towerofanimus | As we sift through the hour glass

Entry tags:

As we sift through the hour glass

Characters: Dave Strider and Open to anyone
Setting: Around the Tower
Format: Either
Summary: It's been forty years from Dave's point of view.
Warnings: Possible mentions of death. Mention of injuries. Dave not being able to talk. Time problems. Replies being made with

rememberstime.

[Dorm Levels]
A ~~young~~ man stands in his dorm room.

Hahaha. Except he's been doing this for forty years, so it's not all that surprising. Dave was more mystified over the fact that his Ninetales looks much too young. Hell, he's pretty sure she's in the exact condition she was when he first got her when he turned fourteen. She seems rather confused too, almost not recognizing him for who he is. It's only a brief moment before she's approached Dave and is licking at his hands and headbutting him affectionately.

Dave kneel down to inspect her thoroughly. He felt the strange pause in time. Of course he did. It's impossible not to have felt it at his level. Dave has basically mastered what he can of his aspect. Like a real knight of time.

This? This makes absolutely no sense, not that time ever really did. He inspects her for a minute longer before trying to check the time on the terminals.

Welp. That was a useless endeavor.

Dave beckons her to follow him, intent on leaving the Dorm and out to the other floors. Perhaps you're in the room or perhaps you were looking for Dave right as he's about to head out.

[Floor 38: Lounge]
Dave was sprawled out on one of the beanbags letting Missy run about the room. He usually chooses this floor over floor four, being farther away and making it a little more quiet.

He's got a pad of paper at hand and he's lazily sketching things out. Mainly, Missy, although it's hard when she was all over the place. Not having a camera lead to being out of a hobby. He's picked up drawing again to make up for the inability to take photos. It was a good way to pass time and it was something he could do quietly.

[Floor 3: Library]
He's used the library a lot more since he's gotten older, burying himself in as many books as he can and reading them. Right now? He's seeing if maybe there's anyway to gather information on the current predicament. He highly doubts it, but it's also nice to touch up on things like this anyways.

Maybe he'll just read a really shitty, raunchy, romance novel while he's here.

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As Tohko moved a few books to their correct place in the shelves, she noticed a man moving through the shelves. Not one to just leave a patron alone if they needed help, Tohko approached him with a smile.

"Good morning! Need help finding anything?"

He studies her for a moment before giving a shake of his head. he points at the shelves in a dismissive manner to try and indicate that he's just browsing about and wasn't particularly looking for anything. He's got a good idea with how the books are shelved anyways.

Dave does give a nod in thanks though because he appreciates the gesture at the very least.

Tohko wasn't quite sure what to make of that point..but maybe it meant that he wanted the book he was pointing to. The nod he gave only helped him solidify this idea. Quickly, she pulled out the book he pointed to and held it out to him.

"Here you are! This is what you wanted, right? And..I'm sorry..but are you having trouble speaking?"

He wants to indicate that he wasn't...you know what. He's just going to take the book from her. He feels bad if he indicated otherwise that he didn't want it since she seemed so earnest to help.

At her question, he shakes his head. Trouble speaking isn't really the problem. But nice guess.

Tohko actually caught the headshake this time and nodded in return.

"I see..you know, if you're sick and your throat is clogged up, I can run and get some pill for you, if you want."

"Dave--!"

Dave wasn't the only one that had felt the temporal anomaly-- and the strange ripple had set off Jade more than anything had in-- two years? or was it two hundred? Maybe it was only two weeks-- minutes? No. She couldn't really be sure if the number 'two' was even relevant, but it seemed like a good place to start.

Needless to say, she hadn't done quite as well at mastering her aspect as Dave had over the years, and all the crap that the Tower had started was certainly not helping. Besides, there were only two people she could possibly even start to talk to (er, sort of) about this, and Dave was the first one she could find.

"God please non-verbally relay to me that you realize as much as I am that some fucked up shit is happening-- just happened? What the fuck was that, you gotta know what I"m talking about--!"

Whatcha drawin', Sunshine?

[Have an Eridan slumping onto your back, Dave, with little to no care about your personal space.]

Bro was tired. He hadn't been sleeping all that much lately. It was hard to do when he had so much to fucking do, and then at the end of the day he had to retire to a room with a fucking giant clown troll. It wasn't so much that Bro was freaked out by him and more the fact he didn't trust him at fucking all. It made it hard to sleep at night and when he did, it was a very light sleep. This had been going on a while, and he just hadn't said much. Why should he bother anyone with it, when it was really not that big a deal? There was shittier things to deal with anyway, lack of sleep wasn't high up on the list.

So the biggest reason Bro decided to go to the lounge was for some relaxation. Maybe it meant he was slacking off, but that was alright. He could afford to slack off for a little while, especially because everything seemed calm for the most part. No death or destruction going on right now. He could just sit around for a bit and no harm would be done.

Entering the lounge, nothing seemed entirely off. A guy he wasn't familiar with at first glance, and Dave's Pokemon who he totally wasn't jealous of. It came up to him and he bent down to give it a pat on the head. "So you're here, but where the hell's Dave?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Why did he talk to Pokemon, anyway? It wasn't like it could talk back. That was dumb.

