week 06; thursday night, w/ dave.

[muties]

thursday night, roxy's room

[ it's another strilonde sleepover, this time with actual sleeping. because it's like. 2am. or whatever.

admittedly nightmares featuring one's lack of self-worth and loneliness with extra alcohol don't really help facilitate actual sleeping, but she's not going to stab a b over it. she is the allegorical cockroach, it's her. the allegorical cockroach is just sleeping not-peacefully, up on the top bunk with dave on the bunk below.

dave is an allegorical question mark, though roxy has her Suspicions. but she hasn't asked, since until recently she hasn't felt it was really her business. sure she's his genetic mom and all but if he doesn't want to discuss his not-that-subtle issues who is she to pry? some random girl, that's who.

but when dave's allegorical question mark nightmare issues cause her to be woken up at ass o'clock and tumble out of her bunk expecting Death, then it's definitely her business DAVE WHAT THE FUCK ]

Comments

[parodeity]

[ haha yeah this week has been. a thing. dave has been getting increasingly less rest and increasingly more aggravated and tense and high-strung, all while trying to keep his strider facade firmly in place.

that's hard to do when you're sharing a room with someone and wake up with a strangled cry, though.

it takes him a few minutes to recover, a hand pressed to his eyes (shades are off, he was sleeping). ]

Fuck. [ it's a whisper, barely ]

[muties]

[ this week is the worst thing

once it's clear that gee, no one is here ready to murder them, roxy will shuffle on her knees over to dave's bunk since she's. on the floor now, she may as well. ]

You ok, kiddo?

[ she mainly means are u alive ]

[parodeity]

Yeah. Never better? Chill as an iceberg at sea.

[ his voice shakes and when he drops his hand there are dark circles under his eyes but u know. ]

[muties]

Ok, no, none of that bs.

[ don't u lie to her, child. she doesn't believe that for a sec. none of them are fine but you seem extra not fine, and not chill for sure. ]

I think it's time we had a talk. Which I mean, we are having a talk.

[parodeity]

...About what?

[ lmao yeah he's going to make this as hard as possible he's a strider ok ]

[muties]

About the economy, and it's effects on the political landscape.

[ it is 2am she tired ok, let her have this one sass. ]

About what is waking you up in the middle of the night hollering like Machias over his whiteboard. [ ... ] Does it have something to do with your Bro.

[parodeity]

The economy sucks and also doesn't even fuckin' exist any longer for either of us except the bullshit game version.

[ ... ]

Why would it have something to do with him.

[muties]

Well, I dunno, I'm taking a stab in the dark here. You're not exactly the best at, like. Sharing. Like Dirk. Who, whenever I bring up, you.

[ hand gesture ]

Maybe that's not got nothing to do with your nightmares, but even my dumb eyes can see you've been avoiding the topic. Whereas if Dirk were here with Rose instead of you here with me, he'd be lowkey trying to hear everything about how super cool you are. And by lowkey I mean highkey tryin' to play lowkey 'cause you Striders love to look super unaffected like nerds.

[parodeity]

[ yeah he. tensed up again when she mentioned that. dave has no idea what roxy's dreaming about, but it doesn't seem to be affecting her in the same way dreams of bro are affecting him. ]

...you always say shit like that. [ shit that makes bro - dirk, what the fuck ever - seem like a person instead of a machine. why does dirk give a fuck about dave in another universe, and roxy and all these other people, but not dave in his own fucking universe? ]

[muties]

[ being afraid of being alone, worthless and also drunk is a lot different than being afraid of an asshole older brother. roxy only keeps it to herself because she feels if she says it outloud, it'll make it true. she'll say "I'm afraid of being a piece of shit" and everyone will go "holy shit, you are a piece of shit!"

but look listen her problems are unimportant ]

Like what...? That you two are both shit at sharing and playin' it cool?

[ see, that's why roxy is so baffled. she doesn't know why dave has any qualms about bro!dirk, because she only knows her dirk. who loves his friends and family is not half as douchey as he almost seems. ]

Look, I've been trying not to be That Mom, but you can tell me shit. Any shit. Talk to me, dude. My ass is getting worried off over here.

[parodeity]

Like he cares. Like that's a thing he can fuckin' do, so exactly what the fuck is wrong with me that he hated me?!

[ how is he broken here ]

[muties]

[ ok roxy was not. expecting that. ]

Davey...

[ she moves to sit on the bed beside him, putting a hand on his head. it takes her a moment to say anything else, because now she really wishes she had a crystal ball just to see how bro!dirk could have fucked up here with this perfect boy. ]

There's nothing wrong with you, you're perfect. No one could possibly hate you. It'd be like hating a fluffy cloud or a penguin.

[parodeity]

No, you don't get it, he hated me.

[ weeks later she'll see the video and maybe she'll get it but right now it's just dave at the end of his rope scared as fuck he'll become dirk someday or just break people into becoming like that or

he doesn't even know anymore ]

[muties]

[ maybe she will. mostly she may just want to stab bro. right now roxy's not sure what to say. she can't exactly go seek out bro strider and go "yo, why you make my baby feel unloved?" and for all she knows, maybe bro strider really was that big of an asshole to not love dave.

really, why the fuck would anyone not love their family? like goddamn, roxy's spent 16 years wanting a family how could bro strider not give a shit about his. like. she can't quite imagine it. ]

Well, if that's true, then fuck him. Who cares what he thinks? If he didn't love the hell out of you, then his opinions are trash.

[ just pets his hair in a hopefully comforting way ]