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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Either or. I'll actually eat whatever gets put in front of me, although I do think pineapple on pizza is a little eh. [ but. he'll still eat it..........especially if other people want it more. dave, what the fuck. ]

Learn to do the windy thing. Grace us all with Eau d'Egbert, the only cologne for the forward-thinkin' man.

Then what about a compromise of extra cheese and light on the pepperoni? If we're getting my pizza education on and whatever sticking with the classic choice isn't a bad idea. [He lifts an eyebrow.] That sounds kind of dangerous, Dave.

[Also? What?] I don't know what that means. That sounds sort of gross though? [Fragrances are not something he wants a hand in what the fuck.]

I am always okay with extra cheese, and we can even get pineapple on at least half if you were for serious about that.

[ ALSO, LOOK, YOU'RE NOT TO THAT YET BUT LET IT BE KNOWN DAVE STRIDER IS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL IDIOT and would die before ratting john out on anything ever ]

You do windy stuff. It's not gross, it's actually kind of fuckin' cool, and I'm pretty sure you were like our...rpg party tank, or whatever.

That sounds good. [John didn't you just. Okay, whatever.

What in the fuck I hate this comic and I hate this friendship AUGH.] We have time, I'm not going anywhere. Probably.

[He looks a little pleased though, dorky grin slipping to his features once more.] I've always wanted to be a party tank. What does that make you and...whoever else is in our team? Do you know yet?

Me? I'm support. [ DAVE...but that's how he views himself. ] Or a reset button, take your pick. But I'm more a lightning bruiser dealio. And the rest of the team would be Rose and Jade.

Whoa, really? [Look at this idiot full of surprise. That's not what he would expect at all.] You must be good at it if all of us survived...whatever we were doing! Like the guy who swoops in last-minute and helps us save the day. [John...but he suddenly opens his eyes, sitting up a bit to give Dave another curious look.] ...Jade?

[He's starting to grasp vague memories of Jade, but nothing concrete. Enlighten him, Strider.]

Green eyes, glasses, overbite. Into science. She's your sister slimeways, or...was your sister slimeways, I guess somehow only Rose'n'I got linked at birth post-whatever-this-was unlike everyone else. I mean, Dirk and Roxy, but they weren't genetically related to start with, even though they look mad similar.

But yeah, the time player is a reset. [ AT THE COST OF THEIR LIFE, BUT HE JUST FAILS TO NOTE THAT PART ]

Harley. [He remembers the name. The description is clear in his head even if he doesn't...remember...the slime thing and what the fuck, Dave.] I have never met her, but I. An island? She lived on an island and the four of us used to chat all the time, didn't we? Or is that wrong? [This is all very weirdly interesting to him.] And if Dirk and Roxy aren't genetically related how are they related now? Maybe it doesn't matter. Jade's here? She's the childhood friend you mentioned?

[There's a slow nod at the time player explanation though.] Our load screen savior so we don't lose all of our progress. Depending on our last save point. That sounds complicated.

No, that's right. And yeah, she's here. She was born here, unlike the rest of us, and we've known her since we moved here? And I dunno how Dirk and Roxy are related now. I mean, technically they are slimeways our parents? Mine and Rose's, I mean. But here they're our older siblings? Which is, like, cool. I don't mind it? But it is a thing that makes no goddamn sense if you squint and tilt your head and try to apply logic to it.

[ HE DROPS THE RESET BUTTON THING, SINCE NO ONE NEEDS 2 KNOW ABOUT TIME PLAYER DEATH REQUIREMENTS ]

So what you're saying is that all of this is really, really stupid and we should just avoid applying logic at all. I think I can do that. [There's a slight snort because that's. Sure something.]

Think there's any way to jump ahead a few steps and remember everything right away?

The easiest way to remember shit, as far as I can tell, is to have people blatantly share specific memories with you in detail.

[ ...dave has given up trying to do that on people, as such, with...most of the things...since no one needs to remember "everything", he's 100% okay being the only one who remembers certain things?

dave this is not your decision to make ]

But it kinda happens at whatever pace. Some people have it go slower, some faster. I'm on the faster side, myself. [ understatement. ]

[Okay. This makes total sense to him and it's for that reason he's absolutely trusting Dave on this. He knows that Dave probably would be forthright about something like this and doesn't think to question the possibilities just yet.]

What about everyone else you--we--know? Are they on the faster side, too? Is that why you know so much? You've been talking to them.

Ehhhh. [ the truth is, dave...has kept like over half his memories secret. it was over half at the three or four month mark, and now like half a year later it is...

significantly more than that. ]

I do talk to them about some shit, but not all the shit. As far as I know I'm the quickest, with Dirk fallin' somewhere after me, then a descending scale. This other guy I know says they're pickin' on me. Retrospec, I mean.

[That's not reassuring. He doesn't call him on it yet but he's also lifting his eyebrows before letting them drop back down.]

Maybe it's a Time thing. [That's not how that works.] Maybe you're regaining at like 2x speed and that's why you have the most. The Retrospec people probably know don't they?

