rakuen | The water line begins to rise

Entry tags:

The water line begins to rise

Characters: Dave Strider and everyone ever
Format: Any/Whatever
This log is: Open
Location: Mostly Pool; But eventually Black 2-A
Summary: Despite being told otherwise, Dave still goes to work. He ends up buying memory charms and heads over to the pool to try and swim a little. Swimming at this time of year is stupid. Dave thinks this is incredibly stupid.
Warnings: Sad attempts at swimming, stupid Striders, feelings everywhere, language, and whatever labels you can attach to a Strider, maybe mentions of death

The best way to keep his mind off things? Ignore it completely. It was such a useless tactic. Something that would backfire on him eventually, if it hasn't already. It's becoming more obvious that sleeping is becoming harder for him to get. And with that small memory charm tucked with his other ones, he was beginning to wonder if he should just yank it off and leave it off somewhere. At the same time, this memory was something that belonged to another Dave. A memory he didn't seem to even own. It scared him and confused him. On one side, it couldn't be that he had forgotten it. His Sis was alive and well. She was a message away on his PDA. On the other, he felt like something was amiss. Whenever he thought about it, it hurt. In many ways. Well, mostly in the form of a headache. But his heart ached too. It left him slightly panicked. Even if Bro wasn't who he grew up with, it was still a version of Sis. A version that died. And it freaked him out. It just added on to whatever else plagued his mind.

He got up early (did he even sleep? he can't remember) and headed to work. Things were always slow and mostly mundane. He liked it that way. Just letting whatever music played in the shop to distract him for those few hours. While he was weary, it was nice. He stopped by the shop. Recette wasn't there, but the mayor instead. Weird. He left with two memory charms. He wasn't sure who would get the second one yet, but he knew where one of them was going.

Of course, instead of giving it to said person, he ended up redressing and headed to the pool. The lake was still somewhere he refused to approach. Of course he's still scared. Even if he denies it otherwise.

He threw the towel to the side and stood at the shallow end of the pool. He just stared blankly. Dave must have looked so awkward. Skinny and pale and covered in freckles. His trunks, a bright red that contrasted strongly with his skin. He finally put a foot into the water and almost wanted to go back to the dorm. Holy shit it is balls fucking cold. Who the hell actually enjoys this bullcrap??! He grit his teeth and finally settled into the water. He could at least tread water to some extent. Actual swimming? Not so much. Oh, dog paddling. If you could call his sad excuse of paddling as that. Most of the problem?

Dave didn't want to dip his head into the water quite yet. That feeling of suffocation still lingered in his mind and he was still trying to ease himself into it. Treading water is really fucking hard to do when you're shivering your ass off. God, he's already considering getting out again. Why is it so goddamn cold? Isn't spring supposed to be warm or something? Dave never ventured too far from the shallower side, but he was getting better. Even if it was slower than he hoped.

If you hadn't caught him at the pool, you'll probably catch him heading back to his dorm, shivering under his towel and smelling strongly of pool water. A hot shower and maybe he can get to sleep tonight.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Dave has probably been at the pool for a while when Dirk decides to go take a swim. It's cool out, but that's nothing he can't handle. He's been here a week and he's practically itching to go swimming. A pool isn't quite his style compared to under... under... flooded ruins, but he'll take it.

Wearing a pair of school-issued trunks, Dirk comes up to the side of the pool and stops when he stares down at the clear liquid. He hasn't noticed Dave; rather, he's distracted himself and is now lost in thought trying to figure out what this wet stuff is called. Shit. He knew it once.

Oh come on. Like he needs Dirk to know that he sucks at swimming. Not that anything he does can really go under swimming. Maybe flailing in the water sadly. That's pretty much as far as his knowledge goes. Basically staying afloat.

He considers trying to get out and abscond without the other noticing, but water makes noise. He really doubts he can get out of the water without Dirk noticing. So...he'll just tread in the spot he is, observing the other behind his shades. This is so awkward.

He continues to stare for nearly a minute. Fuck. H₂0. Dihydrogen monoxide. Liquified ice? Frowning and gritting his teeth, he rubs the side of his head with his right hand, perhaps drawing attention to the shitty tattoo and even shittier JPEG artifacts etched into his shoulder.

It's only then that he notices there's actually someone in the pool. Oh. Shit. Did he just momentarily lose his cool? In front of Dave? Again? Dirk schools his expression back into a blank stare. "Hey."

Dave watches the other. Okay, he knows water can be pretty cool and all, but the other is spending a crapton of time just looking at it. Oh. Hello. Those tattoos look horribly familiar. Why do you have those etched into your skin? That's kind of...yeah, he has no idea what to say about it.

He tilts his head slightly in greeting. What? You think he was going to just say hi back?

A wave would be nice, at least.

He watches Dave watching him. This is awkward. It is pretty obvious how uncomfortable Dave is around him, for whatever fucking reason, but it's not like he can just avoid the kid. They're roommates. And Dirk really, really wants to go swimming.

Fine, so be it. He steps back a few feet, takes a running leap, and cannonballs into the deeper end of the pool. He does wonder why Dave is staying so close to the shallow edge. They were from the same part of the world, it seemed; who lives in fucking Houston -- or, well, above it -- and doesn't know how to swim?

