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

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh. [Dave sounds a little surprised. He didn't really expect he'd end up dating Terezi. But this also comes from the guy who hasn't seen Terezi for a long time.] I guess I can't be too worried about things like that.

I haven't seen Terezi for almost a year. [He's glad to hear she's apparently okay though.]

I didn't think something like that would have last though. [Trolls were complicated.]

Yeah, I didn't think it would last either. The way they look at dating and romance is too weird for me. I can't even comment about it because I don't know shit about the subject. [He pauses and studies his counterpart a little before he keeps going.]

And don't think I've missed binge drink all the juice to chase away my troubles, you're doing either. You dragged my shit out into the light, and I'd be very unself aware if I didn't see you got baggage you're trying to stuff into the overhead compartment. Only it just won't fit and people are getting annoyed at how long you're taking.

That shit is weird. I mean, I guess it's kind of cool in theory or idea, but actually being involved. How can you love hate someone? Like. What the fuck does that even mean? [Ugh. Nope. He doesn't really want to think about it. It's weird.

Also, god damn. He should have seen this coming. He probably did and really hoped it wouldn't have came up. He stares at the empty cup in his hand silently for a minute.] It was a pretty shitacular month. Happy Anniversary to me I guess. Last year I got killed by a teddy bear. This year? [Wow thinking about this hurts.] I got rejected and [His mouth is dry. He doesn't actually think he can say the latter now that he's thinking about it. The rejection happened on Valentine's Day. He's had time to get over that a bit. And anyways, he was still good friends with Namine. He didn't exactly lose anything. It hurt, but she didn't want him out of her life. He can at least seek solace in that.] Shit...I. [This was a lot harder than he thought. Even talking to...well him. That isn't him, but is an older him that...you know what. Going to stop thinking about the stupid time bullshit and alternate universe crap that comes with this.]

You? [He prompts, while picking up a dino nugget. At that moment the dragon leaps for it and snaps his teeth on Dave's fingers.] Shit! Bro! You little-

[He pushes up his shades and pops him on the nose with two fingers. Bro the Bagon looks a bit put out and rubs at his nose.] No. Biting.

[Little prick. He swings his attention back to Dave, as he pulls his shades back down. Maybe the distraction helped make it easier to say something. Then again, he knows that depends on what it is.]

I died. [Dave scrubs at his face for a moment but quickly changes his actions to rubbing the back of his neck, hoping he wasn't too obvious in his actions]

I got myself into a shitty situation when that psycho mist crap went around. Probably should have just stayed in the safe levels. [He says that, but then he wouldn't have ran into Dave or John and who knows what could have happened.] I wanted to make sure everyone was alright.

I didn't think I'd run into Bro.

We're not the sort of guy to stay where it's safe when shit hits the fan. [Killed by Bro. The idea of it makes his blood turn to ice. Dave sets his drink down without thinking about it and fixes his younger counterpart with a searching look.] All I saw when people came after me--when the mist had me crazed--was Noir. [Focuses on that instead of the Bro bit.]

Or whatever that shit was. [He sits back to let the other Dave settle and get his bearings after that admission.] It could have happened to anyone. [He adds, while knowing and his own tone, suggesting it was their luck.]

Well, you or John might have been screwed otherwise. Can't just leave you guys hanging. [Dave keeps his head down instead, not making eye contact with the other. Obviously, he's going to just try and bury this one with the rest of his problems.]

I guess it could have. [He doesn't want to say what actually happened. Because it was kind of a huge mindfuck.] Just the usual crap this Tower likes to play on us. Happy anniversary to me.

Pretty much. Not like life in Sburb was paradise, either. [He sighs and shakes his head. His extra years gave him a maturity and a jaded bitterness that let him ignore or look the other way when someone buried their issues. If they wanted to talk about it, he would be there.

That's just how he is now.] Pretty much. But hey there's one thing you're not thinking of. You got to experience a ride on a flaming horse.

We can basically amount this all to our lives being a piece of shit. [Dave is actually more than glad that the other is that way. Because it means the other won't bring it up with him and he can bury the issue with everything else.

It's a really terrible way to go about things, but he doesn't seem to care all that much that he does it in the first place. Or he just really doesn't want to make it an issue.] Yeah. I did. I can't say everything here is bad.

Or bad everywhere else. [Dave says quietly. He reaches out to Bro the Bagon and scratches under his chin. His calm demeanor is now unreadable.] We got back a few things and the three year wait was cut short.

All the other crap just is. [He felt guilty for attacking Dave. But their friends needed them. They had to carry on.] Just have to stride on Strider.

That doesn't mean much to me. I didn't even start the tree year wait. [It's a little frustrating to be this behind. It doesn't make a difference in the long run, but it would be nice to not be thrown off by certain news because it's something he'll never personally witness himself.]

Got this far. Not exactly a place I want to grow up in, but I guess beggars can't be choosers.

Well you did, but you didn't. Either way we're all here now. [Minus Jade. He picks at his food then forces himself to eat. Bro had always drilled into his head to survive and keep moving. But not just him, the game...and things weren't done.

He shut his eyes for a moment.] If shit gets to be too bad, tag out and I'll come right in.

At least for now. [He's seen people come and go. He's not banking on people sticking around forever. Even himself. He doesn't know if he'll always be here either. He's been here for awhile, sure. But so has some people that have left.

Dave goes back to sipping his juice.]

That's not always gonna be an option here.

So? We use what we can when we can. Pretty much been our law, right up there with don't do anything retarded. [Nothing lasts forever. Not people, not them. Nothing. Dave pokes his Bagon with a finger and watches him latch onto it.

Two years out among the dead, and all the crap that he dealt with in and out of route had lead up to the way he thinks now.] So when you can do it, exploit the shit out of it. Just don't tell anyone how you did it. Ruins the secret and the mystery.

I think the secret is kind of lost to me at this point. My bag of tricks are pretty much scraping the bottom. [He never departed from the Green Sun. He just ended up here. He only knows by word, not by experience, of what's been happening. Everyone was ahead but him.]

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

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