lucybox | slams hands on table best friends

slams hands on table best friends

[ dave strider ends up choosing cinematography to study because, fuck, why not? it's almost graduation when he finally decides, and it's sort of at random. it's not that he doesn't like video-taping shit (he does) or that he isn't into special effects and sound stuff (he is) but there's a lot of shit dave is into and he wasn't sure how to translate that to college. he loves music; he loves dance; he's really into the film shit and his shitty comics, but he definitely can't do art because the shitty comic quality isn't shitty on accident. but he consults with his siblings and he thinks about it hard and he makes a decision.

and god, it was easier to be excited about that decision before memories and past lives and powers came into play, but it's still kind of cool. dirk hated college but dave likes the idea of it. he likes the routine normality that it seems to suggest, the way he feels kind of grown up and like a half-competent adult when he packs up his shit and heads off to university. it's still in the city so it's not like he's really gone, but it's enough of a distance to allow him to pretend.

these days, somewhat to his surprise, dave wants to pretend. rose doesn't remember a thing about anything going on and his parents probably never will, and it's strange and too much like playing pretend every day to live there. he can't tell them about anything. he can't even tell roxy, because he doesn't want to mention most of the things he knows to anyone. even the tiny things are seeming more and more dangerous, because then it's just a chain of memories, all the way down the line, and eventually they'll all remember the shit he doesn't say, but -

but. well. he can, for now, pretend to be an ordinary kid at college. he has a schedule? he has a mini fridge. he has a room, and he's carefully pinned up a few posters and sorted all his things. he's mindlessly listening to music with his earbuds in when the door opens, and he tracks the movement even behind his shades and sits up. ]

Yo - [ he's absolutely never met the guy who just waltzed into his (their) room but dave absolutely knows him. he reflexively reaches up to adjust his shades. okay. shit. that's john egbert - or...someone? maybe his name is different? but it's john, egderp, the dork who really likes mc...whatever and hates cake and who gave dave these shades, once upon a time, and he's here and really a real live person and ok dave maybe stop staring you're being weird.

shit he's in kindergarten again? how the fuck did you make someone your best friend back then. did you just go up and say "mine" and call dibs? does someone else have dibs???? can dave fight them for dibs -

STILL STARING, DAVE ]

Uh, [ internal screaming ] I'm Dave. Sup.

[ an attempt was made. i guess. ]

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[So. This was the day. This was the day he'd been counting toward since the last day of high school and in a way it was maybe a little surreal that it was finally here. When the subject of college first came up, John hadn't quite been sure of where he wanted to go. It was never a question of what he wanted to do. John was a simple sort of kid who had a few varying interests that all seemed to tie in together.

Luckily for everyone he's ever known, he started taking a more serious interest in his future around the time he was sixteen but it was never a do or die sort of situation. It was always just "this is how things are, and this is what I should be doing."

'Go to college, John.' All right.
'What do you want to learn about, John? Something interesting.
'Pick a major, John.' Okay.

Film, in the end, is what he decided on. His grades weren't the best but they were passable and it was enough to grant him admittance to a university further from home than he'd anticipated. Recollé wasn't exactly his first choice for a college, but the longer he read about the city the more he realized it was maybe a little more like home than he thought. RU had a decent cinematography program and John would have preferred to live in a city than go to a college in the middle of nowhere. He didn't have any friends he was severely attached to so there weren't any tearful goodbyes. These days, he spent more time to himself running his shitty movie review blog and counting down the time until he could make the journey to his new home.

...then again, maybe he should have thought about bringing more than the two suitcases of stuff he had. When the door opens Dave will see that this is, in fact, John Egbert standing in the doorway somehow maneuvering two large rolling suitcases with a dufflebag over his shoulder and a small pastry box tucked under his arm. In this lifetime or another this is still John Egbert with the stupid gelled, messy hair, the same bright blue eyes and rectangular glasses, black Godzilla shirt and khaki shorts and easygoing, oddly relaxed John Egbert...