He's still trying to figure you out, okay? And if he were honest, it freaks him out that you exist. That there's so many parallels between their lives that he doesn't get. He wants to know more. Curiosity. But that would mean returning back to finish the session.

Oh, of course Dirk can swim. Now this is even weirder. What is he supposed to say if the other asks? Well...huh. That's a lot more complicated now that he thinks about it. The other doesn't know how to sign. He can't speak. Wow, this is basically the most awkward swim ever.

Hey, Dirk knows Dave can't talk. And no one would be stupid enough to bring their PDA into the pool. Right? That makes this pretty damn awkward, but a growing boy needs his exercise. He's not going to let his muscles atrophy into nothing while he's stuck here. If Dave has a problem with it, he shouldn't have gone swimming.

Dave can swim. Right? Dirk tries not to stare at his roommate as he begins paddling laps from one end to the other.

This is more awkward than that time he broke into a flooded apartment and found a stash of sex toys. That's how awkward this swim is.

Dave is only here so he can get better at swimming, seeing as he sucks majorly at it. This is clearly embarrassing. Not being able to swim at his age. Okay, no. It wasn't like he needed to learn how to swim. He wasn't expecting to be stuck on an island with crazy head prefects.

He watches the other swim a few laps. Shit.

This might be a good time to abscond...

The longer Dirk's in the pool, the more awkward this gets. It's not Dave, though, right? What is there to be awkward about around Dave? It's probably just the whole... being around other people thing. It's not something he's used to. It's weird. That has to be it.

So at around the same time Dave is considering turning and running, Dirk makes his way to the ladder at the edge to climb out.

Dave makes his way over to the edge. Ugh. Maybe he'll decide to bring ASL club back sooner. They were right about always relying on his PDA for communication. He kind of just splashes some water towards Dirk, trying to get his attention before motioning for the other to come over.

God, what was he even doing.

As he's climbing out, he notices Dave splashing. Huh, that's... like the last thing he was expecting. Dirk stares, and the sick ink on his shoulder stares with him. He drops back town into the water and makes his way over to where Dave is.

"Judging by your little splashing duckling routine, you wanted my attention? What is it?"

Dave gently grabs Dirk's hand and uses his index finger to trace letters into Dirk's palm.

'Yeah. Wanted to ask how you learned to swim.'

Okay. That was a bust. He meant to ask if the other could help, but he kind of chickened out at the last moment. But...well trying to learn about the other wasn't so bad, right?

That's.

Weird.

Besides that time carrying a bundled-up Dave back down from the roof, and the fights he's been in, Dirk hasn't really touched anyone since he's arrived. Which means he hasn't touched anyone before. Period. Robots don't count. The feeling is alien and it sends a chill down his spine. He almost jerks his hand away, but partway through the first word he realizes what Dave is doing.

What kind of a question... He cocks an eyebrow quizzically.

"I taught myself," he replies simply. "I live in probably the same high-rise you say you lived in." As if that should be answer enough. It should, right?

Dave freezes up a little. Shit. Should he had not grabbed the other? Was that a bad thing? This was a terrible idea. He knew it was. Fuck. Fuck.

Oh he answered. That means he can keep doing this right? While Dave has had a lot more human contact than Dirk. It was usually in the form of strifing, not this. He was still getting used to this to some extent.

'Other than public pools? There wasn't really any large bodies of water around the apartment. I don't know what you're implying you know. Not everyone really cared to learn how to swim in Houston.' That strikes him as odd. Dirk made it sound like swimming should have been something he should have known how to do. But given the area, swimming was probably a leisure more so than anything else...

Still weird. Still so weird. He tries to keep his cool, but a hint of how uncomfortable he is makes its way onto his face.

He mouths the words as Dave traces them to help himself keep track, and that cocked eyebrow shoots up so high it's just about left Dirk's face. "Okay, Dave, one of us is missing a pretty huge memory here, and I am pretty sure it's not me. The area surrounding the apartment is nothing but one large body of water."

Because it's not like he remembers that other people just don't live in his time. So when else would they live?

Woah, hold the fucking phone. He is damn sure the entire city is smack dab somewhere in Texas. Away from water.

'Uh. Okay, that's basically bullshit. Before meteors decided to get too rough with Texas, I was surrounded by other buildings. Houston is pretty much in a sea of buildings and concrete and land. I don't know why you're surrounded by water, but I am positively sure I was not surrounded by water before I entered the session. Maybe shit is different, but I basically would not suck at swimming as much as I do if I was surrounded by water 24/7.'

Ugh. Shit. Well, now he knows that he isn't really a swimmer. It was kind of obvious, so whatever. He pauses before adding on.

'I can stop. I feel like this is basically as uncomfortable as having something shoved up your ass. Or you're just making faces at me for the hell of it.'

Oh boy. More words. If there is one thing Dirk is loving here it is all these words Dave is spewing at him. Words words words. He focuses on just deciphering them to keep from freaking the fuck out. Because a Strider -- whatever that means, he's the only fucking one from his world -- doesn't freak out.

