parodeity | subnautica ic inbox 2.0;

The plant won't take offence if you mess up a few times.

It also won't take pain, because it's a plant and not my brother.

Messin' with plants only goes so far. I already know how far I can push them. Exactly straight up against that stupid boundary line.

[ fast-forwarding plants is easy mode. ]

So anyway I brought that up 'cause if you want me to make sure you're around whenever I do that I will? Even though it will be tiny and stupid.

[ unless it works and he has to experiment further but he wouldn't push it that far with dirk around. ]

Also it's not gonna hurt that much oh my god. It's not like I'm suggestin' I break my own ribs or somethin'.

You won't let me tell you to do it to me.

[He is pretty damn sure Dave won't. He would VASTLY prefer it if Dave did.]

If it works on me I can try it on you to see if it's harder or easier with other people if it even works?

[ it seemed pointless to make plans for what he was going to do with this knowledge after if it doesn't even work? ]

Um. You don't have to stick around for it if you don't want? I can always find someone else willin' to sit with me or whatever.

[ "someone else" in this case being rose because rose is the person least likely to be freaked out by the idea in his repertoire of friends.

dave figures it probably wouldn't be bad to clarify that he doesn't plan to waltz off and try it all alone. maybe. ]

No, I want to spot you.

[The hand which Dirk has a grip on is used to tug Dave over. The hug is bordering on protective.

He breathes out.]

Thanks for letting me know. And come.

Again, it's just gonna be a tiny little cut. No big.

[ uNLESS IT WORKS he might try a bigger one but. shhhh. at least he hugs back? ]

But yeah. I think I promised to do experiments like that with you around? And it wouldn't be for a bit, I want to make sure I'm over the whole portal thing for real and absolute serious before I bother with anythin' new. You dropped the other conversation.

[ does dirk feel this sense of aggravation about every conversation dave has ever dropped or dodged, ever? wow. dirk is a fucking saint? ]

You drop half the conversations we have, let me worry about you for a few minutes.

[Shut up and let him hug you? With fret and concern. He didn't want to drop the other conversation but then DAVE MENTIONED THIS SORT OF THING]

It's a relief you're waiting until you're sure you're feeling better. [There. Positive reinforcement. That's good. Let Dave know he approves of some things so Dave doesn't hesitate to come to him again? Also so Dave knows what he's doing right.] And that you'd have grabbed someone else, presumably Rose, if I didn't go. Also, for agreeing to try it on me after. [why does that help? it does though] Thank you.

[He makes Dave let him rest his chin on top of Dave's head. He has now encapsulated Dave in the protective bubble of his embrace.]

We can do the other conversation now. Do you not know you're already there?

Yeah and now I'm actually startin' to feel bad about it. [ IT IS SURPRISINGLY? NOT FUN? TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A DROPPED CONVERSATIONAL THREAD YOU WERE INTERESTED IN?

also there's a vaguely irritated sound as he gets boxed in further by the chin on head but there's no actual attempt to free himself. dave just takes a moment to shift around so he's more comfortably boxed in, instead. ] Why are you thankin' me for agreein' to experiment on - no, actually, I get that.

[ HE'S DONE THE SAME RE: sOUL SHIT SO

also despite just complaining about it he like doesn't know how to reply to the idea he might already be a reliable person so he kind of trails off and drops that for a second himself

like

an idiot ]

[Good job Dave. Dirk will give him... some time to answer that idk like a minute or two. Can Dave manage words in a minute.]

[ dirk's wait is rewarded with the very eloquent: ]

No?

[ no he doesn't know he's already there it doesn't seem like a thing he was aware of? ]

Hm.

[Eloquent also.]

Okay, then so you know, you are.

[There we go, confusion solved. Nice.]

[ like. normally he would argue here since he doesn't 100% buy that, but. ]

...Okay.

[ he agreed to try to not...do that...so he is not gonna do that. good job. ]

What robotics shit are you doin' today in particular?

