parodeity | subnautica ic inbox 2.0;

We can make it a rule if you think that'd help.

[ it's a casual offer as he continues just kind of staring at dirk while holding his hand and. sitting too close what the fuck dave why do you insist on making things so awkward? at least he isn't like smooshing his cheek into a hug here i guess??? that's kind of an improvement??? it's not really an improvement. but. okay.

it feels a bit like standing on the precipice of some free fall guaranteed to cause his own death, trying to decide what the right thing to do or say is.

rose was probably bullshitting the fortune thing. ]

...Okay?

[ it comes out more like a question than a finality. ]

[Dirk is sitting here, holding his brother's hand, awkwardly up in a tree unsure what Dave is saying. He always has to read into every line and he... doesn't know? He doesn't quite know.]

Okay to... what thing?

[Making it a rule?]

[ ok the awkwardly up in a tree thing is entirely dirk's fault dave would have picked like, the ground, what the fuck dirk. or a volcano??????? ]

Okay, you can organize my cords.

[ that wasn't what he meant to say, but it will. work. whatever. ]

[In the tree, only the leaves can see their shame.]

Uh.

[That's. Okay. Breath.]

Would you also be managing my sock drawer?

You can't be trusted to manage your own sock drawer.

[ there is probably no way he's gotten away with not discussing his own feelings on the entire thing but let him dream for like three minutes. ]

You will not take my toe socks away from me, bro.

[it won't be a full three minutes the kid gets here]

Do you mind when I call you that?

[ hang on we need to detour into random fucking questions with dave strider. ]

Bro. I mean, is it ok when I call you that.

[That one comes suddenly and Dirk is definitely caught off guard.]

No. Do you?

No. I kind of like it but then I get worried that you wouldn't like me callin' you what I always called him?

[ but then he proceeded to just never ask. until right now.

..................

for the god of time he could maybe work on his timing. ]

No, I... want to completely obscure him in every way possible. Bro being used for me makes me feel like I'm more of your brother than he is.

[playing dave's brother sweepstakes and PLAYING TO WIN]

I meant if you mind it when I call you bro.

Oh. So I should...not do the thing where I go to say it but then flip to dude or man or something else.

[ GOOD TO KNOW... ]

He only ever really used it in the context of "bro roof now".

Yeah, you can not do that.

[Dave says that phrase, and there is that tension that Dave can feel by a hand, something that eases a moment later.]

That won't be in my list of phrases. Ever.

That's the only context wherein it would bother me that you called me bro.

[ so. he doesn't mind it. ]

Okay, cool.

[A pause. The three minutes (however much time) grace is up.]

It might be worth discussing the tower thing from your end.

Do we gotta?

[ the complaint isn't serious because he knows...they probably do have to. the question is where to start. ]

What about it do you wanna know? [ when in doubt: just ask dirk what he wants to know. ]

We're not obliged to. Doing it, however, is probably a mistake.

[Since, you know. Feelings.]

We can start with how it helps you. Or, uh, if it doesn't.

It was always goin' to help me. I knew that from the start?

[ he just super...still considers it extremely selfish. but maybe it's okay if dirk is being selfish too? and maybe (definitely) dave is extremely tired. ]

That was never an issue. Like, it would definitely be way better for my mental and physical well-bein'. I knew that.

Right. [There's a pause.] Okay, let's try this again. What part of your feelings on this do you want to talk about least?

[there we go]

The selfish part.

[ THAT he can answer immediately. ]

Or the bein' afraid part. They're tied for last place. Like there's a country fair for the best sheep and they're just scrawny fuckin' things with wool all over the place and not the nice curly soft kind but kinky shit that grows in patches.

As someone who has never seen a sheep in my life, I'll take them both.

[The metaphor is hilarious, honestly. Why is Dirk so amused by it.]

It's selfish because it could hurt people, and it's frightening because you're worried I'll leave.

[ dirk stop having dave's exact sense of humor no one deserves that fate ]

Your call, dude. You could pick one of the sheep that doesn't look like a complete trainwreck, though. The ones that could get through the obstacle course without hand holding?

[ are there...obstacle courses for sheep at fairs???? dave isn't sure. whatever. ]

But yeah. Though it's - selfish for other reasons, too. [ he doesn't want to confirm it's scary because dirk could be there and then just change his mind so dave doesn't respond to that, but dirk nailed it. ]

Why would I do that? Come on, man. A sheep gettin' through that course courtesy of a guiding hand is some prime giffable material here. You're going to get this on the local news. I am taking the news sheep.

[They need to stop being like this.]

What other reasons? [Since the other one seems to be confirmed.]

That's only if the sheep is like, memecute and you know it. These sheep are not meme worthy. They look like sheep would look if they regularly did coke and had late night parties nonstop? They're the sheep who have had a hard fuckin' time, who you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley 'cause they'd def kill you a little bit.

[ this conversation needs to not ]

Just...genuinely selfish ones? [ which is why he least wanted to talk about this. dave's thumb absently starts tapping out a beat on the back of dirk's hand. why is he annoying. ] I just...want you there.

You're sayin' that like I can't take care of myself against a couple of cokehead sheep. I can absolutely deal with some sheep from the wrong side of the barn.

[ok it needs to but it's going to keep happening]

Oh. [There's a pause.] Fully aware of what this says about my character, I should probably let you know that it is reassuring to me when you decide I'm something you feel selfishly about.

You've never met sheep from the wrong side of the barn or you wouldn't be makin' such outrageous claims. They have teeth, Dirk. They'd shred you in like, three seconds flat. I am absolutely sayin' you couldn't take yourself against cokehead sheep. You're not enough of a dog person. Jade could totally take 'em.

[ i hate this

dave just kind of gives one of his more self-deprecating laughs. ]

You shouldn't feel that way? I mean - it's kind of really fucked up to want to monopolize someone's time, even a little bit. Which - it's not really "a little bit". [ he's done it to rose, too, trying to tag along on her dates or whatever but he's at least never dragged her away from an entire base full of people? she'd offered to let him, but he'd managed not to agree. ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject