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. ]
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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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.]
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[ 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?
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[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.
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[ a shrug. ]
What kinda films are you into? [ don't say romcoms ]
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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[ 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.
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[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.]
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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
lalondestrider 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?
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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?
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[ 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.
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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.]
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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 ]
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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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My blog is about...kinda whatever? I had an entire series on posts about Tony Hawk at some point. Mostly how I think he should retire? [ THE ELDERLY SHOULD NOT SKATEBOARD. ] And like game reviews and reviews of game reviews and random shit. But yeah I do have a fan followin', for my webcomic? Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff, it's not super popular so you may not've heard of it.
[ please read it and quote it with him he distinctly remembers jokes about sbahj. but he will (try to) play it cool. ]
People actually buy shirts from it and everything? And not just my brother, although he buys a lot.
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I have definitely never heard of it. [His tone is light like it's not a big deal but he's absolutely committing it to memory. When Dave isn't around for John to embarrass himself he'll search for both blog and comic for himself.] But that's pretty sweet, seriously? Most of the webcomics I know don't have merchandise or anything at all. [And since it's a decent segue and John's curious:] What's your brother like? If you're the cool guy and Rose is the smart one.
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Dirk's three years older than us - so's Roxy, she's our older sister. We're two sets of twins. [ which people usually find weird or interesting but dave is just...used to. his voice, generally a texan drawl of a monotone, is a little more lively when he starts to talk about his family. for, like, a strider. ] Dirk's into robotics and he's kind of a fuckin' nerd but he'd do anything for the people he loves. He's also super into [ HORSES ] chocobos and that kinda shit? He's like hella smart but he's casual about it, except he uses a bunch of bigass words like everyone else in the family, I guess. Roxy's brilliant in a science-y way and loves cats and basically loves everyone in general.
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What's clear here is that while Dave's chatting about the Strider siblings he's utterly fascinated to hear all of this. Even as he's putting things away he has his body half-turned toward Dave so he can see and hear everything. It's enough to give him a clear idea who the Striders are and they all sound...really great. There's a grin that's not quite as bright as he matches names with descriptions and realizes they're all, from what Dave says, smart and interesting people.]
You're also probably the first twin I've ever met. Two sets is pushing it. [But at the same time he doesn't make a big deal of it.] They all sound pretty cool. [There should be more to say to that, but he just wants to hear Dave chat about what makes him happy.] I don't have any siblings so this probably sounds like a lot of stupid questions, doesn't it? It's pretty quiet where I'm from.
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is this the guy who'd give him the shades and tell him he might actually be as cool as he thinks he is? (the kicker is he doesn't even think he's cool, he just says he is, talks himself up. he used to kind of jokingly buy it, but recently he's not sure)
or is this someone else entirely? he can see where the lines match up, but he's not sure what differences are waiting to be found. there were things that were different for him, too. ]
I mean, I'm sure I have just as many questions about the only child life? Like, how the fuck do you get out of chores. What's it like havin' your own room all to yourself. Etc.
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But seeing how he's on the floor and not-quite folding his clothes the right way, it's safe to say that he got out of chores somehow.]
Well, now that I'm here I'm not going to know anymore. [But sharing doesn't seem bad.] Back home it's just me and my nanna, and she doesn't really care much about what my room looks like since it's just my room. She takes care of a lot of stuff though and I help out with whatever she asks. [Maybe those weren't serious questions, but it's on his mind now.] She's the one who suggested I apply here in the first place.
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