Dave shook his head again, an eyebrow raising over the tinted plastic. No, he isn't sick. Did he look sick or something?

What an odd thing to bring up.

"Ah, alright then. Then..why can't you speak? Or do you just not want to right now?"

It just struck Tohko a bit odd that this man hadn't said a single word yet.

Dave gently places both his hands on Jade's shoulders. Jade. Jade, please. This is Dave' silent way of saying that you need to calm down. Take a chill pill. Shh. It's alright, Jade. He felt it too. Of course he did.

He gives her a nod.

Yes, he's aware of what's going on. But he indicates maybe sitting down. Maybe to give her some time to calm down (does Jade even know how to calm down?) so maybe they can discern what's happening. Or what may be happening. It would also give Dave a chance to check the network. he only checked for the time, but didn't really stick to seeing what people were saying.

[Dave jabs his pencil in the direction of Missy, who's stopped to stare at Eridan curiously. To Missy, this is probably the first time she's seen Eridan before.

On the upside, Dave makes no attempt to pry Eridan off, so Missy doesn't see the other as a potential threat. He's gotten way too used to this.]

Believe it or not, sleeping gets a little easier after the first couple of years. Or maybe that's because Dave is at the point where nightmares are just a constant that they aren't so much as nightmares as just replays of previous experiences. There's a bittersweetness to that.

Missy tilts her head before bounding over to Dave, expecting Bro to follow. She also looks like she's expecting Bro to give her a pat on the head for answering his question so well! Look. Look, this is Dave! Now give her pets because she took you to him.

Meanwhile, Dave reaches out to give her that pat on the head. He sits up properly, turning his gaze to Bro.

...Oh. Well. That...that's really jarring. And weird. He slips his shades to the top of his head, as though that will make his vision clearer or somehow change everything. Those are probably some pretty familiar eyes. You can't really mistake them for anyone else.

...interesting choice.

[Eridan seems a little skeptical, but he shrugs.]

Honestly, if you need models you just need to ask. I'd love to let you draw me like your french girls, Dave.

[Is he wiggling his eyebrows at you? Of course he's wiggling his eyebrows at you. When is he not?]

It was very very unlikely that she actually knew how to calm down anymore. And while she wasn't bordering on completely neurotic thanks to Dave's hands on her shoulders, it wasn't quite enough to make her simmer down. So, calm down a bit yes, but she didn't look that eager to actually sit down. And she had to do some work interpreting what he was thinking exactly.

She missed Dave still talked. Maybe it was just yesterday when she last heard him, but she still missed it.

"The fuck are we supposed to do? Are we actually supposed to do anything or--?" They were still the Alpha timeline, right...?

[Well. Alright. This he wasn't expecting so much.

Pokey just stares at the older Dave, and then at the Ninetails. He's...he's pretty sure the older guy is his roommate, though when Dave got so much older he has no idea. The Pokemon is kind of a surprise too; Pokey knows about Pokemon thanks to all the trainers who had been running around in Mayfield, but even then he isn't sure the Ninetails is one since he'll be damned if he ever saw a Ninetails, let alone the Dave he knew having had one.

For someone who'd kind of specialized for years in fucking around with time and space, the amount of differences and alternate universes that seem to exist out there are beginning to give him a headache. The fact that Dave has magically aged, too, is weirding him out a little. ...Maybe it's a different Dave, or someone who just looks like Dave but older. Who the hell knows in places like this.

He's not sure how to even approach this, though he guesses he might as well. Whether or not this person is someone who had previously been his roommate or some new one, he's probably going to have to talk to him sometime or another. But it's not like he can just go and ask if he's Dave. If he is, it makes him seem stupid. If the guy isn't, then Pokey comes off as creepy as hell.

So he'll walk over to Dave and the Ninetails, still keeping a healthy distance, and ask.]

So. Not to sound like a jerkface, but what is that?

[He jerks a thumb at the Ninetails, as if the question wasn't obvious.]

Bro watches as Missy heads over to the person he'd originally brushed off as someone unfamiliar. He arches an eyebrow when Missy stops in front of him, and that look on it's face clearly says that she expects to be rewarded. Rewarded for being completely wrong, apparently, because that's not Dave and the Pokemon is apparently stupid. Which is weird, he always thought Ninetails was intelligent. Guess he's wrong on that one. It's kinda disappointing, really.

"Dude, that's not-"

But then the person turns around, and Bro is caught off guard, because he looks really fucking familiar. And then he lifts his shades, and he gets a look at those eyes. There's no mistaking it, he's looking at Dave and he can't believe it. How? How the fuck is this actually a thing? Because last he checked, Dave was 14. Not... however the fuck old this guy is. So his first thoughts are that this is a new Dave, an alternate Dave. Not... his Dave. But why would Missy be treating him like regular Dave if he weren't?

"Are you... mine?" he finally manages to get out, his voice more hesitant than he wishes it were. The phrasing might be weird, but it's the only way he can think to ask it.

