may not occur, even though he sometimes ranges ahead. he’s just eyeing john speculatively. ] ...okay, I really approve of the sweater vest.

[windeity]

[It's random and a surprise but there's a delighted laugh anyway.] Yeah? I own a couple of them and they just kind of make things look nicer.

[John's an idiot mostly, it's fine.] I wanted to do something nice for this but without doing a suit jacket and tie so this was a good compromise.

[parodeity]

They suit you. [ granted he’s never actually objected to anything john wears...the most he’s said is the hair gel thing john apparently took to heart. thinking of that, dave reaches out to ruffle john’s hair before subsiding to be a good passenger. ] So, does this count as some kind of christening?

[windeity]

[He allows the hair ruffle because he's driving and can't take his hands off the wheel, but he also just doesn't seem to mind. His hair's softer and a little messy but whatever.]

Christening of our relationship? I think so. Does that kind of thing need christening?

[parodeity]

Do boats, really? I think it’s one of those things you decide for yourself, like what anniversaries you want to celebrate, or whatever?

[windeity]

That makes sense. What's your stance on anniversaries and stuff anyway? Have we talked about this?

[The restaurant they're going to isn't that far and John parks soon enough, moving to do the thing where he opens Dave's door and holds out an arm since Dave seemed into that.]

[parodeity]

We haven’t. What’s yours? [ a pause before he says ] I did the thing didn’t I - ummm. Time player.

[ as he takes john’s arm. ]

I like marking time. I don’t expect other people to do it with me though.

[windeity]

[There's a tilt of his head which is enough to say it's fine, he knows they both kind of suck at being straightforward so he doesn't say anything. He's just waiting for Dave before he locks the car and leads them inside.]

I think marking time for you is more instinct than it is for most other people to be completely fair. And...I like acknowledging the big ones. Like six months or years or birthdays. I don't always remember little things like first kisses or first dates or whatever but I think with you it will end up being easier just based on how the dates lined up.

[First kiss was Dave's birthday. First date was the day after new year's. Hard to forget that. They don't have to wait long since John apparently put in a reservation a while ago (probably where he was earlier today) and they head for a table away from the doors and in a warmer part of the restaurant.]

[parodeity]

[ he drops the topic until they’re seated, and clarifies: ]

It is, and I mark time from everything without thinking about it. But I think anniversaries like you mean are a different kind of marking time. I know when time spirals out from this event or that but it isn’t always something I’d do shit for even if I remember it. Tomorrow’s a month for you chronologically since we first kissed but while I’m aware of it I wouldn’t really do anything about it. I’d just know, and maybe think about it in a normal way, but it’s not like an anniversary you do shit for.

[ he says, a person who definitely makes sure later in the month that john will have dinner with him on their one month anniversary without explaining the occasion at all. ]

I’m hardly gonna mind if shit slips by you. It ain’t your aspect?

[windeity]

[Yeah I was wondering why the fuck they're going on a date on Friday goddamnit, Dave. Either way they're brought menus and glasses of water and John debates all of that carefully.]

My aspect just means we can make out for long periods of time. [Dryly.] And...I know. I think people feel differently about it based on experience and if you wanted to celebrate stuff like that, we could. But I think pretty much every day with you is something worth celebrating anyway even if it's not like a huge date or a fancy occasion or whatever. So I was just curious.

[parodeity]

[ the 12th is their one month anniversary and dave wanted to go out but didn’t feel the need for john to know why... ]

It means you can while I gasp around like a fish. [ WRYLY ] ...my estimation of you as a heartbreaker stands, by the way.

[windeity]

I could probably figure out--okay, no, that's dumb. [A grin.] What makes you say that now?

[parodeity]

How to give someone else air? Might be handy.

[windeity]

I could probably CPR you or something if I had to, but it is weird thinking of my aspect that way. I meant the heartbreaker thing, idiot.