At least I’m not as sad as I used to be

[knightime]

Characters: Dave Strider and Open to anyone
Setting: Various places in the Tower
Format: Either
Summary: February was not a good month at all in the end. He's really starting to feel it too.
Warnings: Language, mentions of death, unhappy teenager

[1-04]
If you happen to be a roommate of Dave or happen to frequent his room, he hasn't exactly left his bed in awhile. He's probably been lying in it for over 24 hours at this point. Probably longer. After waking up again, his first reaction was to actually get up and do something, but he had to sit out the sleep paralysis. Fifty minutes was a really long time. And by the time those fifty minutes had came and went, Dave had let everything sink in. From Valentine's Day to what happened in the Administrator areas to all the fighting when the dark mist was about. By the time he could sit up again, he realized that he honestly really didn't want too.

That was awhile ago and he honestly should get out of bed. At the very least, he sat up. That's a start.

[Dormitory Levels]
Finally getting out of bed, you might catch Dave in the dormitory levels. He seems to linger on the fourth floor for a bit. At some point, he stops to look at the name plaques of room 4-14 before trudging off with his shoulders slumped.

He isn't too surprised that more people he cared about have left the Tower.

[Floor 94]
It's really easy to ignore everything around you when you're engrossed in what you're doing. Dave has been quite busy since arriving on this floor. He's got film he hadn't had time to develop, but he's doing that right now. And there's prints he needs to make.

There's something a little therapeutic about the process of developing prints. Or maybe that's just all the chemicals speaking.

But it keeps his mind off things for a little bit, and he's honestly missed being able to do this. He's kind of glad the Tower at least gave them this floor, even if the things around him are kind of really unsettling.

[Graveyard]
Dave always travels to this floor. Usually to drop flowers off at certain graveyards. It's a rather useless endeavor probably, but it also gives him something to do. This time though?

He seems to be searching around the tombstones. Looking for a specific name this time. He searches through the rows until finally stopping at one. He kneels in front of it, dusting it off a bit. Just another one to join the graveyard. At the very least, these are empty. He thinks he kind of prefers that. The name John Egbert are engraved in this one. He tapes a photo of them to it before standing upright again. Whether or not the photo won't disappear isn't really a problem. He'll have an identical photo taped to his wall anyways.

He peruses through the rest of the tombstones before he heads back out.

[Cafeteria]
He thinks he's got a lot done as of today. Well, no he doesn't, but he's made progress as far as not lying in bed all day.

Dave will just be sitting on his own. He doesn't have any food in front of him (he considered it but he's not quite feeling the whole eating food thing right this instance). But he has a couple of cups of apple juice in front of him. Maybe more than he really should have gotten. Maybe he's trying to find out if you can OD on apple juice. This is a thought that might have occurred but that's honestly a stupid thought so he stopped thinking it. Once in awhile, he'll glance around to see who's in the cafeteria, but not really make a move to make small talk.

Comments

cafeteria

[ghostytrainer]

[When he'd arrived for breakfast earlier in the day, John was overjoyed to see food that was not only real food, but also not crammed full of candy hearts. When he arrived for lunch, however, his initial reaction was one of dismay because why peanuts why. Thank god for soup. Chicken and stars are pretty rad, he guesses.]

[It's not like he planned to stay in the cafeteria for very long, after all. He needed to get to the meadow so he wasn't late for his own notes. When he spots Dave, John makes his way across the cafeteria with his tray, sliding into the seat across from him. Despite a little laugh, John looks the tiniest bit concerned as he takes his seat. After all, he hasn't seen hide nor hair of Dave in a couple of days.]

Thirsty, dude?

[knightime]

Apple juice is the shit. I'm going to drink my own weight in it

[He actually thinks he might be able to pull that off if he tries hard enough, actually. He finishes off another one of the cups before he absentmindedly fiddles with the cup in his hands. He glances to see what John got from the cafeteria. He's considering going back and getting actual food.

Naw.] What's up with you?

[ghostytrainer]

If anybody could do it, it'd be you.

[He'll refrain from making a piss joke...just this once.]

Not much. Just grabbing a bite before heading out to give Chandel and Michael J. some training. And to wait and see if anybody wants to see the tape from...you know. Downstairs.

So nothing big, really. What about you? Other than trying to break the Guinness World record for most apple juice consumed in one sitting?

[knightime]

Damn right.

[That would be nice. He'd probably keep drinking it anyways even if John did. Mostly because he's already had like four cups already.]

Oh. [That is a very hard tone to decipher.]

