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[parodeity]

DAVE STRIDER | RED | #E00707
TEXT | ACTION

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[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?

[windeity]

What? No, not right now. [He eyes Dave skeptically.] I am not tired enough not to prove my point.

[parodeity]

Do you even know what your point was?

[windeity]

That wishes can be granted if you ask!

[parodeity]

Not all of 'em. [ he rolls his eyes but tips his head back to see john leaning over the chair. ] But I guess I don't have to ask for those ones.

[windeity]

Whatever. My wish-granting skills are awesome. [He's still leaning over to look down at him, grinning a little anyway.] Try me.

[parodeity]

I guess I'd like some apple juice. [ that's not even remotely close to anything he really wants right now but can john even notice that, and that is admittedly a thing he's always okay with. apples aren't as easy to juice as oranges. ]

[windeity]

[...hm.] Do you still have apples left in the house? [Also Dave that's not helpful but John doesn't know that.]

[parodeity]

[ john is 100% terrible at catching on to dave's tricks and it's fantastic for dave because he doesn't have to ever actually address being upset about things ] Man, I don't know, you're the one who stocks the kitchen?

[ since dave literally never bothered to do that for himself and apparently still only reliably eats whatever meals john shoves at him and otherwise ? lives off of stuff from the gardens uncooked probably? ]

Got a few in my dex.

[windeity]

[Look someday he'll figure it out but today isn't that day? He tried and therefore no one can criticize him (except for Dave.) As it is, he perks up a little before he shakes his head.]

You have to stay here until it's done. Deal? [But he's already wandering off into the kitchen to do something.]

[parodeity]

[ maybe someday dave will think john will actually offer comfort reliably enough to ask for it but today is not that day. minato noticed this is a problem he has and probably thinks he's stupid for continuing to just shoulder 100% of his issues alone, but eh. ]

Yeah, okay.

[windeity]

[Can't offer anything he doesn't know is wanted and needed. It's hard to read Dave even on good days and while he's sometimes getting better at actually forcing him to talk about shit it's also not really his place. On the other hand, he's not stupid. He knows Dave withholds everything and he thinks about their conversation about lies of omission.

So he doesn't do anything immediately. He goes to the kitchen and he seems to be busying himself before he comes back with a pot filled with water and apples and he shoves it into the fire. He uses the wind to keep the pot aloft.

...this will be a while, so he speaks up again.]

This is a weak wish, dude. What else?

[parodeity]

[ hold the phone. ]

That's how they make apple juice????

[ dave: knows how the fuck geese work, does not have an idea on apple juice beyond "idk smash the apples?" ]

[windeity]

I mean I am sure there is a better and faster way of doing it, but it's one of the ways! [He'll...eventually explain.] We used to have apple orchards near my neighborhood, so Dad and I would go sometimes. They had an actual presser to use but I am improvising here.

[parodeity]

I will never understand how Washington is secretly some like, idyllic paradise? Twilight hype aside.

[windeity]

It wasn't bad. [A slight smile.] I don't know if you'd like it that much because it snows there, but other than that it was a good place to live.

[parodeity]

Ughhh. At least we're well clear of snow here. [ rain isn't too foreign to him. he actually likes the hotter weather they've been starting to have, too.

dave bites his lip. ]

You're like the most calm person I've ever met sometimes, even though you flip your shit about the dumbest stuff.