...who has never seen this boy before in his life. Are the sunglasses normal? People actually did this? Ah shit, is this one of those guys who thinks he's cool? (It's hard to deny that somehow he does make it look a little cool...but he won't admit it.) It's the staring that gets to him though. He's not sure what it is, but for the time being he remains standing in the doorway like he's allowing Dave all the time in the world to stare at him.

Which, haha, that's weird? It's weird, and yet for whatever reason it instinctually makes sense to him. It's only when Dave actually introduces himself that John grins. Yeah. Same stupid teeth, too. This is, for all intents and purposes, Dave's visions come to life.]

Hey. I'm John. [And with that it's like everything is normal again as he moves to tug the suitcases into the room, frowning a bit as they both get stuck in the doorway instead of. You know. Dragging one in at a time. Whatever.] I guess it's just you and me this year. [Which. Duh. But he's still a little curious about the staring and he's not sure how to ask, so he ignores it for now, turning his attention back to the suitcase situation.] If it's too bright out you could close the shades.

[#helpful]

[ okay his name is john perfect just be careful not to fuck up and call him egbert, although that's - shit, is that on the door outside? did dave totally miss seeing that? he's such an idiot he could have prepared for this and had some witty one-liner that would totally convince john-the-dork to become his best friend then and there.

predictably, dave spends about five seconds wishing he could text rose for advice, but that would be even weirder than his current staring-at-john thing, which he can't stop.

too bright out? why would it be - oh, shit, the shades, right. but he can't take them off without his red eyes being in full display, and he's far enough into the psyche of once-upon-a-time dave strider that he's kind of reluctant to lower the barrier. ]

Nah, I mean, that's not a big deal. My eyes are pretty sensitive to light, I get headaches and shit if I go without the shades, but they work well. I have a doctor's note?

[ oh my god you moron could you blurt your fake cover story for the eyes in a less believable manner?????? ]

I take 'em off to sleep but not much otherwise?

[While he's busy struggling with his luggage Dave can continue to stare. Eventually though he gets into the room and drags all of his stuff across the room. The suitcases get dumped on the bed as does the duffel bag, but the pastry box goes on the floor. He's in the process of opening one of the suitcases when Dave speaks up again and he tilts his head just slightly, peering at him from the corner of his eye.

...there's a small laugh at that, like he's unsure of what to say, but at the same time he does genuinely find it a little amusing.]

Not sure about that? [Okay Dave. He doesn't even seem to argue that. If Dave's eyes are sensitive, then Dave's eyes are sensitive. John's vision is probably shitty anyway, where does he get off thinking it's weird?] Totally fine, whatever. [He's fine with this, going about his business as usual as he's sorting through things and more or less just dumping the first suitcase on his new bed.] The weather's not sunny much where I'm from so this is new.

[ oh my god dave you absolute idiot you could have! helped him with the luggage! a perfect chance to show off your good side ruined. dave...actually swings his legs off the side of his bed and stands, slouched, hands nervously jammed into his pockets after a second. he still has one earbud in, and the other dangles, moving when he nods. ]

Cool, cool. You from [ washington? ] somewhere more up north, then? I was born in Texas, myself, so like. This ain't as sunny as I grew up with, which means I at least freckle less? For some damned reason I did not inherit the tanning genes. I'm not sure my family actually has those genes, but if we do, I didn't get 'em. Do you want some help with any of that?

[John...well okay. John isn't exactly clever all the time, but John is capable of picking up on things he feels like paying attention to. Often times John is off doing his own thing and letting people do their thing and that's how everybody functions best. At the same time, John has always been a little skilled at being able to pick up on the nuances of people. As such, he doesn't pick up that Dave's radiating nerves but he figures the guy doesn't sit still much.

Sort of the same way the guy likes to talk. A lot. Truth be told John himself had been a little wary about moving in with a roommate because sometimes people were weird. He tends to get along with most people, but it's much better to be in a situation where his roommate actually seems to take an interest in him.]

Seattle. [To answer the question.] Rains most of the time, snows the other part and the sun shows up whenever it decides to give enough of a fuck. [And because he doesn't think it's a huge deal:] This is the first time I've ever left. I've lived there my whole life so Texas? [Shrug.] Sounds kind of cool.

