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[parodeity]

DAVE STRIDER | RED | #E00707
TEXT | ACTION

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[parodeity]

Is it still just us?

[windeity]

In the house? Yeah. Why?

[parodeity]

Just wondering. [ with the new arrivals. ] Jade's grandpa seemed a little at sea.

[windeity]

Yeah. I told him Dirk was here so hopefully they figured it out. I don't think they realized they were both around. [The conversations with the two of them were...weird...and yet John's a little tentatively excited to see them. Maybe it'll be good for everybody. Plus--]

If they came, maybe that means Jade and Rose will show up, too.

[parodeity]

[ there is that. dave attempts a smile. he wants rose so badly, but.

but.

he wants his rose. ]

The pivot point must've been three years.

[windeity]

...what do you mean? [Dirk and John talked about movies and sidequests. Jake was talking about being alone. He was focused more on the fact that they existed than what that actually meant even though he at least understands they came from different timelines.

He thinks about what Terezi told him when she was still here and promptly ignores it. It's strange and a little awkward to have these people know him without knowing them. He wonders what exactly changed.]

[parodeity]

The divergence. [ he's just watching the fire now, idly. ] ...Still. They might actually be yours.

[windeity]

Oh. [...] I don't...maybe? But I do not actually know them. I've only met Dirk once before now, and I've only learned about Jake through a letter and what Roxy's told me.

[parodeity]

I don't either really? B...Dirk talked to alpha Dave, but I obviously didn't live it. [ he says "alpha dave" like "real dave" and barely even notices. ] Anyway. You really don't have any wishes?

[windeity]

[He notices it, but he doesn't know what to do about it. So he's quiet and he looks at the fireplace as well.]

Tell me yours. That's my current wish.

[parodeity]

...oh my god that's like asking for infinite wishes you dork.

[windeity]

Nepotism. [A grin. He's probably using that word wrong but whatever.]

[parodeity]

That doesn't even make sense in this context? [ absolutely wrong. ] I just.

[windeity]

[He looks a little more thoughtful suddenly.] What's up? [Time to try and coax a cat, apparently.]

[parodeity]

How do you do it?

[windeity]

Do...what?

[parodeity]

I will never understand how you fall asleep at like the drop of a pin at night.

[windeity]

Oh. I don't know. I just do when I'm tired. Don't you sleep when you're tired?

[parodeity]

I guess I'm usually too awake to sleep?

[ he means he can't chill the fuck out sometimes. ]

[windeity]

So what you're saying is you need to tire out enough to not be awake. [Nodnod. Yes, okay, this makes perfect sense.] What keeps you awake anyway?

[parodeity]

[ specifically what he's doing is avoiding giving john a wish, but. ]

Hmmm. Dunno. I've always been a light sleeper, and it's never really been easy to get to sleep.

[ okay, so like. he knows? he knows why. but john doesn't need to know any of the reasons. ]

[windeity]

[Don't do that???]

Well like. There's probably stuff you can try. [He makes a face.] Is that one of your wishes? Sleeping.

[parodeity]

Nah. [ he wishes a lot of stupid shit. he wishes rose (his rose) was here. he wishes john could promise they'd still be best friends if he went home and remembered more shit like keith had and ended up missing the right dave, but that's unfair and pointless and stupid. he doesn't want to be alone tonight and he doesn't want to think about how he's going to balance dirk right this second, even though he wants so desperately to try and to get it right.

the guy smiled at him, and apologized a few times, and was so...

it would be nice. to have a brother. but dave is too terrified of doing it wrong to make a plan of action right this second. it's been a long day and nice or not dirk looks a lot like someone dave hadn't wanted to ever see again and it brought up memories he'd rather not think about. ]

Sleep's for the weak, dumbass. [ but john obviously isn't going to drop it so dave pauses to rack his brain for an acceptable small thing to ask for. ]

[windeity]

It is not. [He casually pushes on Dave's head, a slow and easy movement to the side. He watches the flames and he thinks of what he can do to try Dave into sleeping.] I think you would like it if you tried it once in a while.

[parodeity]

[ he wonders if it's a failure if he doesn't tell john what he actually wants. dave wonders if that matters, because he doesn't even know what it is a wish does. ]

Sounds like you're tired?