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[Because...well. Dave was eaten by his own shadow and that was probably one of the most horrifying things John's seen here. Not to mention what he saw before when Dave's shades were gone.

It was grounding and earthshattering all at once but he didn't let himself dwell on it for too long. Vriska was still a statue, but Terezi had to know. Terezi had to know what was happening and so he went to find her.

And that was how he discovered Terezi was gone, too.

What a strange, strange world.

With that said, he found himself ignoring the conversation he'd had with Dave about checking in with people and wandered his way to Ruga. He brought his laptop with him and he let himself into Dave's house, making a face at the distinct lack of color again.

Over the next few days...he cleaned. He organized. He stocked the kitchen with some food he found in town...he attempted to make a freezer of some kind but gave up the project half-way, leaving a crate in the kitchen. He keeps himself busy and ahead of his shadow, washing blankets and sheets and straightening things up for whenever Dave got back just because that seems to be what he likes to do when he's waiting.

He's bored and he's worried and he's pissed, mostly.

But eventually he gives up on shadow-watch and falls asleep on Dave's couch after losing his sixth staring contest with Nauti Buoy. The shadows seem to fade away without noticing and John...snores, kind of. And maybe drools a little on the couch.

So that's what Dave gets to come back to. Oh well.]

[ at least there wasn't too much to clean, maybe. dave's still neurotically cleaning and sorting shit out. unimpeded access to his room would have found a bed not often slept in, a few scattered things collected from around town including all those knives just dumped in his closet. some pebbles and a few bones on dressers. a few old toys he'd picked up and brought back. a palm-sized hunk of wood he'd been trying to whittle into something.

even more captcharoids of whatever he could find. his laptop, with finished and unfinished comics and a few dozen forum tabs open that he'd been reading.

there hadn't been much in the way of food stocking, except for food for the lobster, who took priority of some kind.

when dave wakes up - becomes aware? - he's on the roof and he knows immediately how long it's been since he was last...around? the little mental clock in the back of his mind skips ahead about two days and dave blinks and adjusts to the slight headache that induces. the last thing he remembers was being with minato and john.

at least alive seems to be his dubious state of being.

running a hand through his hair, he'll duck inside as quiet as ever. going to check on the lobster is priority one, and he'll feed the thing if he needs to, but that also shows him that his idiot best friend broke into his place while he was gone.

dave...

locates a blanket to carefully drape over john and goes to locate his laptop. ]

[And John sleeps through literally all of that. He's passed out and unaware on the couch, though subconsciously he registers that there's some movement even if it doesn't wake up.

A blanket's draped over him and he curls up into it and continues sleeping. So that happens.

Eventually though he realizes that there's a blanket and he frowns, shifting a little and just as suddenly waking up, sitting up just a little to get a good look at his surroundings. His first thought is that someone else broke into the house which is stupid, and his second thought is that the blanket's comfortable which is equally stupid. But he's up and taking a look around the living room first before he bothers getting off the couch.]

[ they're so stupid but at least john usually gets a good night's sleep out of the stupidity even if dave wanders around avoiding That.

there's probably a few other changes which john may or may not notice. dave probably rearranged tibia and left a glass of water near john on the off chance he might need something to drink (fuck if dave knows? what do you do with random houseguests?) and snagged his laptop before absconding to the roof. ]

[This is the Worst. But anyway he's busy trying to like. Focus and wake up and figure out what he's doing. He takes another look before he notices the water and figures that Dave's around somewhere.

Dave's been weirdly considerate in the last couple of weeks, he's noticed, even if he doesn't quite think on it too much. He's up and he drains about half the glass before he decides looking for Dave is a priority.

He wanders the house first, still not bothering to walk and just floating around like a blue and wind-blown balloon before he crosses off all locations as "empty."

Eventually he remembers the first couple of times he's come here and he frowns, heading outside and ascending up toward the roof.]

[ congrats, john is learning shit. dave's on the roof sprawled on his stomach typing with an irritated little frown as he goes back and forth with someone. he doesn't look up, but his head tilts in john's direction, listening.

he's.

not sure what to say so he waits to see if john has any better ideas than "awkwardly lie on rooftop". ]

[He takes a breath when he sees Dave, but he settles for flying over and promptly laying on the roof with him. Side by side, John on his back and Dave on his stomach and he's not looking at the screen.

He doesn't say anything yet. So yeah, right now it's "awkwardly lie on rooftop" but give him a moment to think.]

[ if it were rose dave might not think much of reaching out for comfort, even though they don't really do that, either of them. but it's john and dave hasn't figured out their limits and he isn't used to reaching out, not even when he's desperately in need of some kind of anchor.

so he keeps up the typing, because it's a thing to do.

at least john probably didn't get too fucked up by shadows? ]

[There's still the long, scary stretch of silence. The typing is weirdly comforting and he's just kind of...thinking about Dave disappearing and the white coloring of his eyes and how completely...stupid everything was.

There's a few moments before he turns and rolls just enough to lightly lean into Dave's side just in case he bolts away, still both laying on the roof but now he's more on his side than his back.]

Idiot. [There's absolutely zero bite to it.]

[ dave doesn't bolt away. he tenses for a second but as soon as it registers as just comforting contact he eases up, and at least stops typing so much. his left hand reaches up to check his shades. ]

You were okay, though?

[ after. wasn't eaten, dave means. ]

Yeah. [Muffled a little into Dave's arm, but whatever. He'll just kind of burrow a little harder if Dave's not moving at least. What's the borderline of comfort and also not strangling your idiot bff for doing something so dumb and drastic?] We looked for you. Where did you go?

[ cool, dave isn't physically or emotionally competent enough for this. he keeps as still as humanly possible as a result. ]

...I don't know. I thought I was dying again.

[At this rate he's going to keep rolling until he's half on top of him, but mostly to make sure he's real and solid. At least his coloring's back. He kind of wants to shove the laptop away but he's being kind of irrational. But also, shadows.]

Yeah, well, I thought you were, too. [There's a frown.] Why do you always do this? [It's not necessarily accusatory, but it's a question and he's a little unhappy.]

[ john, that's weird.

but dave does nothing to stop him. he's tentative about leaning into the touch because he's just not used to it still, though. ]

I don't think I've ever gotten eaten alive by my shadow before, actually.

[It wouldn't be weird if Dave made it more clear he was receptive to an actual hug?? Duh. But also yeah he's just a weird kid, that's fair.]

A first time for everything, but also, shut up. That is not what I meant and you know it. I mean going alone.

[ the receptiveness is not moving away!!! ]

I am straight up never taking you to my death.

[Give him time, he's just as startled here!!]

I do not have an answer to that that won't piss you off so I will just say it. Why not?

Because for some fucking reason I prefer you alive??

Yeah, wouldn't you think the same thing applies to you?

I was gonna try to cut it off, okay?

[ does he mean his arm or his shadow, who can say ]

[He shakes his head.] You told me no. [Or, more accurately: "John, don't."] You really expected me just to wait for you to fix it yourself and not even try?

I expected to not give you a shot if it meant you might get swallowed up, too.

I couldn't prevent anything last time. You cannot just tell me I can't try this time. Or the next time. Or the time after that! It's not fair.

I don't want to see you die!

[ like

hypocritical as fuck ]

Like I do?! [Yeah what the fuck, Dave.] What if you really didn't come back, dude? What then?

post-shadows dave's return aka tag this whenever u want

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