[As to the other question...nope. Nope, the suitcase goes upended and the contents spill out, clothing mostly followed by what looks like a shitty base-model smartphone. Why the fuck was that in his suitcase? We just don't know.] It's okay. It's going to be just kind of putting everything away. I didn't bring much. [But his eyes shift to the earbud that's still in Dave's ear and he moves right into a question of his own.] What're you listening to?

[This is apparently "get to know the roomie" time, even if said-roomie knows way more about him than John even knows about himself.]

Listening to? [ it's said completely blankly even as whatever-it-is plays in his ear because dave's still watching john like he might disappear (he thinks the shades are sort of disguising how absolutely intent his gaze is) but after four seconds thirteen milliseconds it clicks. he reaches up to take out the other earbud and offers them and the iphone over - ] Oh, wait, shit, you might not wanna use these I guess? I don't have over-the-ear headphones on me, um. I can hook it up to my computer if you want? It'd nbd [ he says the acronym aloud, like a fucking moron ] just a thing I mixed.

[ wait. is it like...conceited? to listen to music he mixed? shit. ]

I mean, my sister's stuff is in it, too? We collab'd. She did violin for it, I did some keyboards, that kinda thing. It's just what came up on my playlist? Do you do any music stuff?

[ piano, he thinks, but it's not like he can be sure if that's the same from then and now, even if rose does the same exact things she used to. ]

[The shades are definitely disguising it, or, at least, enough that John doesn't notice even if he's aware Dave's attention is mostly on him. He looks at the iphone curiously and he's about to say that he actually doesn't care that much especially if they're going to be sharing a room and dealing with each other for the whole school year, but again, Dave keeps talking.]

Sure. [Hook it up, he means. It's the first thing he says before there's another little laugh.] Can't believe you just said that. [It's...also weird. In a way it feels familiar like maybe Dave isn't the only person he's met who verbalizes his acronyms but he shakes the idea off. He's more interested in the rest of it anyway.] I've never met anyone who mixes their own stuff. Are you a music major then?

[His eyes slide just past Dave like he's actually looking for mix equipment, but even so he shrugs at the other question before picking up a pile of t-shirts and heading for the empty dresser that belongs to him.] I do a little music stuff, but nothing like that. I haven't in a few years. [And he doesn't think to elaborate.]

Nah, I mean, it was an option? But I'm film. I mean, not...well, maybe directin', I haven't really decided yet. I'm takin' a lot of the sound and effects course shit, and I'll decide when I get there.

[ if he does, since dave isn't entirely certain something won't stop that (memories and powers and weird shit happening, and no way to stop it) but there's none of the fatalistic resignation in his voice even if he thinks it quietly to himself.

he moves over to his desk, opening his laptop and tapping in the password and waiting for it to catch up. it doesn't take him that long to set things up, hands moving a little too fast before he catches himself, making himself work at a normal speed. the computer loading times can't always keep up with him, anyway.

at least dave focusing on the computer means he isn't Staring still, okay. ]

My bro taught me how to mix when I was a kid, though he doesn't really do it as much as I do, these days. Why haven't you done music shit in a while?

Sweet, me too! [He doesn't seem to mind his enthusiasm in saying such because wow, that's awesome? It's totally awesome to not only have a roommate who seems very okay so far but also someone studying what John's thinking about sticking with. It makes this whole "zip across the country for the first time in his life and figure out things in a new place"...thing a lot easier.] Not that other stuff but film in general. I think directing would be cool but I like editing.

[Since he's busy dicking around with the dresser and trying to shove everything into the way-too-small drawers, he also fails to notice the frantic movements of Dave's hands even if he hears the clatter of keys. Guy must be a fast typer. Wow.]

So it's a family thing. [It's easy to make note of the little things he's learned so far about Dave Last-Name-Unknown-So-Far. Idly, he wonders what it's like to have a sibling.] Classical training doesn't really mean much in the long run, so I quit to do some other stuff.

For piano? [ it flies out before he can stop it, and the music is queued to play but dave pauses before hitting it, silently cursing himself. no, stick to the script, stick to what you should know - ] Or like, some classical wind instrument? I dunno if I ever cared about what "mattered" in the long run for the arts. I've done dance since I was a kid, but it ain't somethin' that's gonna get me that far. I mean, maybe if I actually focused on it, but -

[ a shrug. ]

What kinda films are you into? [ don't say romcoms ]

[Ah.

