Dealing [Closed to Black 2-A]

[fracturedsoul]

Characters: Dirk, open to roommates
Format: Starting in prose, feel free to switch
This log is: closed
Location: Black 2-A, early morning Wednesday
Summary: Introspective bullshit, smuppets
Warnings: Language, smuppets

Sleeping may be a thing Dirk has to do in Rakuen, but that doesn't mean he's going to go without a fight. He stays up late and wakes up early; while he's never actually freaked out by anything -- he doesn't get freaked out, he doesn't -- there's something viscerally uncomfortable about the process of dreaming. He never did it before last Saturday, not the way most people do, and he doesn't like it.

So he's sitting awake in his bed, putting together another smuppet, bed covered in like half a dozen others that he's finished in the past few hours. The lights are out and he's working by moonlight alone, pointy shades resting on top of his head to help him see just a little better. It's peaceful this early, being the only one awake -- almost like back home, which, while lonely, is what he's used to. It's relaxing, and he needs to relax after all the stress he's been through in the past few days. The stress of being trapped in just one body, of having bits and pieces of his memory inaccessible to him with seemingly no rhyme or reason, of being surrounded by trolls and alternate universe siblings, of that clusterfuck of a battle the day before, of Crocker arriving and being sent over to Conquest and instantly bonding with that Feferi bitch --

Wait, when had that happened? It hasn't even been a week since Dirk arrived, so another train shouldn't have... Oh. That was just a dream he had. Fucking Christ, how do normal people keep this shit straight? He rubs at his eyes with his fingers.

He's up from midnight until like six. Surely no one will bother him. They're all asleep, right?

Comments

[knightime]

Dave didn't like sleeping. He learned this quickly after the first week. Most of the time, they weren't so bad. But they've been getting worst. It could be because he's been getting into more trouble. Or maybe it's because John was in a coma. Both Johns even. Or maybe he should finally admit to himself that he's biting off way more than he can chew. And maybe he should finally admit that he's tired. That he can't keep battling constantly.

But that isn't possible. He was the Knight of Time. This was nothing right? The point of SBURB was to keep fighting.

Honestly, ever since Dirk arrived. Dave was careful about sleeping. Only because he didn't want the other to know.

His luck was horrid though. It was only a matter of time.

Like now. Dave didn't scream (he can't). But he can wake up shaking and in cold sweat. He keeps his breathing even though. He's had enough practice to do this without waking up the others in the room. Dave sits up, taking his shades off to rub at his face.

[fracturedsoul]

Dave sitting up is impossible to miss. Dirk lowers his shades and glances over out of the corner of his eye without turning his head. He doesn't pause his loving and gentle craftsmanship, holding a phallic foam nose onto the puppet's face while he waits for the quick-drying glue to take effect. He also doesn't say anything.

From what he's observed over the past few days, Dave isn't going to want to talk about whatever is bugging him. And Dirk is totally okay with that. He wouldn't want to, either.

[knightime]

Dave is pretty sure Dirk is awake. If the other isn't going to talk to him, than he wouldn't say anything either. Haha, not that Dave ever starts conversations.

He does swing his legs over the bed and considers absconding to the roof. That seems like a good idea.

It would make things less awkward if only because he doesn't have Dirk's watchful eyes on him any longer. At the same time, he wanted to go back to sleep. He was tired. He just doubted he'd get to sleep at this point.

Dave finally gets to his feet.

[fracturedsoul]

He's not going to stand up and follow Dave if he leaves. It would disturb his very delicate artistry. But he does keep his eyes on him.

He should at least say something. He still feels responsible for Dave's state up until the previous day. "You just got out of a coma," he says in a low tone, so as to avoid awakening the others.

[knightime]

Dave fumbles for his PDA, Dirk's PDA lighting up as he sends a message.

what???
gonna read me a bedtime story???
im just heading to the roof
ill go back to sleep after

What a bullshit lie. Both of them know Dave isn't probably going to be sleeping for the rest of the night.

