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[parodeity]

DAVE STRIDER

consider this your warning about stairs. itll just keep happening bro. im telling you man

VOICE | TEXT | VIDEO | ACTION

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[windeity]

[Well. One of those boxes contains a large model dinosaur skeleton for Dave to build and put together because why the hell not. The second box, however, contains a wooden music box that's carved on top. Half Breath symbol, half Time symbol. Space and Light are carved in around the base in an alternating pattern and the wood itself is dark and shiny.

So yeah. It's a music box.]

[parodeity]

[ well. he won't do the model right away, but he will feed the music scrolls through the box? ] ...did you commission this?

[windeity]

Sort of. [What he's not saying: he got the box partially made and did some additional work himself. He's not very crafty but he can at least follow a pattern.] It was mostly a commission though, yes. Obviously the scrolls are not.

[Once Dave cranks the box and feeds the scroll, it begins to play his original birthday song, but it's also blended with undertones of this. The tempos are evened out and match up at least. The other scrolls are similarly all songs he's sent Dave before but in paper form.] I know it's a little lame but...I thought you'd make like it.

[parodeity]

John. This is the complete opposite of lame??? [ he loves it? like. impossibly so. he always likes john's music and he likes the callbacks and the box is beautiful. dave's gentle when he sets it down on the table and draws close enough to lean in and down a little for a kiss. ] I was totally right: you always give the best presents somehow. I think you topped my christmas gifts for you already even.

[windeity]

[He meets him for that kiss and it's too easy to see he's relieved. They've been dating for almost a year and he still sometimes gets nervous about actual serious presents.]

It's not a competition, dude. [But there's a smile.] Anyway you're my favorite Christmas gift so I am seriously doubting I can ever top that.

[parodeity]

Okay, that's going into the hall of fame for cheesiest things you've ever said to me. [ soon to be kicked out by even cheesier shy probably. ] I love it, babe. Thank you. You realize I'm going to be playing this like nightly right?

[windeity]

I keep trying to outdo myself. I think it's working. [He can at least make fun of himself...but there's a nod.] I kind of figured. I...sort of thought it'd maybe help you sleep if you're up and I'm already passed out and you don't want to wake me up.

[parodeity]

...you just outdid yourself. [ no, he didn't. rather than that being cheesy it's genuinely sweet and dave kisses john's forehead because it's deserved. ] ...thanks. I love you, you know?

[windeity]

[He's very happy with himself at least.]

I do know that, yeah. [It's a nice thing and he shifts just a little to lean against him. VALIDATE HIM...sometimes he needs that, too, even if he doesn't like saying so.] I love you too, obviously. And speaking of love, your dark room's upstairs.

[parodeity]

[ dave just adjusts his posture and slides his arms around john's waist, bracing them against the table so john can lean away. ] Okay, Egbert, now you're just trying to make me look bad. Music room set up for you too?

[windeity]

[A good boyfriend.] Mm. Almost. I have some things I want to add to the walls, and I keep coming back to the fact that I'm nineteen and technically own a house. What the fuck. But the piano's in there and so is a lot of my writing equipment and stuff. It used to double as my dad's study so I kind of kept the same theme.

[parodeity]

[ he'll just try to hook his chin on top of john's head if john is leaning enough. ] Let me know if I can help, yeah? [ but he won't intrude. ]

[windeity]

[Yeah, he's 100% okay with that.] Yeah. If you want? I wouldn't mind a few of your pictures hanging up just so I have something to look at while I'm working.

[parodeity]

Want me to take some pictures of our friends, our kids, or music shit, then? [ or all of the above. ]

[windeity]

You're the artist here. [That is a very loose word.] What do you think would look best?

[parodeity]

Pictures of you. [ john asked. ] But since you refuse to let me hang any of the ones I took that one time, maybe a mix of the above? I could sit in on your next session with Elliot.

[windeity]

[A snort.] Please don't hang dick pics on the wall of my creative space. But that actually sounds cool? I would like that, and I bet Elliot would say yes.

[parodeity]

Maybe we can have a session too, and I'll set up some time lapse shots. [ .... ] Can I hang the dick pics in my dark room.

[windeity]

[A very, very long pause. And there's a mumble that sounds a lot like "some of them are already up."

How he got a hold of the photos himself is a Mystery. Or he took photos himself? It's very hard to say, let him die now, thanks.]

[parodeity]

[ dave didn't make a secret of where he kept those negatives and photos to john so...but okay leaning has to stop because dave shifts. ]

Oh my god I gotta see this...

[ he'll be able to tell if john took them himself tbh.

but also stop him they have dinner and instead dave is distracted by john being ridiculous ]

[windeity]

[And too little too late he suddenly realizes WOW THIS IS VERY FORWARD AND ALSO EMBARRASSING.]

Not now! Later. After I check some stuff. [Or remove whatever's on the walls besides his dick pics? John wtf did you do.]

[parodeity]

That's the exact opposite of a thing to say to get me to not check?

[ john wtf did you do ]

[windeity]

Check later! I promise you will still like it and whatever. [Stuff.]

[parodeity]

I mean, if you are planning to change things I kinda wanna check now??

[windeity]

[He should have kept his mouth shut.] ...technically it is your birthday. And the dark room is one of your presents, so...[He just kind of sighs.] It's in my old closet. Even if we keep that as a guest room I figured it would work okay.