He has his back to Dave for the moment and his hands are buried in a pile of t-shirts, but there's a definite pause when Dave questions his instrument of choice. Was it that obvious that it was something like that?]

Uh. Yeah. I've been playing since I was a kid. [And he's good at it, but that also goes unsaid because...well, it's not as cool as mixing your own music. John doesn't really have an interest in being cool but at the same time it's nothing important. Dave will come to find that this is just how John is, eager to engage with people and learn about them but only saying enough at a time unless it's something he's really enthused about.

Piano? It's calming and he can probably play in his sleep, but that won't make him friends on his first day on campus. Not with someone like Dave who comes from a family with siblings and mixes his own music and somehow makes the sunglasses indoors thing work. So instead he finishes cramming his clothes in and finally shuts the drawer, leaving it half-open even as he moves for the duffel bag. Like. There's still a shit-ton of clothes on his bed but he's unzipping the bag anyway.]

I'm totally not coordinated enough for dance, so you beat me there. Anything else I should know, Mr. Cool? [John what in the fuck are you doing. It doesn't take him long to pull out what is very clearly a movie poster and he's unraveling it to reveal...a movie poster for Cloverfield. At least it isn't romcoms.] I've been watching a lot of foreign monster movies lately, but the new Alien that came out a little while ago was pretty good. And the new Bladerunner should be really awesome. [...yeah that whole bag is filled with movie posters. Good job, Egbert.] I like a little of everything? There's no such thing as a bad movie because even the bad ones are good at being bad.

[ joke's on you, john, dave pretty desperately wants this kid to like him and genuinely wants to hear everything, regardless of how cool it is or isn't. he remembers enough to know john egbert isn't cool - except he is, in every way that matters. that stupid birthday letter with the shades - he reaches up, adjusts them again out of a habit he wasn't born with, here, but has adopted - and every conversation he's managed to get and can you miss someone you never met to dirk.

but he's had a few minutes to regroup and while he doesn't smile wide - he doesn't usually - there's the small quirk-upwards at the corner of his mouth that counts as a smile for dave strider. not that john is really familiar with his body language. ]

I dunno, man, everyone can dance if they find the right beat, or the right people to dance with? I find it's easiest to do it with like, friends and family. Y'know. People you have fun with. Though it can help to dance with people who, like, know how to dance. As long as they're good enough at the fancy footwork to avoid elephant tramplin' on the feet, anyway. [ however dave can say this because he is actually really coordinated. thanks dave.

please don't nail those posters to the wall john ]

Also? False as fuck, there is totally such a thing as a bad movie. You've clearly never seen [ con air ] Failure to Launch.

[ why...........are you trying to pick a fight, dave. but he's pretty sure that's how it went: mock john's dumb movies, get mocked back, and everything inbetween the basic parry-thrust mockery of friendship. ]

Matthew Mcnonny [ HE CAN'T EVEN SAY THE LAST NAME, WHY ] is basically only good for lookin' super punchable?

[John isn't familiar with anything about Dave at this point but that doesn't stop him from falling into ease with him as he nudges aside a stack of shorts with his foot to stand on the bed. Luckily, this John thought this through better and has a roll of scotch tape that he's pulling from the bag, too. Now the new challenge is unrolling the poster, getting it to lay flat, and taping the fucking thing.]

Yeah, okay. The last thing I think I ever want to see is my nanna trying to crank that. [Please don't pull a soulja boy, Nanna.] But I get your point even if you just went back on it a little bit. [Stop curling back up you piece of shit poster, why!!!

But oh. He turns his head slowly and lifts an eyebrow, almost looking fairly insulted.]

Mcconaughey. [But there's another cheerful grin shortly after.] That movie was fucking awful but it was still good. And you've clearly never seen Interstellar. [In a normal universe John probably wouldn't have either.] It's probably harder to punch somebody in a wormhole.