[fracturedsoul]

As soon as he sees Dave grabbing his PDA, Dirk picks his own up off his bedside table. That's one advantage of wearing sunglasses inside at night with all the lights off; the bright light ain't no thing.

I just don't want you to fall and break your head open on the stairs.
Or fall off the roof.
Being the only one awake right now I'd probably have to clean that shit up.

The glue is dry, he verifies with an experimental tug on the dong nose, so he sets the smuppet aside. He can apply the colorful outer fabric layer later.

He's still watching Dave.

[knightime]

if i fall and die
itll be on my own head
you dont have to worry or anything
plus
we kind of just get sent back to our beds like it wasnt even a thing

He feels his throat constrict slightly. The feeling of being cold and falling into an endless abyss. No, he was getting swimming lessons. That won't ever happen again. He knows how to get himself out of water.

Dave is always glad he can't speak at times like these. He doesn't think he could say anything with how he's feeling. He hates the thought of breaking his poker face because his voice betrayed him.

[fracturedsoul]

Yeah, but it's still gonna make a mess.
Whatever, though. I obviously can't stop you.

As much as he wants to just say Get back in bed, dicknuts, you just got out of a coma. It's not his place.

[knightime]

if youre worried about it
ill clean it up myself
seeing as thats the only thing that seems to be bothering you

Because Striders don't feel right? Why should Dirk care about him. Just because he has the Strider last name doesn't mean there's any actual connection right?

[fracturedsoul]

Honestly, the name means less to him than the fact that there's some very weird connection between the two of them. What would a family name mean to someone who had never had a family to begin with? That aside, despite what he told Bubblecup the other day, there's just something about Dave that he likes.

And he hates seeing people he likes get hurt.

I'd be a little more concerned if death lasted here. But it doesn't.
See you later.

He could offer to accompany Dave. But he's pretty sure Dave doesn't want that.

[knightime]

Dave didn't even look at the other as he made his way to the door, opening it quietly and closing it just as silently.

death is just bullshit anyways
whatever im outtie

It's probably freezing cold at this time, but Dave doesn't particularly care. Sure he'll freeze his ass off, but it's honestly better than staying in that room at the moment.

That, and he gets to just think over everything. And by that, he kind of just lets his mind blank as he avoids whatever emotional confrontation he continues to avoid.

[fracturedsoul]

There's nothing Dirk can say besides an outright Don't go that will make Dave reconsider (if that, even), and he's not going to say that because it's stupid.

Welp. Smuppet time.

[knightime]

Usually when someone says they're gonna go chill on a roof at such a ridiculous hour, they'd be back within an hour. Especially with the weather still being fairly cold.

And Dave, being the Texan he is, probably didn't even like the cold.

It's been two hours.

NOW i am creepin on striders

[greenspaces]

Jade actually loves sleeping. But it's the nightmares that plague her, even more so with an entire room to herself and no one to curl up to after a long night of shaking and screaming. So she's come to the Black dorm - her old home - to find Dave. He's not there -- and she panics, just a little bit, because her dream was about death again. And maybe he really did die this time, curled up in some corner with no one to save him. But then she realizes he's actually curled tight in his blankets, and feels a little silly. It was just a dream, after all.

She takes a deep breath just as she notices Dirk lurking in the corner.

"Um."

Far from being upset - she can't really bring herself to hold grudges, not when Dave wouldn't want her to - she felt a bit awkward. He was a Strider, right? Striders cared, deep down, no matter how impassive they looked...right?

"I was having nightmares." She looks steadily at her toes. At least it's dark enough that Dirk can't see her flushed face. "I came to find Dave, but he looks really comfortable. Can I...talk to you instead?"

Creeper creeper

[fracturedsoul]

Dirk's just finished tucking Dave in when Jade shows up. He looks over to her, curious. At least she seems to have gotten over being upset if she's actually asking to talk to him, even if it is only as a backup to Dave.

"Sure. Let's step outside." No use waking Dave up with their voices -- or anyone else, really.