Edited 2017-01-28 03:54 (UTC)

I was contemplating doing something just for fun, but I haven't decided what yet.

[Dirk has not let Dave out of his box of brotherly protectiveness yet. However, the lid comes off as Dirk pulls his chin off of Dave's head and looks at him.]

Maybe we should keep the other conversation going. Do you want to talk about it more?

[ it is not an exciting view since when he was boxed in dave just shut his eyes. he opens one of them to kind of eyeball dirk before shutting it again, though. ]

Flash mob. And did you want to talk about it more? I'm, uh, willin' to believe that is a thing that is true.

[ or like he is willing to decide to try to believe that which is Essentially the same thing. he does believe the part about living together lessening dirk's loneliness more readily than, like, the part where he apparently is reliable like he wants to be somehow. ]

A flash mob isn't a robotics project.

[He. thinks? Not the point.]

Are there ways I can demonstrate it more often?

[Trying to believe things is good and appreciated but Dirk would like to help a bro out, as it were.]

I mean, if you program them to have a flash mob it is.

[ obviously? the question, though. ]

I'm not sure. You told me the other day when you were tired? Are there ways I can demonstrate it more?

[ is dirk sure it's a thing, or not? somehow this is more immediately a concern when it comes to mind than dave's own thing. ]

It's hard to regularly call for your aid for a boss fight when I've been attempting to avoid them.

[Since, you know. Dave has asked him not to keep seeking out boss fights, so he hasn't.]

You were my first text when we were about to hit the planet soul. You're who I go to for advice on my powers or fighting.

Oh. I was?

[ he. did not realize that. ]

It's less the big things like that though. [ or: ] Those count. But I mean - it's just tied into the other thing. [ clear as mud, but he means: dirk saying when he's tired or letting him mess up his hair or just. seeming human in dave's direction and admitting to weakness when it occurs. ] I guess? I'm not really sure.

[Good job Dave. It's okay. Dirk thinks about it.]

Little things like me saying I was tired. And letting you mess my hair up.

Letting you make food, or is that a different thing?

Helping me make food. [ letting him is one thing, helping him is another. helping is more this thing than that thing. ]

Treatin' me like a combatant you rely on is one thing; when I say I want to be reliable I mean I want you to rely on me like I'm actually your brother. In the stupid normal people ways.

[ the ways that aren't really that stupid. ]

I do.

[It's the second time he has said that, but he offers this one again now that Dave has said his terms more clearly.]

You know I'm hugging you right now because you scared me. So... this is me being comforted by you. [Even though he was the one who dragged Dave into the hug?

Yes.]

I thought you were kinda just makin' sure I couldn't run off and do somethin' really stupid or somethin'.

[ he's not sure what he would go and do, but he's sure dirk has some scenarios for other things dave could suggest he go do. he would ask for them, but that would be mean? ]

Thanks. [ is what he settles on, after a second. ]

No. I was scared and I wanted to know you were okay. [It's one of the reasons he has always been so clingy. After a pause,] Before it was okay to hug you again, you offered one to me because you knew it made me feel better. That's what it is... basically all the time.

[He needs that reassurance. He needs to feel that Dave is okay and safe and there.]

It feels impossible to really account for the way I've come to rely on you to feel good and safe. It's part of my daily routine, though, from eating during the day to actually managing sleep of some kind.

[ oh, okay, that feels...dave isn't sure how it feels. something? not nothing. he worries about the being fucked up thing for a second but decides it probably doesn't matter so much since at least it's fucked up in a less destructive way than his previous family relationship. ]

I can understand it. But isn't that really fuckin' scary?

[ like, dirk just said he was scared, but - ]

When you say it like that you make it sound easy.

Scary, bordering on terrifying. And then crossing the border without UN sanction and not heading back.

[It's scary because every time Dave pulls away from Dirk it feels like being torn apart. It's scary because he could lose it, destroy it, ruin it all for himself. It's scary because it wasn't always there and it might not always stay.]

But I like being like this, so... that's what I'm choosing.

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