lucybox | ty wants to see dave put his foot in his mouth

ty wants to see dave put his foot in his mouth

[ today in alternate reincarnation aus i guess: what if instead of john egbert walking into his college room, his Destined Roomie (tm) it happened instead like this?

dave and rose don't really go to parties that often. it's not that they're opposed to socializing or anything, it's just not their Thing. dave is more likely to spend his free time dicking around on the internet or bothering his siblings and friends. the only changes memories have caused is an occasional interest in being alone. rose - well, rose tends to have her own things, and like dave she seems to be perfectly fine without the College Experience of parties. dave's pretty sure roxy is the only one who really actively seeks that kind of thing out, and that suits him fine.

so he's not really sure why he and rose agree to go to this party, except it's being thrown by a bunch of rose's more nerdy friends, people she's met in classes that dave doesn't take. and, well, if rose grabs dave's arm and tells him he has plans, dave is more likely than not to go "yeah, okay" or at least to let himself be dragged along as he protests and argues the entire way there.

he expects to try to stick to juice (he will go into people's fridges without worrying, whatever) and to chat with people randomly, and maybe if he's lucky there'll be fireworks, since this is supposedly a fourth of july thing?

he does not expect to recognize someone and he does not expect to need the mouth-to-brain filter that only sometimes functions periodically and so he kind of freezes up, points at his best friend and says ]

Dibs. [ louder than expected, although at least some people are drunk enough to just kind of snort and move on.

...rose laughs, pats his arm, and ABANDONS HIM, the lousiest excuse for a twin sister in the world (he would kill and die for her) and dave flounders. ] I mean - shit. Shit, I can't save that one, oh my god. Is there a convenient balcony to fling myself off of.

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[Dave has the help of his shades to hide his eyes. John, unfortunately, doesn't and so when Dave delivers the given name he isn't quite fast enough to hide the look of recognition. Of course that's familiar. But why would Dave know that? Better yet, why does John know that?

It doesn't exist. It does exist?

He stops walking when they're in the next exhibit room, ignoring the stragglers exiting for the next portion of the planetarium and giving Dave an unsure look in response.]

You're. Really hung up on this windy thing, aren't you? [The tone goes up a notch, especially because. You know. The windy thing. He rolls his eyes and there's another haphazard smile as he picks up pace again to examine different types of space rocks.] Last time I looked I hailed from Seattle, not Wind and Shade Land. [Internal screaming? Yeah, we're getting there.]

Lowas. [ the shorthand is easier. dave...desperately wishes rose were around to tell him how not to fuck this up. but even if she weren't back at the party, she wouldn't know the words to say, either. mostly because she literally can't notice anything is weird, but - jesus.

okay, take a breath, strider. play it cool. john pulled out the lowas description entirely on his own. he said three years. he's remembering, so he won't think you're crazy as long as you don't act crazy. ]

We can touch the rocks over there, it's allowed? They're not like. Real ones, just notched like it, uh, yeah.

[ THAT'S NOT HELPFUL ? ]

Whatever. [At least his tone sounds light again, equally desperate to move away from the subject because this is kind of freaking him. It doesn't make sense. What's happening to him? This wasn't...no thanks. This isn't normal, he knows that.

So he takes a breath through his nose and he nods, even going as far as to brush past him and touch Dave's wrist to get him to follow. He doesn't understand, but he does know it's better to have Dave with him than let him disappear until he figures this out.]

I would be a little concerned if they brought in real space rocks to touch even if it would be cool. Pieces of meteors and shit. [There's a content little noise as he tries to slide back into calm mode.] Most people don't let me indulge in stupid shit like this. [Exploring stuff. Talking about weird shit. He means all of it, really.]

[ well, dave follows. ]

Like. I'll take you to Chuck E Cheese if you wanna dick around in the ballpit, dude. [ he knows john means more-serious stupid shit, but the offer is open? dave will do literally all the dumbshit? ] Or if you mean museum-exhibit levels of stupid shit, my deep dark secret is I actually fuckin' love museums.

[ maybe it's not a thing he hides, but it sure isn't a thing he leads with. ]

History and science are rad, completely sans irony.

Haha. Aren't you hilarious. [But he makes a mental note of that anyway and plans to hold Dave to it. Once they approach the rocks John immediately shifts his focus, touching and turning everything he can.] I'm sorry to tell you but I do not think that was really something that was a deep dark secret. You're the one who brought up the planetarium first, remember?

