[9:22:16 PM] DIRK: *For almost the entire day he had stayed cooped up in his room, fiddling with half-built prototypes and messing around with his auto responder. He was nowhere near as furious as he was when he stormed out of the spa last night, but he was still out of his mind. It was almost comical how he was hunched over his desk like a mad scientist and just waiting for someone to burst through the door so he could get the satisfaction of a good fight*
[9:24:10 PM] ROXY: *Roxy had spent the night and most of the day with Dave and Rose, discussing a little the previous night's events (mainly with Rose) and various other things, and a good chunk of time had been spent glancing at her phone and debating shooting a message to warn Dirk of their imminent bothering, but, well -- Roxy had been nervous to deal with Dirk when she even suspected him upset about something, much less when she knew for sure. There was no she wanted to dive into this one without a little backup. Even so, she didn't like taking time to let this fester, so after the three of them had eaten dinner, she broached the subject again.* think hes had enough time to cool down?
[9:26:56 PM] DAVE: *Dave's eyebrows shoot up at Roxy's question.* cool down
[9:27:02 PM] DAVE: return to sanity
[9:27:19 PM] ROXY: well yeah thats a given
[9:28:08 PM] ROSE: What do you think we should do?
[9:28:58 PM] ROXY: idk bust in his room and tell him to listen to us or else
[9:29:02 PM] ROXY: u think that would work
[9:29:10 PM] ROSE: *raises an eyebrow* Are you sure?
[9:29:17 PM] DAVE: but theres nothing else we can do
[9:29:29 PM] ROSE: After his display last night, do you really want to use the element of surprise only to have it backfire on us?
[9:29:50 PM] ROSE: Has anyone tried talking to him since?
[9:29:55 PM] DAVE: i talked to him
[9:29:59 PM] DAVE: while you guys were asleep
[9:30:04 PM] ROSE: Really? What did he say?
[9:30:08 PM] DAVE: ok wait
[9:30:10 PM] DAVE: i didnt exactly
[9:30:11 PM] DAVE: talk to him
[9:30:26 PM] DAVE: like we said hes kinda off his rocker
[9:30:31 PM] DAVE: i talked to ar
[9:30:37 PM] ROXY: whatd HE say
[9:30:46 PM] DAVE: he said that dirk is nuts and we have to go talk to him
[9:30:49 PM] DAVE: which we already know
[9:30:51 PM] ROSE: *has not had the displeasure of talking to AR before*
[9:31:09 PM] DAVE: but then while we were talking dirk came on and was like
[9:31:17 PM] DAVE: This conversation is over. or something dramatic like that
[9:33:37 PM] ROXY: oh my god
[9:33:37 PM] ROXY: are you for real
[9:33:49 PM] DAVE: yeah deadass
[9:35:28 PM] ROSE: *frowns a little* So he did not want his auto responder talking to you.
[9:36:17 PM] ROSE: This could mean that he obviously does not want you to know what he is up to now.
[9:36:37 PM] ROSE: It could also mean that he simply wants everyone to stay away from him.
[9:36:48 PM] DAVE: how can you say it could mean and then say that its obvious rose
[9:36:57 PM] DAVE: its not obvious
[9:36:59 PM] DAVE: nothing he does is obvious
[9:37:03 PM] DAVE: everything he does is vague and weird
[9:37:30 PM] ROSE: As I recall, you are also vague and weird.
[9:37:31 PM] ROXY: *soft signs roxy-ward*
[9:37:46 PM] DAVE: yeah but i still have a nice marble collection
[9:37:55 PM] ROXY: either way hes bein an obtuse lil shit
[9:38:03 PM] ROXY: he cant defend dave and then push him away
[9:38:08 PM] ROXY: that aint cool
[9:39:00 PM] ROSE: Maybe we should go find him together.
[9:39:38 PM] ROSE: If we can't figure out what exactly is wrong with him now, I think that our best chance at doing so is to confront him ourselves.
