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[parodeity]

DAVE STRIDER | RED | #E00707
TEXT | ACTION

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[messianic]

[... Minato's quiet again, thoughtfully tracing patterns on the floor with a finger idly.]

I know why he's so restless and worried, but... what about you?

Are you in a hurry to go back?

[What's Dave's motivation here?]

[parodeity]

I don't really have a place to go back to. So...not particularly?

[ there's the dream bubbles, maybe, with the other dead people. but since that's mostly teenage troll alien romance drama and also Even More Death, he's not that thrilled about the prospect. ]

[messianic]

Then... what was your reason for going out there?

[He's curious, yeah... but more than that, he's kind of worried about Dave at this point.]

[parodeity]

[ to stop someone else doing it, maybe. that's no untrue. ]

I didn't want to be with myself. [ alone, or with other people. he just wanted to do something other than sit and think about the things he can't say because like fuck john will ever want to talk about that (dave knows it, and he doesn't expect that to ever change, so he can pretend he didn't die if that's what he has to do, right?) and he's not sure anyone else really needs to hear it, either.

there have always been strangled words and feelings lodged inside his chest, sharp shards of glass cutting away. adding some more to the pile doesn't really change things. ]

Wanted somethin' to do, you know? There's too much downtime with idle thoughts and not even any bgm.

[messianic]

[...Ah.

That's...definitely a worrisome answer, if a reasonable one. Dave didn't want to be with himself, huh...? He didn't want to sit and dwell and think on things.

Minato doesn't know what things those could possibly be, but they must be painful, if he was willing to throw himself into danger to try to ignore them. Sure, they didn't know what awaited them in the woods, but Minato and Dave both knew it was likely dangerous in there.

So... Hm. There's probably not a lot Minato can do about the issues that are plaguing Dave, the ghosts that are haunting him. But he can at least...help a little, can't he?]

Well... next time you really need something to do, before you throw yourself into the woods again, let me know.

I bet we can come up with something to do.

[And then Dave doesn't have to be alone with his thoughts; Minato will think of ways to distract him somehow.]

[parodeity]

Yeah. I'll keep it in mind?

[ it isn't a sure thing he'll do it, but having an alternative he believes in someday down the road maybe wouldn't kill him.

(haha. could it even?) ]

[messianic]

[It's laying groundwork, and that's fine. Even if Dave doesn't go for it...the option's there, and maybe that'll help someday.]

Yeah, just keep it in mind. That's fine. It's an option, so I figured I'd offer it.

[He shrugs, and then leans back on his hands.]

Though if things don't change, I think a lot of people are going to get antsy to get home. [And might do reckless things--like going into the woods.]

[parodeity]

Yeah. There's a few people I'm a little worried about.

[ keith, obviously reckless.

JOHN EGBERT................................

other people who exist ]

But uh, a group for a second trip might not be...bad. Henry had better luck, maybe he could like. Teach us his voodoo. Not his actual voodoo, which he apparently has and which may or may not be explosive, but his manners voodoo.

[messianic]

[JOHN EGBERT......]

I think...there could be a lot hiding in the woods. So... if we're going to do something like that, we have to be careful.

[Really, really careful.]

So more people is probably a good start.

[parodeity]

D'you wanna be in attempt number two?

[ that brings his mental tally to keith, john, henry, minato... ]

[messianic]

Yeah, if you're going to go back.

[A beat, and:]

But let's save it for when you're feeling a lot better, too.

[parodeity]

...You're kind of like a mom friend, aren't you.

[messianic]

[Wow.]

At least let me be the dad friend.

[He is Not the dad friend.]

[parodeity]

A dad friend is a little more...aggressive, usually? Or like, in command. Not that you aren't, but you have this kinda nurturing air.

[messianic]

[......... Hm.]

... Still, though, the mom friend... [STILL...]

[parodeity]

You just need an apron?

[messianic]

Hey.

[Rude.]

I'm manly.

[Okay, now he's definitely just joking because he is Not Manly, he is a noodly pretty boy.]

[parodeity]

Sure. About as manly as me.

[ ...they're both pretty boys. ]

[messianic]

[...Wow.]

You were willing to throw your own manliness under the bus so easily.

[parodeity]

Ehhh. I've maybe started to consider that being "masculine" isn't really the epitome of being a "man"?

[messianic]

[Oh my god Dave.

Minato blinks slowly--and then he snorts, a soft, amused noise.]

That's pretty deep.

You're not wrong though. [All teasing aside, he's fine with being who he is, even though he knows that yes.

He's the mom friend.]

[parodeity]

In my spare time I'm a knock-off philosopher. [ ...he sounds so tired. ]

[messianic]

[... Yeah, he sure does.]

Have you been able to get any sleep at all recently?

[parodeity]

I've always kinda been an insomniac?

[messianic]

[Mmmm.]

It's going to take longer to get better if you don't rest, you know.