parodeity | subnautica ic inbox 3.0;

I still intend to go see what's up. But I don't want to like...tell people I'm doin' that in case they try to insist they come along. Because I would not let them? They might get the idea they should like, interfere with shit.

[ the people being in pods. which they CANNOT interfere with? he's not even sure if the pods would be a thing at that time and is curious to find out. ]

Or otherwise disobey the rules of time travel.

And we can't dead end a timeline. Yeah, I get it.

[His voice is quieter still.]

I've wanted to tell Jake. Roxy, too, and the rest of the Base to at least warn them to keep some distance from Warpers, but Jake most of all.

I made you a promise I wouldn't share that kind of information, though. So I haven't.

[And it has been hard. He has wanted to tell people, badly. But he hasn't. He has chosen to keep his promise to Dave.]

I don't think keepin' a distance matters. There's somethin' about it - I think they can draw you out, like with Rose. Homura at least would've contacted me if she were seriously investigatin' that shit. We always texted one another about anything related to that bullshit.

[ "that bullshit" being time or the people who fucked with it. ]

You and Rose were my best options for backtracking just in case they are lyin' there in the pods at that point in time. Neither of you would be stupid enough to potentially kill me or yourselves over somethin' we can't change. I hope.

[ he knows he can take it and he is pretty sure rose could and he thinks? dirk might be able to? but he's not sure. ]

I didn't think you were a serious option because of the time thing. But you said that was okay, so - if you think you can handle potentially leavin' them all there if they're there, you have the option of comin' with.

[ he

does not say anything about the promise right this second because dave has to process that. ]

I'll come.

[And not poke at pods although getting Dirk to go back and time and look at people he likes in pods and not poke them is. Probably not ideal. But Dirk didn't try to kill Dave's Bro, so he's winning at the self-restraint issue here.]

The thing with Rose was probably the planet messing with her head. Given that the planet has a split personality, it might be that the tails half of Two-Face lures us out and sends the Warpers to sweep us up.

[ actually that is exactly the reason dave is willing to allow dirk to come: he kept his promise not to interfere with a memory. this is that, on a greater scale. ]

Probably. But the bottom line here is it doesn't super matter how careful you are. It's not really about skill or anythin'. Hell, I doubt I could avoid it if the thing got in my head, even though I could avoid most of the other shit that'd attack me by just steppin' out of time.

I get what you're saying, and the hypothesis has its evidence. At that point, the challenge becomes trying to figure out how to keep the ocean out of your head. [Which none of them have managed. Ha...]

Which we've nixed as a thing we're willin' to experiment with.

[ or. dave would, but he's pretty sure they'd break dirk in the process, so he would...not............. ]

[There's the. Little moment of quiet.]

It should be my job. It's a soul.

[He won't. He knows Dave won't let him. But it is his aspect. It feels like his responsibility.]

And you mean that how, exactly.

[ he's trying to figure out if dirk misunderstood what he just said or not. ]

[Why does it feel like he's about to be scolded.]

I mean that it should be possible for me to learn how to block it from taking over people. If I encountered it more, learned how to fight off its effects, I could maybe take it. A God of Heart should be able to handle a planet's soul.

[But he isn't good enough to stand between them and it.]

You missed my meanin'. Rose heard the song. I was sayin' if we learned to overcome that shit, we'd probably be better off.

[ however: examine the last time they fucked with the song. ]

Don't go pokin' the hornet's nest without a plan, dude.

[Oh. That.]

We... can try it. You can try it on me. I should be able to resist it easiest.

[Heart player and a sense of responsibility. This is what he's for.]

I'm not going. You've lectured me out of chasing down boss fights. [A Planet Soul: literally the biggest boss fight possible, let him do it, he wants to. He must resist.]

[ EYEBROWS RAISE. ]

So, to clarify, you're sayin' you'd be fine with me remixin' that shit and potentially settin' you on attack mode again.

[ like. they could also maybe do it the other way around but that sounds really fucking dangerous when dave regularly pulls his punches and doesn't actually try to hurt dirk in a strife. he uses his time abilities to annoy and confuse, never to actively harm. he's never frozen his brother in a strife. ]

It would have to be me, right? So it will be me.

[This is not the same as being fine with a thing; this is the same as Dirk deciding he needs to be decapitated to end a fight.]

You're not ok with that, though. It fucked you up last time.

[ which is specifically why dave never suggested it before ]

...But yeah, I would have to say we should maybe avoid makin' me actively fight you if I'm not there to spot-check myself.

[ he kept himself from freezing dirk the last time, with the kharaa. ]

[Dirk doesn't say anything immediately. He is trying to decide what is right, instead of what his impulses lean him towards. Eventually:]

Let me think about it. Then we can talk? It might... not be appropriate that I fuck myself up to try to do this. [Even though he wants to. But it's like Dave: he would break all his rib bones for an experiment, but he couldn't bear seeing it done to Dirk. Dirk couldn't accept Dave fucking himself up for an experiment.

So, he should think about it. Decide if he really can, or if he can't.]

Like I was gonna accept you sayin' "yes" without that. If you can't give me some pretty damn good reasons, we're not doin' it.

[ regardless of how certain dave is that he could keep dirk off his back for the time limit that'd existed last time. granted, he'd insist they be way far away from everyone else, and he'd have to remix the song, but.

it is by no means worth it if it hurts dirk, especially when they don't even know if it'll work. ]

There's no guarantee it's even a thing that could be a thing. If nothin' else, it might be worth it to start on the, uh, happier songs. We don't have to go a million miles an hour - though I don't know if those even worked on people. Didn't want to check.

[ mind control is not his favorite thing? ]

This is so not what we were originally arguin' about.

There's a bit of a gap, yeah.

[The ball is in Dave's field on that, though. Dirk was the last to try to make a point there.]

You're not usually the one to use a distraction technique.

[ yeah he

still isn't really comprehending this was a point in the whole. argument they were having? oops. ]

That wasn't a distraction.

[Dave. Oh my god. Dirk like. Actually looks blank at him for a moment.]

You think I'll choose other people over you. I'm telling you that I won't, and that I just did not do that exact thing. I promised not to spread information without your okay, even if I really wanted to. And I didn't. I wanted to tell people, especially Jake. It's been somethin' I've been uncomfortable sittin' on for a week now. But I chose to keep the promise I made to you on this.

I chose you, Dave.

[

oh. ]

I just assumed you would. [ tell people. dave didn't even bother to believe in the promise dirk had given him after the first time. that had never had anything to do with restoring any amount of his trust, if it even had been restored to any degree at all. he'd just worked around the lack, telling dirk whatever he thought he had to or needed to and not allowing himself to consider where it might end up.

maybe he should start thinking about it again. ]

My first thought is I shouldn't've told you, because it's upsettin' you to know and not tell. [ may as well just say exactly what comes to mind. ]

I'd rather have your trust than comfortable ignorance.

[No hesitation.]

That's the choice I made. I don't regret it.

It's not like that's a necessary component to me tellin' people shit.

[ he can force himself to share certain things even without it. it's how he treats a lot of his updates on day-to-day shit. ]

I don't really want to sit through a scheduled amount of tolerated torture any more than you probably do.

I'm aware of that.

[Painfully, and often unhappily. He tries not to dwell on it too much; he knows it isn't good for him. It's like dwelling on Jake's hideously low self-esteem. He helps where he can but he really shouldn't torture himself with it.

Sometimes, he does anyway.]

I don't want to put you through torture either.

I meant you, dumbass.

[ in case that wasn't clear. obviously, the concern here should be for dirk having to sit through tolerated torture? not dave? ]

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