[10:33:25 PM] DAVE: ok sounds like a great fun plan
[10:33:32 PM] DAVE: im glad we spent so much time talking about it
[10:33:40 PM] DAVE: so we could just go do the same thing we were going to do anwyay
[10:34:39 PM] ROXY: there was an attempt
[10:35:20 PM] ROSE: *sighs*
[10:37:17 PM] DAVE: vamonos everybody
[10:37:32 PM] ROXY: yeah ok
[10:37:43 PM] ROXY: lets just get it over with
[10:37:46 PM] DAVE: *He gets up and heads towards the door, waiting for his hoochie mamas to follow.*
[10:38:13 PM] ROXY: *the trusty bitch parade is not far behind*
[10:38:52 PM] ROSE: *follows after*
[10:40:51 PM] DIRK: *meanwhile, Dirk's door is unlocked and he sits down on the foot of his bed. there's an array of discarded robot pieces strewn all over his comforter and desk surface. he's currently keeping himself busy with upgrading AR, holding the shades in his hands delicately*
[10:42:52 PM] DAVE: *Someone knows where Dirk's room is. It's probably Roxy. Let's go. Toot toot, bitch parade. Here we are. Dave raises a fist to knock on the door, but looks around at his top flight females first.*
[10:43:02 PM] DAVE: (are we in battle formation)
[10:44:46 PM] DIRK: *already heard their footsteps coming down the hallway and knows exactly where they are going since his room is already at the end of the corridor. He waits with baited breath for someone to open the door or make their presence known, staring at it intensely and placing his shades down on the bed*
[10:46:27 PM] ROSE: *nods to him, speaking in a quiet tone* It is better to execute this plan sooner than later.
[10:48:00 PM] ROXY: (yeah lets just do it) *she's definitely looking nervous, but that's never not going to be a thing, so they might as well just bite the bullet*
[10:48:20 PM] DAVE: *he knocks. on the door. :o*
[10:49:05 PM] DAVE: its the fashion police open up we need to talk about last nights hair debacle
[10:49:13 PM] DAVE: *omg now is not the time for jokes. u fucked up*
[10:49:21 PM] DIRK: *chuckles darkly* Come in.
[10:50:23 PM] ROXY: *oh my god, it's like they just stepped into a movie and Dirk is the cheesy cartoon villain*
[10:50:37 PM] DIRK: *the lights are off btw*
[10:50:57 PM] DAVE: *dave eases the door open nervously.*
[10:51:04 PM] DAVE: yo dracula
[10:51:13 PM] DAVE: can we shed a little light on the situation
[10:51:20 PM] ROSE: *peeks over from behind Dave* ...
[10:52:11 PM] ROXY: *rose, you're the light player*
[10:52:20 PM] ROXY: *i mean*
[10:52:27 PM] DIRK: Whatever. *shrugs and picks up a stray scrap of a metal sheet, throwing it like a ninja star at the lightswitch and not caring if he hits it or not*
[10:52:39 PM] ROXY: *roxy is trying to reach around dave to fumble along the wall and find the light swi--*
[10:52:55 PM] DAVE: oh my god
[10:53:26 PM] ROSE: *lets out a small gasp* Are you okay, Roxy?
[10:54:42 PM] ROXY: owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
[10:55:48 PM] DIRK: *obviously the lights were never turned on and in a few seconds he's off his feet, standing right next to the light switch and illuminating the room* Should take care of that. *nods at her hand*
[10:56:47 PM] ROXY: *hissing through her teeth and holding her hand in the other one now, goddamn* what the fuck is wrong with you
[10:57:24 PM] ROSE: *eyes widen because THAT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN TO HER ECTOMOM*
[10:57:39 PM] DIRK: *raises an eyebrow* Did you really just ask that?
[10:57:47 PM] DAVE: *smh*
[10:57:49 PM] ROXY: yeah i think i REALLY JUST DID
[10:58:14 PM] DAVE: we are off to a great start
[10:58:19 PM] ROXY: MY HAND
[10:58:32 PM] DIRK: *unfazed by her outburst, he gestures to the nightstand by his bed* First aid kit's over there.
[10:58:45 PM] ROXY: i dont want ur shitty first aid kit
[10:58:46 PM] ROSE: *looks at Dave like stfu*
[10:59:28 PM] ROXY: *holds hand in front of his face now, yep it's definitely bleeding* this is ur fault so u fix it
[11:00:09 PM] DIRK: *doesn't blink when there's a hand shoved in his face and shrugs, walking over at a normal pace to retrieve the first aid kit*
[11:00:20 PM] ROSE: *should we advance further?*
[11:00:44 PM] DAVE: *advance where rose? advance in our character development? advance into dirks LAIR?*
[11:00:51 PM] ROXY: *i aint backin out now i got a personal stake now and that stake is my hand*
[11:02:46 PM] DIRK: *returns to them and holds up a disinfecting creme* You should wash that off first.
[11:03:07 PM] ROXY: *squinting and pouting quite seriously at him*
[11:03:14 PM] DIRK: Don't want any bacteria getting into that bloodstream.