I mean, probably. They had files on us, but those were of our lives here - and I mean, I assume they still have them, but this was a while back - this dude who ain't around the network anymore broke in and got them, and that was weird. I just kinda assume they know everything, it's easier that way.

[ MAY AS WELL START OUT PARANOID, HE FIGURES, ]

I'm not sure whether or not it's a time thing, but I have got back other shit faster, too. If "got back" is a phrase I'm allowed to use here.

That's really reassuring. Just what I wanted to hear, somebody I've never even met knows all about me. […] You don't count in that situation. Just so you know. Never mind.

[THIS IS FINE.] If it was something that was taken away, then I guess you would get it back. Like what? Besides the eyes.

I'm glad I'm an exception? [ because that sure was a split-second moment of swooping stomach nerves, but MOVING ON. ]

Uh, I'm fast? Like, really fast. And I can do some time shit. And use a sword. It's welsh.

[ the welshness is important, dave GUESSES? ]

Oh, and my sylladex.

Well yeah. We're friends, aren't we? [He doesn't know that those words might have more of an impact than he means for them to, but they're sincere nonetheless. He has no reason not to believe any of this now that he's witnessed it and even if he doesn't understand it, he's at least happy there's someone like Dave around that can explain it.]

Why's it welsh? [WHY IS THAT THE QUESTION. But he blinks in surprise as he tries to remember...any of this.] Sylladex. [He seems to be mumbling it like he's trying to understand.] Can I see it? The sylladex, not the sword, but maybe the sword, too.

[ SHOT THROUGH THE HEART, AND YOU'RE TO BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME but seriously though "we're friends, aren't we?" like it's the simplest thing in the world is just like oh. okay. dave didn't need his heart or anything and it's not like he'd die to make sure that keeps being a thing, we're chill. ]

We're friends. [ firmly and then moving on like it wasn't the most important thing ever - ] Apparently only a welsh thing can kill some big bad guy, maybe, I'm not clear on that - as to the sylladex, you can. Maybe see it? I'm never sure how much of it is an abstraction only I can see.

[ WHAT DOES THAT MEAN - but at least he can pull out his strife specibus card, and he does that, simply out of apparent thing air ig. ]

I have hash-map modus, which is...a trial, sometimes, but I've mostly got it under control. Had practice, you know. [ he hands over the card: 1/2 + bladekind. ]

[With the matter of friendship settled John's more intrigued by all of this weird past-life bullshit, making a face at the idea only a welsh thing can kill some big bad guy. It's clear that he doesn't have all of those memories yet, but he recalls enough that he's not startled when Dave just starts appearifying stuff.

Instead, he leans forward to take the card and he flips it over, studying the back and everything.]

All of us had different ones. [Is it a statement or a question, we don't know.] Different strifes and different moduses. [And then suddenly he looks at Dave and narrows his eyes.] I did not suck that badly at stack.

[He definitely sucked. He definitely remembers he sucked at his original modus.]

Dude, yeah you did. Like you were by far the worst of us at sylladexes, and that's sayin' something. [ DAVE, THE KID WHO ACCIDENTALLY KILLED A CROW (no one will ever know) SAYS. ] You did ok with hammers, though, so I guess that worked out.

[ hope you like hammers dude! ]

I can't believe I thought hammers were a good idea. [More like "I can't believe I listened to Dave Strider and allocated a hammer to my strife specibus" but he doesn't remember the full extent of the conversation. Dave is saved by John being clueless.]

Does it ever get easier? Working with only part of your memories and not the rest. This whole thing is giving me a headache because I know what you're saying is true, but I do not remember everything I should remember about these things.

[ HOPE YOU LIKE HAMMERS, DUDE, and yet dave will not elucidate him re that ]

Ah...I think it depends on what kinda person you are, and what you've remembered. It can be killer not having context for certain things you did or said, especially when they seem...bad. Without context. Like...hurting someone, and not wantin' to, but knowin' you had to, but not knowin' why you had to? I think it helps in those cases to have someone around who knows more, but I can't be sure, since I generally have known the most and so that is mostly me sayin' I hope it has been helpful to have me around in those cases sometimes?

[STRIIIDER!!!

On the other hand even if Dave's not helping him there, John can't help but take his words seriously. That's the tricky thing about memory, he thinks, that you don't always know what pieces will fit where and how to avoid certain things from happening. He has bits and pieces and while he doesn't think anything seems bad yet, the fact that Dave is specifically mentioning it gives him an idea that it is entirely possible.]

Even though we just met. Re-met. Whatever, even though I just started talking to you again today you have been confusing and helpful at the same time which is better than just being confusing. I don't know what would have happened if I started discovering all of this by myself before talking to anyone else. It probably would have been okay, but at the same time I think I might have freaked the fuck out so. Thanks for having my back on this. You're helping at least one person.

I'll always have your back on anything. [ doesn't matter what, doesn't matter when. maybe it'd be different if he didn't halfway know john and didn't have a thousand feelings saying he has to be there for this guy come hell or high water, but dave's pretty sure even if he hadn't remembered enough he would have done the same, although maybe he wouldn't have said it. ]

I think I would have gone mildly insane if my sibs hadn't gotten the app at the same time as me, even if I have arguably gone mildly insane post that.

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