And anyway why else would I say yes? [Because there's a weird pull. He's supposed to be here. He's supposed to hang out with Dave, goof off, do stupid things, make each other laugh, make sure Dave is happy--what? He's projecting. He wants Dave to like him for reasons he can't quite fathom and doesn't think to further explore. It just. Makes sense to him.] I thought about being a biology major for a while. Science is on the same tier as space for me.

I thought about so many other options. [ seriously. it's hard to remember the freak out exactly (though it wasn't flipping his lid, just worrying like a normal kid, the last normal thing he ever worried about, really) but his siblings had taken it with good grace. ] Like - paleontology? That was an option. Or music. Maybe math, but I wouldn't really like bein' chained to a desk, even though I know there's lots of math shit you can do not that. I mean - it wouldn't be bad, I just wanted a thing that would let me do...lots of things, I guess?

[ he doesn't bore easy, exactly, but dave strider does like to have things to occupy his time. ]

Did you consider doin' any space shit?

No. [It's not a harsh answer, but just one that he's thought of on and off.] I don't think it would have the same effect if I went from loving space to working with space. It isn't my speciality anyway. ["It's Jade's."

Who the fuck is Jade?]

I think that's why I went with cinematography in the end. I can play with everything I'm interested in folded up in a cool little package for other people to enjoy. It's never the same thing twice and I can combine things until they seem good. Like alchemizing two things that don't belong together into a new genre. But paleontology would have been cool. That's fossils, isn't it?

[He taps on the rock in front of him.] Just another form of history and science combined. How did you decide on...anything?

Fossils, dinosaurs, dead shit. I've always liked that. As to how I decided...what I actually did was be a mess in my sibs' directions. Rose laid out the options all neat and nice and gave opinions. Roxy told me to throw a dart at a board. Dirk told me to do whatever I wanted, and that he'd back me. I ended up goin' with Rose's advice, though I also threw a dart at a board.

[ so. it took a lot of talking, basically. ]

Alchemization is a crapshoot, but I think film's probably a good mix up of different codes of shit I like. My friend Jade's into space stuff, that's kinda her specialty - Rose, like I - did I say? I forget - anyway like I maybe said, she's an English and Psych double major.

Not a bad strategy. You were probably the kind of kid who wanted to collect fetuses in jars, huh? [All of that makes sense to him, but then. You know. There's that name.

"My friend Jade's into space stuff, that's kinda her specialty."

GG: i wonder what space powers would be like??
EB: hmm, i have no idea!
GG: oh well
EB: maybe you shouldn't rule it out though?

His attention shifts, and then all too casually:] Sounds about right for Rose. She's very smart. But who exactly is Jade anyway? [It can't be the same girl. That makes zero sense.]

[ well, dave has pictures of all his friends on his phone, so he pulls up a picture of jade and passes the phone over. actually, it's a photo of dave and rose and jade all together, over the summer, leaning in to smile for the camera. dave's clearly holding his phone out to snap the picture, his arm stretching, and it's...nice? a nice shot. ]

I'll have you know I didn't want to collect fetuses in jars. I just straight up did it.

[He's taking the phone from Dave, examining the picture closely. There's that look of recognition then, and his eyes linger on Jade first before reviewing the full thing.

"I should be there."

It's easy to brush that off as a jealous thought or something, but John's never been one for blatant jealousy. Plus it's not about that. It's about knowing the group is off-balance. He doesn't give the phone back yet.]

That's. Dude, do you still do that? Am I going to come back to your place one day and find the walls lined with squirrels and rats and stuff?

That's more taxidermy, which I don't do. I collect like, bones and stuff? Bugs in amber. Stuff like that?

[ so yes. yes, you will find weird shit in dave's room, john.

how does he word this so he doesn't sound crazy... ]

For a second there, I thought you recognized her.

That's encouraging. [Joking. Brushing it off. Even as he's just staring at the phone before he realizes he's staring and he looks up with an awkward grin, handing it back off to Dave.]

I think I do. I don't know, I've seen her before. Maybe around campus or something? She goes here, right?

Yeah, though we don't actually share any classes. [ but that's not where he knows jade from, is it? ] And she's been holed up workin' on somethin'. I'm not too clear on the deets, ngl, but it sounds...science-y.

[A shrug] Jade Harley sounds like a scientist name, so. Maybe I'll see her around when she's not caught up in her work. [Never mind that Dave didn't give Jade's last name. Or that that isn't it.] I'd hate to interrupt anything too science-y.