"This is such bullshit. We were doing so well with all of these coincidences up until now. Where did we go wrong?"

At what Dave has to say next, he sighs and covers his face with his free hand. Facepalm. "No, whatever, it's fine. You can't talk, I can't read minds. It's not your fault I was a fucking shut-in until I wound up here." Dave had gone and spilled his secret about not being able to swim, as obvious as it already was, so Dirk feels it's only right to reciprocate. Plus he feels he should offer up some excuse for suddenly spazzing out like a moron.

'One of us is forgetting something. I have no fucking clue what it would be, but apparently it's something. Guess we'll have to go stock up on some memory charms. Well lucky for you, there's one in our room waiting for you.'

Oh hey. He somehow threw that in smoothly. Yep. That isn't worth questioning. Just tossing that out there.

'If it helps any, me talking is standard issue.' He's not self conscious. Nope. He's fine being mute. No problems whatsoever with it. 'Don't think any of us are really social. Kind of horsed around on the internet a lot.' And his relationship with Sis was strained at best. They weren't exactly social and it didn't help that Sis tended to not be around a lot at times. He was kind of just used to staying on the computer. Didn't really care about making friends with kids who saw him with a disability.

"Wait, there is?" Dave had gotten him a memory charm? That surprises him. He's sure Dave is uncomfortable around him. "Thanks. When I've got the dough I'll return the favor."

Hah. It figures that that's another connection between their two sessions. At least some of the players being complete social failures who never get out and only socialize online. Although Dave at least has a sister, so that's odd... But he's not going to push the subject. "Yeah, the whole apartment being surrounded by an ocean thing? I'm basically the only human being for hundreds of miles."

And there's that foggy feeling in his head. Instinctively, he wants to say Roxy is the closest person to him in terms of physical distance. But are there really no humans living anywhere closer than New York?

'Yeah. Looks like you're popular. Don't worry about it. I just had money and I don't do that much with it anyways.' He doesn't really care if the other does or not. He didn't buy it so Dirk felt obligated to return the favor or anything. He just knows it's annoying to not have your memories. Speaking of which. Seven weeks and he's only gotten one back. Eh... He isn't forgetting anything important anyways. Probably. Right?

'Ocean thing? You mean water? You're surrounded by water?' Seeing as Dirk tends to speak a little more intelligently than ocean thing, he's suspecting what one of the memories Dirk can't recall. Wow, this place sure does like taking water related memories. Wow.

"You're speaking a foreign language, Dave. That or your hand's started shaking, which I absolutely cannot blame you for. Should've known no one could handle skin-to-skin contact with Dirk Strider."

Because he didn't use the word water earlier in this conversation and he didn't take it totally in stride when Dave did also. That didn't happen.

Dave can't help but grin a little. 'Oh my god, dude. It made you forget a word. This place basically just went at a dictionary and used white out and selected a word at random. Let's replace dictionary with your brain though, and there we go. You seriously can't say what this is can you? What fills up this pool.' Sorry man. It's kind of funny of how useless and ridiculous a memory like that can be, yet be so annoying at the same time.

"Uh." Wow, it's kind of embarrassing how ridiculous this is. Letting out a deep breath, Dirk just sort of sinks a bit lower into the liquid surrounding them, whatever it's called. Of all the words Rakuen could have picked. Seriously? "Yeah, no, it's a mystery. I mean, I could call it dihydrogen monoxide but who does that except four-hundred-year-old smug assholes trying to prove a point in Congress?"

'I spent a good while calling jade and john that guy with the buckteeth or the girl with the glasses. This place basically takes some really important shit or some really stupid as fuck things that just makes your life difficult. Be glad you didn't forget you can't breath water.' Poor, poor Lemina...

Dave was shivering slightly. Augh. It's getting cold in here.

"Breathe what?" Dirk's mouth quirks to one side in confusion.

He's shivering a bit too, from the cold as well as Dave's weird hand-spelling shit. "Look, I'm gonna go. Maybe that memory charm you said you got will clear some of this stuff up, or at least tell me what all this weird aquatic stuff is."

He pulls his hand away from Dave's, and it suddenly feels naked. Well, it is naked, since shorts are all he's wearing, but that isn't the point. Once he'd gotten over how strange the sensation was, it had actually felt kind of pleasant. He probably needs to practice not being a failure at this, come to think of it. If the entirety of his human contact consists of dragging Roxy's drunk sleepwalking ass back to bed -- not a very intimate thing, really; he's never actually touched her skin and wow fuck it's so creepy to actually be thinking in those terms -- how is he going to maintain his composure when he finally deals with the whole Jake issue?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 4

The water line begins to rise

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

pretend he didn't use the word water a few tags up goddamn

LMFAO OH RIGHT YOU DID USE IT...huh. WELP /pays attention

I RELY ON YOU TO KEEP ME FROM BEING STUPID. YOU'VE FAILED ME.

YOU ARE RELYING ON AN IDIOT. THIS WAS BOUND TO FAIL

If only we hadn't gone all night without sleeping...

#Good life decisions #nope

no subject