rakuen | Dealing [Closed to Black 2-A]

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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I know. I wish there was a magic spell that made people happy when they needed to be! Dave could use a smile." She giggles a little halfheartedly, leaning against the wall. "Both of them.

"I don't really know. Probably drawing comics, or making music. But I think the things he's sad about are things that you can't fix with stuff like that."

"...yeah. Stuff like that might make someone happy for a moment, but it won't solve the underlying problems." He turns back to face her again. He might not know her very well, but her situation is actually very distressing. He'd love to have a magic spell like that. Something that could make everything better for everyone.

"I knew Sburb wasn't just some ordinary video game, but it looks like I underestimated its possibilities." Honestly, he'd just assumed that most of the trouble they'd face would come from the Condesce. "There's still a lot I have to learn. It's not very often I can say this and have it be true, but I don't really know what to say here."

"It wouldn't solve anyone's problems. It might just make them sadder, if we tried to fix things that they didn't want to be fixed. That's what happened to me, for awhile."

She nods at him. There was a lot for her to learn, as well -- so she understands the feeling of helplessness. But it's not in her nature to let people linger in uncomfortable feelings, so she tries to reassure him. "I think you can do it. You're going to win! Especially if you're a Strider. Striders always do good things."

In the darkness, it should be difficult to make out the slight change in his expression, the upturned corner of his mouth on one side. Striders always do good things. Were there others back home? Family members he can't remember? Dave or Sis, or someone else entirely?

"My last name is about as relevant to this game as rainbows are to Rose Lalonde. It's not like I can do a damn thing without the other players. But I do appreciate the show of faith."

Even though she's trying to act positive, part of Dirk's already-overwhelmed mind has now been assigned the task of figuring out how to help her. He'll need to find an excuse to ask Dave how this time shit works...

"Rose would look really pretty wearing rainbows." She believes that, too. Rose is beautiful in the same way that John and Dave are handsome and they're all her best friends, so she doesn't mind saying it.

"I wish I had gotten to play the game. I was looking forward to helping my friends."

He'd meant that Rose couldn't see them, but he doesn't bother to correct her. "You're here now, at least, playing this other game. You can help them now."

"I'm going to. I'm going to find a way to let them go home, so they can all be heroes."

And then what? But he doesn't pose the question directly to her. He can tell it would upset her.

"They're lucky to have you, Harley."

She's already making plans to either stay here or go back and cease to exist. Preferably the former.

"I'm lucky to have them."

"Damn, if I didn't know any better I'd think you all went out and rolled in a bed of four-leaf clovers." Sounds like Dirk and his three best friends, honestly. "Are you feeling better now?"

"What does that mean?" She's confused. Striders never make any sense.

"I'm okay. I'll probably go back to the closet."

"It means you've got something good going on."

Wat. "The closet?"

She points at the closet down the hall. It's a little dark, so it might be hard to make out. "I live in there. Well, I just sleep in there a lot. I like sleeping in there."

Dirk just stares. Well, it's not his place to judge. "Just so you know, we do have a free bed in our room if you'd rather stay there."

"I've got a bed! It's just in the prefect's dorm, and I don't have a roommate. I miss Vriska."

She shrugs.

"I figured you did and there was just some reason you didn't want to use it. It'd be a pretty careless mixup on the staff's part if you didn't." Dirk shrugs. "Up to you. If that's what you prefer, go for it."

"I...want to stay with you. But only for tonight, okay? I should learn how to sleep in my bed." That's what Vriska says.

He smiles just slightly, barely enough for anyone to notice. "All right. C'mon in."

She's right; it would be best to toughen up and sleep by herself. But accommodating her for one night won't hurt. He turns to lead the way back into his room.

She smiles back at him, liking this idea. Liking the whole sleepover thing. She's never had sleepovers before coming here. When they enter, she looks at Dave and sighs -- at least he looks content. Jade's already in her pajamas, so she walks to the empty bed.

"This one?"

"That'd be the one." He should probably lie down and at least pretend to sleep if she's going to be in here; he doesn't want to distract her and keep her awake. He shoves the smuppets off of his own bed.

"Sweet dreams."

She touches the bed -- can she really sleep in it? -- before nodding, carefully sitting down on the mattress. Slowly, she lies down on top of the sheets.

"Goodnight."

Dealing [Closed to Black 2-A]

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