[ dave freezes, peering at john over the tops of his shades for a second (his eyes are too red even in the dim lighting). ]

Except her last name ain't Harley, any more than Rose's last name is Lalonde.

Whoa! [The eye color startles him and he steps back a bit, knocking into a display case but it's bolted to the floor so at least it doesn't go anywhere.] Uh...Dave, your eyes aren't looking so great. Should we maybe go to the hospital or...?

Wow, rude much? Like, holy shit, could you be ruder, you could at least fake a declaration that my eyes are stunnin' and took your breath away.

[ he readjusts his shades so they're more solidly on his nose. ]

M'fine, this is just my eye color, Egbert. Does it actually surprise you, or...

Shut up, whatever, your eyes are gorgeous but seriously what the fuck. [It's hard to be giving someone shit when you're freaking out? Apparently? He ends up just sort of waving his hands a little.] Of course it surprises me? They're, like, red. Solid red. Nobody has solid red eyes, what kind of question is that...

[But by the time he's finished with his rant his voice has taken on that more matter-of-fact tone again like no, okay, this doesn't surprise him in the least but. What.]

Thank you, I know they are. Gorgeous, I mean. [ "yes, it is understandable because you are really attractive. i am attracted to you." "thank you" "jk" ]

You say that, but you don't sound surprised. Also, people clearly do so have solid red eyes 'cause I do. My sibs have orange and pink respectively. Rose's eyes ought to be purple.

Edited 2017-05-15 02:50 (UTC)

[He rolls his eyes, a hand coming to shove Dave's glasses further up his nose even if he doesn't look amused.]

"Ought to be" as in they aren't...why? [He shakes his head again...before...] If you want to wear red contacts to freak people out at parties, fine, but it's still sort of stupid. [Nope. He remembers this completely and it's why he's also breaking eye contact.] A+ on the wow factor though.

They're not contacts. [ 3 years and jade harley and salamanders and a dozen other little tells - ] D'you really think they are, Egbert?

[ because he doesn't think john does. and anyway - ]

How long've you been thinkin' about shit like this? Little things that don't make sense?

[There's a very long period of silence before he officially turns and starts to walk away. He's entering another room even further away, not speaking up for the time being.

"How long have you been thinking about shit like this?" What a complicated question with an even more complicated answer. Even before this, there were little blips in his memory. Hanging out with Dave, for some reason, seems to have struck up even more. It's unsettling. He doesn't like it and he knows it's crazy, but...Dave is asking. For a reason? That's the part he doesn't know.]

I don't know. A month, maybe? Thinking about shit like what? [It's a little too late to backtrack, but okay.] A lot of things don't make sense to me, I think that's the other part of being in college? [There's another joking grin to try and downplay everything.] Don't worry about it, I'm just messing around. It's a joke.

[ there's a moment where dave's sure he's fucked it up entirely, because john's walking away, but he's not running so dave can follow him, shoulders hunching as he slouches further and keeps an eye on the kid he knew once upon a time. ]

You're not, though. [ joking. ] I mean, if you want to say you are, we can totally do that. Lord knows I've pulled that crap on people a million and one times over the course of this year, so I can't actually say "well wait no you gotta confront this right now". We can laugh it off and pretend you think my eyes are super freaky and not maddeningly attractive [ he can't keep the serious tone entirely. god help him. but it's a self-deprecating sort of self-compliment, in the tone he uses ] and that you didn't pull Jade's last name out of the ether when it ain't her last name here, and that you didn't recognize Rose'n'I to any degree. We can pretend Lowas ain't a thing. We can talk about some shitty apocalypse movie I know you're gonna have like ten dozen arguments in defense of, instead, or about how I'm pretty sure the Pizza Port has the best pizza anywhere in the world.

[ that's an option. dave shrugs. ]

I can roll with whichever option you wanna take here, man.

Okay! Okay, I got it. Jesus... [It's a low sort of disbelieving whisper and he brings a hand up to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose again. It's only when they're in a far back corner of another room, fake planets hanging from the ceiling and all, that he leans against a wall and folds his arms over his chest. He doesn't say anything immediately again as he thinks on that. The silence isn't for long though.]

...what the fuck is happening, Dave? How do you. [Okay, no. Wait.] What's happening to me? What happened to you? [What the fuck is all of this? John, though he has had the app for a month, definitely hasn't used it at all so. He's in the dark.]

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