[ he earns a tiny smile that basically functions as a blatant grin for dave, and dave clicks play on some Sweet Jamz by himself and rose (keyboards, violin, and techno - why this) before going over to john's side of the room to reach out and hold the top corners of the poster. he's fairly good about personal space in that even when nearby he kind of keeps out of john's bubble out of...good manners? habit? hard to say, but at least he'll lend a hand, okay. ]

I dunno, I bet I could figure out a way to punch someone in a wormhole. That's not like an impossibility challenge ratin', it's just makin' shit interesting enough to keep you involved, y'know? It'd be like my ultimate quest: my fist meeting McNaughty's face.

[ okay, he fucked it up that time on purpose, though, there's no other way. ]

All the background characters would be like shit, when will our saviour come, the dude who will rearrange that already kinda broken nose on that questionably rugged face to some variation of less "come hither and punch me now" feel, and then they'd see me and be like damn, there he is, look at those knuckles. The knuckles of my fist. All like, furled for the punching. Which would then obviously take place, possibly to a full on bass track blaring?

[Even if he doesn't seem to acknowledge it, he's listening. John downplays it but John knows music and it's easy for him to pick up the sounds in the mix, picking apart the strings and the actual beat, able to correctly pinpoint what notes are what on the keyboard portions. It shouldn't sound good but...it does, weirdly.

He also doesn't seem to mind the assist.]

Thanks, dude. [And with that he's getting to work on taping up his poster.] Sounds like a dangerous quest, but obviously you've already worked out how you're going to get to a wormhole in the first place, so it'll be a piece of cake. Are you sure you're up to the task? Punching the great face of Matthew Mcconaughey?

[Don't be a jerk, Dave, but also John's testing his own limits already.] You'd need to add an epic guitar solo for the full effect. This isn't bad, by the way. [He looks away from the headless statue of liberty toward Dave's computer.] I kind of thought maybe you were exaggerating a little.

I mean, I didn't claim it was good or bad, although I like to think I'm a pretty decent hand at mixin' shit and whatever. It'd be cooler if I had more parts to work with. Violin, bass, piano. [ he thinks he used to do that, maybe, but he doesn't remember the songs. maybe someday he'll get to remember nothing but remixed music pieced together from songs his friends sent over, instead of his apartment in texas with the guy who looked like a not-so-much-older version of his big brother.

that'd be sweet. ]

As to punchin' Matty - yeah, I'm definitely up to it. Absolutely I'm the kinda guy who knows how to throw down and win. Totally spent my childhood gettin' into strifes and not just bouncin' around doin' whatever. [ true / not true. it wasn't true before the start of this, but he remembers enough now that it is true even while it's a blatant lie said in a wryly sarcastic tone even as he continues holding the poster in place. ] If you can tear yourself away from your mancrush on him you can totally play the guitar riff for me. It'd be, like, a bonding exercise. We're supposed to do those according to every college movie cliche, aren't we?

Edited 2017-05-05 21:00 (UTC)

[There's a nod to show he's listening even if he doesn't verbally respond, pushing his glasses up with one hand while also tearing off a piece of tape as Dave chatters.

It feels weirdly comfortable. Sometimes people ramble and John, awkwardly, doesn't know how to respond. But this all seems to be generally okay and he wonders if Dave is like this with everyone.]

Strifes like. Fights? [He seems a little uncertain but okay. Maybe he should be concerned? Nah, it'll probably be fine.] Shut up, it's not a mancrush. Jeez. [But he's almost fondly shaking his head as he's taping down the last corner of his poster.] If we're going off of every college movie cliche we should also be using that music to pick up girls.

[But he turns, appraising him for a moment before he nods again.] I'm self-taught, but I could try? I mean not just because of bonding exercises or whatever but it could be cool practice playing to mix into something. Projects are fun.

I think we should also be takin' some kinda ill-advised road trip. Possibly to pick up a girl? And possibly avoidin' a homicidal maniac. It depends which sub-genre of the college movie cliche we're knee deep in, here. Horror? Romcom? Tragic Nicholas Sparks flick? Shit, I guess Imma have to die if that's it, or someone else is. No one ever survives Sparks, he's almost worse than the horror genre in terms of life expectancies on characters.