Okay what if he...

Dave opens his mouth, and it's obvious that he's mouthing out words, but nothing comes out. Just air. But he was definitely trying to say something of the sort. And then he just closes his mouth. Because he just can't speak.

Well, Dave wants to sit down. But that's mostly because it's a lot easier to write sitting down. Standing and writing is ridiculously hard! Dave just gently leads her to his bed. If she wasn't going to sit, he was at least going to sit. It also meant he can use the pad of paper on his bedside table versus the one he carried around.

Missy butts her head against Jade's leg, whining.

He holds out the piece of paper once he's finished writing.

i dont know

That's so comforting Dave... i think well be ok though

[Oh look. Dave is giving you the most deadpan expression. You must be real used to that one. Like holy fuck, that is basically his default face for dealing with you Eridan.

Dave crudely draws a stick figure, adding Eridan's horns just so he knows it's him.

Man, look at this motherfucking masterpiece.]

[Have a shameless grin.]

Oh, c'mon, Strider. You can do better than that, baby. C'mon, you're the little Strider that could!

Missy seems rather impatient, seemingly not liking the fact that neither one of them are approaching. She sinks her teeth into Dave's sleeve and forces him to his feet, stumbling a bit to keep his balance. But the only sounds that are made is his shoes scuffing the floor or the sound of fabric. There's no sound of surprise or any kind of grunt as he keeps his balance.

Dave is completely silent even as he's dragged to stand in front of Bro. He's still shorter than Bro, but he's grown significantly. There's a wear in that face that far exceeds whatever age Dave is.

Dave doesn't do anything at first. Bro can watch as his eyes dart a bit, kind of taking Bro in completely. It wasn't like he was checking the other out. Just...how do you react to seeing someone who you were expecting to be in their seventies and suddenly they're younger than you. He's sure Bro was younger. It looked like Bro hasn't aged at all. Like time had frozen in place and he was still the same Bro from when he was fourteen.

But he nods. He nods at Bro's question. Because he can't really answer otherwise. Yes or no questions are nice.

[Dave stares back kind of blankly for a moment. The most jarring part of this entire thing is people are seeing older people who shouldn't be older or they're older and seeing people who should be older. Either way, both sides are really confused and neither know how to go about this.

But Dave recognizes Pokey. He's just...wow yeah, he's not gonna think too hard on this. The Tower is fucking with them. What's new. It's basically the same thing each month. Can't even be bothered. Whatever.

Missy's ears perk up and she bounds over to sniff at Pokey before licking at his hand and headbutting him affectionately. Missy had seen Pokey a bunch last month. It made sense that she kind of became background noise considering the flu epidemic that happened. But now? She whines at Pokey for attention. She's kind of spoiled.

Dave, on the other hand, was digging through his pocket for some paper. He scrawls something down and holds it out to Pokey. Yeah. Uhh. I hope you like being the only one who can speak in this conversation.]

pokémon
fuck if i know i got her for my birthday
how are you so young???

Bro watches as Dave steps closer to him, and the closer he gets the more he realizes that this is definitely Dave, no doubt about it. Those eyes are Dave, the mannerisms are Dave even though he's clearly older. A lot older than Dave should be. He glances briefly at Missy as Missy leads Dave closer. It's weird how it's so eager for them to have this reunion, though that thought is brushed out of his mind when Dave finally stops in front of him.

He doesn't know what to think when Dave nods. How? How is this possibly a thing? He isn't used to the tower pulling anything like this. Usually it's just fucked up shit. So his first thoughts aren't even that the tower is the one doing this. Somehow it's... something else. Something he doesn't know about. Is it part of Dave's time powers or something? He isn't clear on those details. But why the hell would Dave age himself up if that were the case? Well, he could think of a few reasons, but not any that Dave might actually do.

When he speaks, though, his first thought isn't even to ask why. It's more than that, because if this is his Dave, and this is happening, then he needs to know one thing. "Are you alright?" He wants to know if it hurts somehow, if something bad happened to cause this. As long as Dave is okay, then he can figure out the rest later. Until then, his priority is making sure Dave isn't somehow hurt by this.

Missy just sits down at Dave's side, tails wagging in every which way as she watches the two Striders.

Dave, for the most part, has recovered from the initial shock. It might help that he was used to time not really running quite like it should. He's more than used too it. After all, time doesn't exactly run linear for him. They make loops and time kind of extends for him to a point. He's lived much longer than his actual age. He resigned to that awhile ago though.

And Dave just smiles when Bro asks him that. He fucking smiles because Dave can only reply with body language and facial expressions. None of this poker face bullcrap because the easier it is to get the point across, the less he has to rely on things like paper or having to jump through loops to make himself understood. He just gives Bro a thumbs up. A smile and a thumbs up. He's pretty fine. Other than shit being kind of weird right now, Dave can't think of why he isn't alright.

Sure the Tower has given him enough trauma to last him a couple of lifetimes, but right now he thinks he's ok.

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As we sift through the hour glass

Floor 3

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Dorm Levels

Lounge.

Lounge

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Dorm

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