Step one: You say, 'We need to talk.'

[callbacks]

Who: Dave Strider callbacks, Jade Harley eclectictype, mingle threads with Dipper Pines sneezelikeakitten and Penny in4apounding possible
Where: Ruins of Alph
When: December 19th, 2015
Summary: Reunited at last, Dave and Jade have a much-needed feelings jam. Because Unown-infested ruins are obviously the place for that.
Rating: PG-13, kids talking about death within
Log:

[The actual reunion went off fine--hugs were had, greetings shared around, heights compared (very important)--but now Dave's nervous. He picked the Ruins as the place to talk because they're private, especially this time of year when not too many people are spelunking, and because he likes them. He figured Jade might think they're cool, too, and the statues and carvings are something to look at when the conversation gets hard. In a way, it's like being back at the Frog Temple. Almost homey.

But no amount of familiarity is going to make this discussion any more comfortable. Dave sighs, glances down the corridor where he's letting his Murkrow hop around as a deterrent to the Psychic Pokémon who live here, and looks back at Jade in the lantern light, hands in his pockets.]

Okay. So, I guess I should just. Start talking?

[Or maybe they could just, you know, not, and go back to pretending everything is and has always been one hundred percent totally okay. Dave would be fine with that plan of action.]

Comments

[eclectictype]

Dave.

[Glitches aside, chasing John around aside (why?), there's way more to it than her sucking at being evil (of course she would, she's the hero it's her).]

Remember that part about you being really obvious? It is still persisting.

[callbacks]

[He makes a face and lets a breath out slowly through his nose.]

It was a stupid argument for stupid babies. ...Some things got said about Davesprite, is all, and some of them were dickish, and a lot of them got said by me and I really don't want to repeat them.

[And that's all there really is to say on the matter. But that's probably not what was stressing him out, since he's still not looking at her.]

Anyway, after I rescued the Mayor, I didn't...see you again until I got to LOFAF. Except.

[The 'except' seems to trip him up. Dave struggles with the words for a moment before he reaches up to rub at the inner corners of his eyes.]

...I don't know what happened, okay? I really don't, I wasn't there, I'd tell you if I could but no one was even listening to me when I tried to figure out what the fuck was going on. I just got there and you were already--

[...]

A house fell on you.

[eclectictype]

[Ugh, what about Davesprite? Was the empress seriously fabricating shipping bullshit for drama? Who even DOES that?!]

[She doesn't say anything else until he's finished, but even then there's a long pause.

A house fell on her.

A house.

It takes a moment, but she smiles slightly. Then lets out a laugh. But it's not an amused laugh, it sounds more like a cracked laugh trying to hide something else.]

Of--of course it did. [Jade's voice wavers--don't do it Harley--tears spring to her eyes and she can't swipe them away fast enough before they start pouring down.] That's--that's funny isn't it? A house fell on me! Ding dong, the wicked witch is dead!

[Apparently someone in the cosmos thought it was funny, but that person certainly wasn't named Jade Harley or Dave Strider.]

Oh god...I'm sorry...this happened way sooner than I thought it would.

[callbacks]

[Dave stands up straight when she starts to cry, hands held up like he can stop her tears by gesture alone.]

Oh--uh--

[Asdlkf;gkllkk STRIDER, DO SOMETHING. JESUS. He hovers there uselessly for a second before patting various pockets. When he can't find anything, he unwinds the janky scarf from around his neck and offers it to her.]

Here. You can blow your nose in it, it's cool.

[eclectictype]

Fuck.

[Jade won't actually blow her nose in it because that's gross, but she does cover her face with the scarf. Covering her face turns to crouching on the floor, just balled up in a little bundle of teenage misery.]

[Eventually she shakes her head and stands up again, eyes turned to the ground and very soggy, but nonetheless not crying anymore.]

So that's what it was, huh. I got dragged into plot twist hell and you got caught up in the empress's bullshit.

[It's upsetting, but after the initial slap of emotions Jade feels...actually quite angry at the whole thing. How dare that fishbitch go around using her to try and hurt people?]

...What do you mean nobody was listening to you?

[callbacks]

[He is literally the worst at being a friend, he just stands there and looks Concerned and useless until she gets up again and addresses him. Right. Story.]

I mean, I was trying to find out what happened, but your teen granddad was busy being a glowing anime supernova of some kind, and Karkat was off in the woods somewhere, and John's foxy evil mom was busy getting into fisticuffs with Gamzee until Terezi jumped in and all of them were ignoring me in favor of that utter clusterfuck. And I don't know where the fuck John was for all this but I didn't have a lot of time to look around since then I had to--

[A beat.]

Uh, then Jack showed up. Jack and taller white Jack, who was also a dog. Did you know about that one?

[eclectictype]

Uh...

[Clusterfuck hardly covers it.

Should she even comment on him calling technically her teen mom too foxy?

...Nah. That's stupid.]

No...? I might have a couple of theories, but I doubt any of them can answer what the hell transpired there.

[A pause.]

Oh god.

[Jack, who is prototyped with Bec, and "another white Jack"--probably a Prospitian that was also prototyped with Bec.]

Let me guess, Jack came because the Bec in him thought he could put me back on my quest bed and revive like last time. White Jack thought the same, since they were also prototyped with Bec. Now you're caught with two stab dogs in the middle of an already clustered amount of fuck.

[callbacks]

That pretty much sums it up, yeah.

[He shifts his weight, watches his feet.]