Nothing much. Just drinking apple juice and enjoying for the moment that we're not neck deep in candy hearts. [Is it really obvious that Dave isn't talking about something? He really hopes not. He is so incognito right now. SO. INCOGNITO.]

[ghostytrainer]

[Yeah, it's pretty obvious something's eating you, Dave. You should know better than to try and hide things from John. Incognito fail. Not that John's going to call him out on it just yet.]

Heh, yeah. Can't say I'm disappointed to see those things go. But at least they were...festive.

[knightime]

[Screw you. He was super incognito. So incognito that he wasn't apparently. Okay, no he's really transparent. It's really hard not to be upset when your Bro killed you and the other John who's been here longer isn't here anymore.]

Valentines Day is fucking stupid. [Wow, he's really bitter. He needs to stop that. He's not even all that upset about it. He's just got more bad memories of February and nothing good to make up for it.] I don't need a reminder that you make for a really shitty flirt, John. Seriously. I think one more quip from you and I was gonna start vomiting Pokemon or something. Or comics. Whatever nerd related item you wish to come out my mouth.

[ghostytrainer]

[John groans, grimacing and resisting the urge to hide his face in his hands.]

Ugh...can we not talk about that? You know I didn't mean any of that shit I said.

[knightime]

I know. I'm not really into rebounds anyways, if you were being serious. I'd also have to check if you were being unfaithful.

[He didn't really think much on what he just said.]

Cafeteria

[lethechained]

[Everyone has to eat sometime. It's just a fact of life, and one that applies to Naminé as well, so it is perhaps not so strange that she would happen to enter the cafeteria, herself. It doesn't take her long to spot him.]

[It does, however, take a moment for her to decide whether to approach him. She can see enough even in the position she spotted him from to suspect that something is amiss. It's been a long month, she knows, for everyone involved, but-- perhaps even more so for him. (No thanks to her.) There's a twist of guilt in her stomach; before, she would have gone to him without this much hesitation, but now... she's more than a little afraid she'll make it worse.]

[... Still. She's not going to leave him sitting there like that. She's quiet about it, but provided he doesn't notice her first, she'll just make her way over to stand by the table he's at, directly across from him but staying upright rather than having a seat. She's not so presumptuous as that. Her hands clasp each other a touch awkwardly.]

... Dave?

[knightime]

[Dave has gotten pretty far not eating, but it's actually really easy if you lie in bed most of that time. He'll get hungry enough to want something solid soon enough.

He glances up at Namine. Nothing on his face shows that he's uncomfortable around her. There's still that dull ache, but it honestly isn't that big of a deal to him right now. He actually seems more relieved to see her if anything. He was a little scared that she'd avoid him, and he hadn't really been accessible for the passed while for reasons. He motions her to sit down. Silly, stop standing around.]

Hey. [He tries to smile. He kind of quirks his lips. That's a start.]

[lethechained]

[There's a subtle relief to her own posture once she sees his reaction to her presence. (It's all well and good to say one still wants to be friends, but it's another to actually have to do it. Really gotta stop being afraid people will change their minds about you, Naminé.)]

[At the motion, she glances down at the seat and then up at him once before sitting down, settling herself comfortably (which, for her, is 'very neatly') with her hands folded in her lap.]

[She manages a better smile, perhaps, though it's mostly for his sake.] Hey. [Her eyes trail down to the... cups of something or another? With an 's'? She tilts her head at him, just slightly.] ... How are you? [And what what what is he doing?]

[knightime]

[It's all apple juice. Every single cup is filled with apple juice. Or they all would be if he hadn't already went through quite a few cups before she had arrived. This would be worrisome if Dave had a taste for alcohol. Thankfully, he doesn't. Nor is it really easy to access that kind of stuff.

He takes a small sip from another cup, keeping his gaze down at the tables and cups. That sure is a really hard question to answer, he's finding. He'll either come off as lying or he'll have to elaborate why he isn't doing so hot.

He doesn't like either.] The usual. [Answer vaguely. Yes, he's got this.]

[lethechained]

[That's really all she can assume it is; she's not familiar with everything the tower has to offer as far as beverages are concerned, but... she's rather fond of juice herself, and even she wouldn't drink that much, because she's noticing that there are several cups already empty.]

[Her smile fades, but she manages, at least, to avoid frowning.]

The usual?

[Her voice is not unkind, but there is just a hint of something almost like sadness in the undercurrent as she lets her eyes trail down to, ironically enough, roughly the same area his are focused on.]

You usually drink this much?

[knightime]

[The way to Dave's heart is to just give him apple juice. Apparently. Or at least, it makes him a much happier camper, even if he's really just kind of binge drinking right now. On the upside, it's delicious and he probably won't be getting more juice for now.]