[ what is dave even saying. he's not sure, he's rarely sure, he just kind of lets his mouth operate on automatic while the rest of him does whatever. people always take it differently. rose lets him talk himself out and comments or mocks him as she likes, dirk listens and seems to give a fuck, roxy laughs and throws the chatter back. it's almost never serious shit, because he sticks to the light and absurd when he has a choice, but it's almost constantly there. when dave's quiet and not at least murmuring to himself something's up, because coolkid or not he constantly keeps himself occupied and reassured and distracted. ]

I'd like that. [ understatement. circling back around to the offer of a project. the poster doesn't need him to hold it up, now that it's taped down, so he jams his hands in the back pockets of his jeans to keep from drumming out a rhythm on his arms or legs or showing other overt signs of nerves. ] Y'know, give me somethin' new to work off of. Love Rose though I do, I'd like new shit to mix in - Rose is my sister. Rose [ lalonde ] Strider, you'll probs see her at some point, though she's like, an English major.

According to the laws of all cliche college movies we have to wait for spring break for any kind of ill-advised road trips. If it's a horror movie though, I guess we can shoot for December. [There's a teasing grin.] You gave me shit about Mcconaughey but you know enough about Sparks? Lame, Dave.

[But then again he's fine with Dave shoving his hands in his pockets. The other posters in his bag are smaller and easier to handle and he's getting better at unrolling them to tape up. A small Pacific Rim poster, one for Alien, one for Die Hard and one for Pulp Fiction. He's decided this is the route he wants to go. He can multitask.

Besides, if he's honest, the chatter's nice. Thinking about it back home he didn't have a lot in the way of friends that were this chatty, just people he hung out with sometimes and got along with. Home was quiet, too. It's one of the true reasons he was so excited to leave even if there was a slight amount of guilt in doing so. It was complicated but nothing he needed to mull on much. They're still learning and John in particular is still learning what parts of Dave's commentary to answer and what parts just to accept.]

Sure though. I don't have a guitar here so we'll have to borrow one but the campus seems pretty big. There's probably a music department. [Probably. Or he could play the piano but again for some reason he doesn't seem too gung-ho about offering up that idea just yet.] English majors are really smart aren't they? Maybe I'll see her around or. [...well. Okay. Would Mr. Coolguy Strider want to hang out with his sister? Part of him thinks that if he had a sister he would want to, but that's him.] I don't know. Maybe all three of us could hang out or something.

[Okay. Say something else.] ...Egbert. [...sure, John. That works, too.]

Nice to meet ya, Egderp. [ teasing. ...IMMEDIATELY REGRETTING THE TEASING BECAUSE WHAT IF WITHOUT YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP MAKING FUN OF NAMES LIKE THAT IS NOT OKAY? dave is a lowkey disaster in the sanctity of his own mind like all the time. he pretends he isn't second-guessing everything he says to shrug like john's suggestion is not a Huge Deal and like he wouldn't 100% ditch everything else in his life to hang out with his sister and his past-life bff. ]

We could do the hangin' thing. She's pretty much the best. [ even though dave can't talk with her like he used to, he still loves rose ~~lalonde~~ strider with every fiber of his being. ] She's also extremely smart - the kinda smart where she's sharp enough to cut you and spill your organs across the kitchen floor, and smart enough to talk you into cleanin' them up yourself.

[ ... ]

I somewhat regret that metaphor, so like, movin' on here. Knowin' Nick Sparks is totally not lame, since I do not enjoy Nick Sparks. You can totally know shit you don't like?

[And a liiiiift of the eyebrows. There's a few moments where he's settled for staring at Dave instead of saying anything.]

That's going to stick, isn't it. [Ugh. He should have seen that coming. He's not upset about it, but at the same time it tugs at the back of his head again that there's something he might be missing here. He doesn't know what and he doesn't know why, but the way that Dave's been addressing him this whole time is...different.] Just don't call me that around Rose.

[And he's moving away from the wall to empty out the rest of the duffel bag now that the posters are gone. Its contents appear to be a small laptop, a few DVDs/blurays, and general everyday items so he doesn't need his full attention there.]