[greenspaces]

She nods -- don't want to wake the sleeping Strider, he's so cute -- and carefully opens the door again, stepping out into the hallway. Jade leans against the wall, crossing her hands firmly over her chest. There's no reason for Dirk to stare at her scars, she thinks. He might ask questions, and then she'll have to answer...a slight sigh. She should have thought to put on bandages before she left.

Of course, the idea was to go find Dave, but...Jade feels bad for yelling at him. She should apologize.

"I'm sorry," she tells him, as soon as he gets out into the hall.

[fracturedsoul]

Once he's out there and closed the door behind him, she says that and he's a bit surprised. "Don't be. I wasn't sleeping, anyway."

He studies Jade through his sunglasses. Just what kind of a person is she, anyway...? She'd been furious at him, but now she's asked to talk to him about her bad dreams. She must be close to Dave... Actually, she reminds him a bit of two other black-haired, bespectacled kids his age.

"You wanted to talk? I can't promise I'll know what to say."

[greenspaces]

"I mean for yelling at you. I know that you wouldn't actually hurt him, I just..." she looks off. "Got really worried. He's one of my best friends in the whole world."

It's probably because she's reminded of Dave that she thinks he'll listen to her. "I just wanted to tell someone about them. The dreams. Do you have scary dreams?"

[fracturedsoul]

His face remains impassive, but shit, that's touching. Dave's lucky to have someone as hard-headed and sincere as she is. "Oh, that. No problem. I understand completely."

He's not sure how to answer at first. "Not really. I've always been awake on Derse, so I never had actual dreams before I came here."

[greenspaces]

"Me neither. I've always been awake on Prospit, so I never had bad dreams...and then I came here, and everything was scary. I died, back at home."

Carefully, she uncrosses her arms and is quick to hide her hands behind her back, wringing them a little. "Do you miss your best friends?"

[fracturedsoul]

Dirk's eyes briefly flicker down to her arms when she hides her hands behind her back; fidgety, isn't she?

"Yeah." He's actually been thinking about how lucky the players in Dave's session are to all be here together. "You died. You mean completely?" Not just her dream body, like...

[greenspaces]

Definitely fidgety. She covers it up with an awkward smile. "Technically I never existed. Which is kind of like dying, but worse, because no one remembers you. Prospit was always really nice, though. I loved it there."

But the smile fades. Prospit. She'll never see it again -- her clouds, her golden tower. It's a painful memory: the streets with all of her friends, happy smiles on their faces, holding her hands and braiding her hair. She was their Witch, their Princess...and now they're gone.

There's a long silence, and her hands finally stop wringing themselves together to cover her eyes. She's not going to cry in front of him. She's tired of crying.

[fracturedsoul]

He doesn't want to watch her cry, and even if she isn't mad at him anymore he figures crying in front of him is gonna be uncomfortable for her, too. So he half-turns away from her, turning his head to look at the opposite wall.

"It seems like it would have been." A bright, sunny place for people like Jane and Jake. And Jade. "You never existed? A statement like that must have a pretty interesting story behind it. If you're up to it, I mean."

[greenspaces]

"I don't mind telling you. You should probably know, since you are going to play this game too... I'm fine." She's fine. She tells herself that, sniffling one last time before removing her hands. Jade reminds herself that she didn't cry as much before. She should know better. It's silly to be scared of something that might not even happen, something that couldn't harm her here if it tried.

She's fine.

"John died, and I never got into the game. So I spent four months wandering around on earth, it was really lonely. But then Dave knew he had to go back in time to save John, so I didn't exist any more. Neither did Rose."

[fracturedsoul]

Dirk doesn't really know how to react to that. That's pretty goddamn terrible. He'd tried to account for every variable, think up a possibility for every situation, but if one of his session's players just up and died -- and not just their dream body, but for real -- he still doesn't know what he would do. What could be done. They don't have a time player.

And then, he thinks... When they all figure out this city's big secret and find a way back home...

What's going to happen to Jade?

"I'm sorry to hear that." Though it's true, there's little emotion in his voice. "It's good that he was able to fix things, but I'm sure even knowing that doesn't make things better."