The usual.

[He toys with his empty cup a bit.]

No. Not usually.

[lethechained]

[Well, if it makes him happy... and he doesn't cause any organ damage, or anything. There are worse things to binge, she figures, even if it's concerning nonetheless.]

[She watches the cup, quiet a moment.]

Are you just in the mood for juice, then? [Or is this part of a greater problem? Tell her your feelings, Dave-- er. The... emotional health.]

[knightime]

[Apple juice is good for you or whatever. And he's a growing boy who needs whatever he can get. He can probably do with more meat on his bones though.]

I just didn't feel like eating I guess. [That was like maybe a half step closer to the underlying problem. Except not really.] I was kind of weirded out with the menu last month so this month is at least decent.

I mean, who even dyes the water pink. Shit is fucking weird.

[Cafeteria]

[turntechtrainer]

How's your side? [Dave appears to his counterpart's left with a full variety of food. He knows he has to eat to keep going. Short changing himself won't do anyone any good. That and Bro the Bagon needs something to munch on other than his fingers.

He slides into the seat opposite of the smaller Strider with a tired sigh. Being crazy and attacking people had left a nasty impact on him. He looks older as if he aged four years overnight but in reality, he's woken up. This place is just like the game. A sign of his resolve to treat it as such is in how his sword is strapped to his back with the hilt protruding over his shoulder.

He's wearing the red Godtier shirt and his loose fitting pants that allow freedom of movement, in short the Godtier gear minus the cape that would let people grab at him. Dave lifts a dino nugget and offers it to the small dragon.]

[knightime]

[If only Dave thought about that more and actually ate. Maybe if he cared more, but right now it didn't really matter to him. The Tower didn't really help with his ridiculously bad eating habits.]

Holding up as well as it can. [Dave wasn't going to to talk about anything unless he really had too. It's a pretty terrible habit, but he just didn't want to about it even if he kind of knew this wasn't exactly shit you should keep to yourself.

He just looks down at the cup in his hand, placing it with the pile of cups he's already accumulated.] You didn't die, right?

[turntechtrainer]

No. I didn't. [But someone else could have, is left unsaid. He doesn't need to remind himself or his counterpart that they're both trained weapons. Their reflexes are fast and their bodies can take more punishment than most. On top of that he has been a godtier knight of time for two years. It made him that much more of a danger when his powers were active.

You don't forget that kind of ability. It comes back to you the instant you feel the thrum of time's call. And he'd turned his lethal knowledge against the other him and worst of all, Rose. Bro shuffles onto the table and curls up by Dave's arm.] At least I didn't have Snoop, Tupac, and Lady B with me. [The battle would have been three times as worse.]

[knightime]

Most of the floors have powers enabled, so dying is kind of difficult. [He just happened to be really unlucky when Bro found him apparently.] Just a warning that if you do manage to kick it where the retrieval units take you for the process, you have to deal with sleep paralysis when you wake up. Ten minutes and they add ten minutes for each death after. [At first, it was mostly a nuisance, but now it was downright upsetting.]

It could have been worse is basically the theme here. Small favors that didn't really help in the end, I guess. [He still died after.

He finally turned his attention to the Bagon though. He doesn't recognize this one.]

[turntechtrainer]

[Dave pauses because at that little bit at the end. 'Didn't really help in the end', seems to say his counterpart died. But he isn't going to ask. Pokemon is a more welcome distraction.] That's a Bagon, he hatched finally. Eventually he'll be a big ass Salamence. [Dave fishes in his pocket and produces his pokedex. It only takes a moment to produce the right result and show it.]

[knightime]

[Dave wasn't gonna talk about it unless Dave asks, and even then he'd be pretty cagey about what happened.] How long does it usually take for them to evolve? [Dang, you get real fucking big don't you, little fella.] He's got a long way to go doesn't he though.

[turntechtrainer]

It depends on how high their level has to be. Dragons usually take a while. It's like nature knew they were going to be huge and made sure they had to wait. [Oh yes, he gets big.] But once he does, he'll need to learn how to fly.

[Bro doesn't seem to care too much. He's busy nomming on dino nuggets.]

[dormitories, 4-14]

[xanthous]

[He's heading back to his room when he sees Dave standing outside it. He doesn't know why some kid is standing there and he normally wouldn't care, but when he walks away looking so dejected he can't stop himself.]

What are you looking for?

[knightime]

[Dave glances at the other. It was a troll he didn't recognize. He hasn't spoken to this one before, he's pretty sure.]

Someone. He isn't here anymore though. [His name isn't listed anymore at the very least.]