So what you're saying is that the homicidal maniac we have to escape on our epic road trip is your sister. Gross. [But you know, moving on is a great idea.] And you can not. Knowing shit about stuff you don't like still means you're putting in effort to learn about the dumb thing. Why would you do that?

[ oh thank goodness when he finally says something dave's shoulders slouch in released tension and there's that tiny not-quite-a-smile again. ] You have to admit it's clever.

[ he's being, probably, too familiar. because he is. and he can't help it. so many of his memories have been absolutely terrible or absurd, but there are some good ones. rose, of course, and the familiarity of his twin sister is always a blessing in memories. dirk, though dave hasn't remembered much of him in person. jade. the various other people he felt fondness for but hasn't learned much of. and john.

rose and john and jade were the sun at the center of his universe, he thinks, and desperately he wants that back and has missed it ever since he realized it was missing. rose is still here, but different. she doesn't know. john doesn't, either, but he wasn't here at all and now he is and every single memory and feeling he's scraped together about john egbert makes him want to trust the guy completely and follow him around like a puppy and rag him off to rose and jade immediately. that'd be how things were supposed to be. all four of them together doing pretty much anything. ]

Also, no, if we had to escape Rose we'd basically be dead meat, re: the horror movie thing. [ DON'T SAY RE: ALOUD ] And obviously the reason you'd learn about the dumb thing would be so you can defend your viewpoint on it bein' a dumb thing against people who think it's not a dumb thing?

[ ... ]

I'm a reformed internet troll. Maybe minus the "reformed", sometimes.

Is that what we're calling it? [There's a light hum but this time since he's facing him he can at least see the not-quite smile. It's something. John, as it were, likes making people happy most of the time even if he also likes making fun of people. Nothing should be taken too seriously except for the things that should. (It makes sense to him and that's all that matters.) Seeing Dave kind of smiling makes him feel like maybe he's doing this whole "good roommate" thing right.

More or less he wants to climb the ranks from being "amicable" to "friends" and learning to speak the Strider way is something he'll pay attention to for as long as he has to. Dave likes stupid references and casual cutting remarks. John likes those things, too, even if not to the same degree. It's something he can work with even if the abbreviation earns another roll of his eyes.]

I bet I could outsmart your sister somehow. She's never met the great John Egbert, master of mystery and blahblahblah. [John, shut up.] You know that whole thing sounds dumb, right? But that explains a little.

[And back to the pile of clothes. This is going to keep going for a while even as the pastry box gets scooted to the side on the floor and his laptop balances precariously off the edge of his bed.] I've met a lot of trolls in the last couple of years. Some of them can be pretty hilarious, especially if you point out their point is dumb. [Just saying.]

Okay, I'll literally pay to see you try to outsmart Rose. [ it's not an impossibility, but dave finds teasing his sister fun - he's like a cat on the edge of a cabinet, shoving a china bowl off to see it shatter on the floor. there's only trouble to be had from poking at rose (except not really because she loves him) but he can never stop doing it. or encouraging other people to do it. ]

And I've done the same thing? I mean, it's not hard, the trolls flock to me. My blog gets lots of hits from random web denizens tryin' to start flame wars they can't handle, and SBaHJ gets hit up with that kinda thing, too. Though the fan followin' will do the trollin' back for me sometimes.

[ save every universe from dave strider's comic please ]

[I'm glad we made it 24 comments before a cat metaphor came up, I am proud of you. Anyway, it's not like John knows. He can see the challenge in that and he knows saying "no" isn't something he wants. If the whole thing also means spending more time with the Strider siblings then that's what it'd take.]

You're on. Just wait, it's going to be the most awesome plan to come together to outsmart someone I've never even met. [You know what. He's just going to plop on the floor in front of the dresser to cram his shorts and jeans into a drawer.]

What's your blog about? [Probably more "cool guy" stuff but it's not like John's going to go search for it or anything when Dave isn't looking??? (That is absolutely what he's going to do.] And the other thing. You have a fan following? Really? [Ah yes, and there goes Dave dropping Gs again. Just more things for John to be aware of, he thinks.]

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