So, they took your body. But at this point, John's hot mom comes and starts yelling at them, trying to get them to put you down so she can bring you back to life. Which is apparently a thing she does. I guess she wants you back because she's been brainjacked too and you're important to the Empress's evil plans and stuff but like, you know, that's still an improvement. Is what I'm thinking at that point.

[...

Does he really need to say this part.]

Because, you know. I hear her say that. And I have a sword.

...

[Does he really have to?]

[eclectictype]

...Dave.

[There are so many things Jade wants to say at this point, things like "no" and "why did you do that it wasn't worth it" and "please don't tell me you did that."

But she can't say any of them.]

Dave...[Is this how it all ends up? Everything ruined in one fell swoop, everybody dying?

Game over.]

[callbacks]

...I guess it was kind of stupid.

[But it seemed so clear then. What had she said? "all i have to do is target the people you care about most."

He swallows, stares off at the far wall.]

That's all I know. I don't know what happened to anybody else after that, since. Yeah. ...Yeah.

[eclectictype]

[Well. That's it, then. She asked him to explain what happened and he obliged, even if he didn't have to.

One second becomes two, then three, then suddenly a whole minute passes and Jade realizes that she's just been standing there staring at her feet, unsure of what to do.

Wordlessly, she steps forward, opening her arms and embracing her friend.]

Dave, I know I couldn't control my involvement in this. But I am still sorry for hurting you--whatever horrible, hurtful things I said--or she said though me--none of it was true. I hope--I really hope there is another version of me out there that is going to help fix this. Because...it looks like it's game over but, there is still something worth fighting for.

[She squeezes, pressing her face into his shoulder.]

It's you, Dave. You, John, Rose, our teen parents, all of you are what makes it worth continuing to fight. I think we will not remember this conversation if we go home, but I want you to be sure in your heart that I feel this way and that will not change.

[...]

But, for now, let's start our new game here and be happy. Maybe it's not exactly the reunion we were expecting, but we are still together at least.

[callbacks]

[Oh.

He shivers in a way that has nothing to do with the weather outside, because the cold settled in his stomach some time ago, sat in there and spread until he barely felt himself at all, just dread and failure and shame.

But it's over, she knows now, and Dave squeezes his eyes shut as he holds Jade close, returns the first human gesture of belonging he's had in far too long. He breathes in once, too sharp.]

I'm sorry for--everything that happened before on LOFAF, okay? I was an asshole and I wasn't thinking about how you would feel and if I'd known it'd be so long before I saw you again, I would've--if I could've done anything else, I would've--I would've.

[He hasn't talked to her in three years. Not the real her.

He missed her so bad.]

You should've gotten so much more than you did. You put so much fucking work in, Jade, I--I'm sorry I couldn't do better. Sorry I couldn't...change anything, in the end.

[eclectictype]

[Right...back on her planet. Like she said, Jade still remembers--has nightmares about Dave's bullet-filled corpse in front of her.

Shot dead.

Her fault.

Not again.

She had no idea he was still thinking about all of that...and he was saying sorry for it? --No, of course, he's the one that's aware of all the time loops and what's needed to keep them stable. So...chances are that had to happen though neither of them wanted it to.]

I don't care about what comes out of it for me, I just did everything I could so you all would succeed and be happy.

[Jade feels her heart thudding at a regular pace--but it's so loud suddenly, pressed up against another person, amplifying each others' beats. Sort of like music.

It's not all, of course, Jade can't pretend it's for purely selfless reasons that she did as much as she could for the session to succeed. She looked forward to being together with everyone again so much, after all that time alone.]

I kept a lot of secrets from you, too. You know how many messages I had saved and then ended up deleting? A lot. And I probably would have kept them from you forever. So...please, don't feel bad about what happened on LOFAF anymore, all right? Let's just...be more honest with each other from now on.

[callbacks]

[Dave huffs a little laugh across her hair, voiceless and dry.]

Haha. I mean, we've seen what happens when I try to be a cagey fuck, at least.

[He won't be trying that again anytime soon. But so much happened, and there are so many things floating around his head now that he just doesn't understand, that he doesn't even have the vocabulary to address. He spent too long in his own head, alone on that too-empty meteor as they all fell apart.

He breathes out and pulls back, reluctant. (She was warm.)]

I'll try. Okay? You know I'm not good at this stuff, the touchy-feely sentimental shit. But I won't keep big things like that from you anymore.

[...]

Or, you know. Awkwardly try despite my chronic logorrheal tendencies and actual inability to keep my big flap shut.

1/2

[eclectictype]

Pffft--well, it won't be an immediate change. We will just have to take it day by day and not overload the sentimental shit.

[Ah, she still has his silly janky scarf. Jade will just...put that back around his shoulders and smile.]

Everything will be all right. I'll make sure of it.

[eclectictype]

...Oh shit, Dave, I just thought--where's Dipper?

[He went to go explore on his own, but--]

Dave. Dave. This isn't good. That kid is a real mystery seeker, he'll see something and chase right after it, I don't want to be responsible for a twelve year old getting maimed by Pokemon??

[callbacks]

Well--I don't think there's anything real dangerous down here, but yeah, we should find him before he gets stuck down one of the puzzle traps, yeah.

Not that that happened to me or anything.

I'm just saying.

[eclectictype]

Of course it didn't.

[How many times, Dave. How many.]

And I think Penny came out, too, so that is two younger people we're in charge of now. When did we become parents, Dave, and were we really prepared?

[callbacks]

Jesus, Jade, holy shit, don't phrase it like that. Penny's only, like, a year or two younger than us, we're like foster siblings, tops. Babysitters, maybe. Admirable upperclassmen and role models.

[Haha.]

...But we should probably go look for them.