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[parodeity]

DAVE STRIDER | RED | #E00707
TEXT | ACTION

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[parodeity]

[ give him a few minutes to be completely silent as he debates that. he's generally refused to take his shades off for love or money or random troll threats, so.

he has to deliberate.

eventually he shifts to let go of john and flop onto his back, reaching up to remove his shades and very, very carefully fold them.

his eyes are shut though so maybe he's still deliberating. pretty much all that is revealed is that dave's eyelashes are stupid pale still but that's more to do with being blond as hell, and his freckles are not as pale as they were before. ]

[windeity]

[He's sitting up then to get a better look, giving Dave space while he looks down at his face. He doesn't mind waiting and he patiently sits...even if his fingers drum on his own knee a little nervously. Maybe this wasn't a good idea.

Dave's eyes are closed though and the tension doubles as John continues to stare. He examines his face and his freckles and he frowns a little as he sits back.]

Only if you're sure, dude. [i.e. "I really want you to but also I cannot pry your eyelids open so take your time."]

[parodeity]

[ ironically letting go of him and moving away only makes dave more tense. even so, after another minute or so dave actually opens his eyes.

he's not sure. not at all.

but he'd do a lot of shit he's not sure about if the right people asked.

currently dave's eyes are a vivid red. ]

[windeity]

[He stares for a minute. The expression's hard to read and he's unsteady in his thoughts for a moment as he stares a little longer. It's not like he really ever saw Dave's eyes before now anyway, but rationally he could have guessed the color based on how things worked. Fonts and eye colors.

But they're red and Dave's still and unsure and John...

...starts to laugh in relief before he slips down and throws himself into a another hug because fuck off, world, his best friend's alive right now and that is all that matters.]

[parodeity]

[ is he really alive, john. there's the eyes and a heartbeat and a startled gasp even as dave automatically tries to make sure john doesn't, like, hit his head or anything or hurt himself throwing himself at dave.

there's definitely signs of impalement on his chest beneath his shirt, though. things john will probably not get to know for as long as dave can humanly keep it from him.

dave does the usual tensing up, but after a second relaxes enough to cling back, a little too tight and uncertain. ]

Egbert, respect the goods. [ muttered. ]

[windeity]

[Alive enough, as far as he's concerned. It's enough and it's hope and maybe it doesn't really truly count but he can see him breathing and his eyes aren't that scary white and it's all he can hold onto.]

Haha. Shut up. [It's almost a little too cheerful given how he's squeezing Dave's ribs but oh well.] ...they look cool.

[parodeity]

[ and yet dave isn't pushing john away. he's just doing the clingy desperate thing. ]

You're forbidden from letting Terezi know what's up with 'em.

[ he assumes, given the reaction, that maybe his eyes aren't white right now. ]

[windeity]

[Cool. Glad that's happening. But it's only when Dave says that that something occurs to him and he goes quiet.]

...about that. Terezi disappeared the same day you did.

[parodeity]

...Shadows?

[ look. he'll either notice he's being too clingy and let up in a while or john will break it off first? ]

[windeity]

[Given the conversation he doesn't even think about how this could be clingy right now. Normally he would but also this means keeping Dave put for a moment. ]

No. Like name struck through gone.

[parodeity]

...Oh. [ also look. dave is either way too tentative and careful never to touch john ever or he clings desperately like a koala there is basically no inbetween?? ] Serket still the same?

[windeity]

[Neat, a pet koala. But he nods a little miserably. ] No change so far, but at least she's still here.

[parodeity]

[ ah. ]

...I'm sorry I left you all alone, dude.

[windeity]

[A shrug. That. Sure is part of what he was flipping out about, surprise!]

You didn't know.

[parodeity]

[ he also couldn't Help it really but. ]

Did you move in while I was gone or what? [ why is there food in his kitchen. ]

[windeity]

Yeah. [Like. There's no point being coy about it.] I had no idea if or when you were coming back and I figured this would be the first place you came back to.

[parodeity]

[ dave untangles his left arm enough so he can shove his shades back on as he tries to figure out if there's a way to ask "are you moving out now????" or some other clarifying question on wtf john is doing that doesn't sound, like, rude. ]

[windeity]

[The lack of a reply is interesting and he watches Dave put his shades back on. He's not objecting. He got what he wanted and that was that.]

Is that okay?

[parodeity]

[ dave does not bother to explain his eyes aren't ever Thrilled about a lot of sunlight (? it's probably afternoonish?) but whatever. ]

What about Okuyasu and specs?

[windeity]

[He just kind of picks at the sleeve of his godtier outfit.]

I don't think any of us are wholly concerned about if we are home or not. So it was fine.

[parodeity]

[ are home, was fine.

these tenses aren't helping. dave registers the clingy thing and fully lets go of john, shifting away to give him space. ]

So... [ so... ] I'm back now.

[windeity]

I noticed. [He lets Dave take his steps back and he glances at the town from the rooftop.] I have enough food for us for a couple of days at least until we need to restock. If you do not have a preference I can probably make something out of whatever that is edible enough.

[That probably still doesn't help.]

[parodeity]

[ IT DOESN'T. IT DOESN'T HELP AT ALL AND DAVE FROWNS VERY SLIGHTLY IN FRUSTRATED CONFUSION. this text is mostly capslock but his expression looks strider lowercase.

all his screaming is always internal. ]

O...kay. [ sure. ] You should eat if you haven't recently.

[windeity]

[#savedave]

I will. I ate something for breakfast this morning before I started doing stuff and fell asleep, but it's probably close to dinner time. And you're eating too, don't try to get out of it.

[parodeity]

[ no, it's fine, he'll be unhappily confused forever because god forbid he just ask john a second time. dave's shoulders slump in surrender and he shrugs, expression receding from frustration to pure neutrality as he slots his defenses back into place. just...don't think about it, strider. ]

I have to go out in a while.