[11:03:20 PM] DIRK: *dead serious*
[11:03:44 PM] ROXY: *turns her head to look at Dave and Rose like "are you seeing this shit"*
[11:03:51 PM] DAVE: *loitering near the front door in such a place that it cannot be closed while he is standing there* *hands in jean pockets* *shrug*
[11:04:03 PM] ROSE: *I will stay right here with my brother and not make any eye contact with Dirk*
[11:04:10 PM] ROXY: *thanks for the backup guys*
[11:04:22 PM] DAVE: *what do u want from me*
[11:04:27 PM] DIRK: *looks over Roxy's head at his ecto kids*
[11:04:31 PM] DIRK: No need to be shy.
[11:04:36 PM] DAVE: *fuck u dad*
[11:04:38 PM] DIRK: Come on in.
[11:04:52 PM] ROXY: *proceeds to grab Dirk's free hand and make the attempt to drag him to the probable bathroom he's got in here because no way she's not making him suffer for his actions*
[11:05:26 PM] DAVE: yeah uh here is good
[11:05:29 PM] DAVE: were in
[11:05:31 PM] DIRK: *wriggles his hand free once they're in the bathroom and turns on the faucet* Wash that shit out.
[11:05:32 PM] DAVE: we are past the doorframe
[11:05:43 PM] DAVE: *nods at rose* yep
[11:06:19 PM] ROSE: *should we snoop?*
[11:06:44 PM] DAVE: *... yes but in a way that wont get our hands cut off* *subtlety is key*
[11:07:00 PM] DAVE: *edges into the room and peers around curiously*
[11:07:01 PM] ROSE: *takes a hesitant step forward, fearing booby traps will suddenly activate and lets out a sigh of relief when she is not bleeding*
[11:07:25 PM] DIRK: *lil cal is just chilling on the bed, propped up against the pillows*
[11:07:50 PM] ROXY: you wash that shit out
[11:07:54 PM] ROSE: *looks around but does not dare touch anything*
[11:08:18 PM] DIRK: Fine. *takes her hand and holds it under the running water, plucking out the metal if it's still imbedded in there*
[11:08:21 PM] ROXY: *Roxy is making a very valiant effort not to cry and succeeding only because of how irate she is*
[11:08:40 PM] DAVE: *pokes a piece of metal* *side-eyes lil cal*
[11:09:10 PM] DAVE: (he needs to clean his room)
[11:09:14 PM] DAVE: (he has a fucking puppet infestation)
[11:09:17 PM] DAVE: (some things never change)
[11:09:55 PM] DIRK: *his cold expression almost falters when he sees and hears Roxy in pain, but it's not quite enough to bring him back yet* It stops stinging after a minute.
[11:10:50 PM] ROSE: *looks at his desk and examines the designs spread out on all the papers*
[11:12:14 PM] ROXY: *mutters* yeah whatever
[11:12:58 PM] DAVE: *peers over rose's shoulder* hmmmmmm
[11:14:13 PM] DIRK: *turns off the water once he's sure that he's washed it enough and takes a clean handtowel off of the rack to dab at her wound and stop the bleeding* So what brings you three here? *might as well make """"casual""" conversation*
[11:14:28 PM] ROSE: Excellent observation, Dave.
[11:15:32 PM] ROXY: uhh idk maybe because you decided that throwin stuff at light switches was a good idea somewhere beyond the point where you decided 2 squeeze all the smart juice outta your brain and make a fancy cocktail outta it
[11:16:03 PM] DIRK: I meant to me, not my bathroom.
[11:16:22 PM] ROXY: same reason p much
[11:16:29 PM] DAVE: *nod*
[11:17:16 PM] DIRK: Fair enough. *picks up the first aid kit again that he apparently still had and starts to coat her hand with the disinfecting creme before wrapping it up to keep it clean*
[11:17:41 PM] DIRK: Change the bandages at least twice a day and keep it the fuck away from dirt.
[11:18:03 PM] DIRK: ...Sorry.
[11:18:40 PM] DAVE: *mumble mumble* keep it the fuck away from dirK
[11:18:56 PM] DIRK: *my bathroom door is open, dick*
[11:19:05 PM] ROXY: yeah it is *winces as he does this, rolling her eyes a little at his advice because what the heck dirk you're not allowed to give me advice when you're the one that-- oh. She's not sure what to say to the apology because while she might want to forgive him, there's still a part of her too pissed at the way he's acting to do that right now.*
[11:20:33 PM] ROXY: yeah ok but
[11:20:43 PM] ROXY: what are you even thinking
[11:22:36 PM] DIRK: I was thinking that no one would actually reach out before I had time to turn on the lights.
[11:23:50 PM] ROXY: aces on that one
[11:24:07 PM] DIRK: *has nothing left to say without making this worse*
[11:24:35 PM] ROSE: *taps Dave's shoulder* Are those smuppets poking out from underneath his bed?
[11:25:13 PM] ROXY: but i meant in general
[11:25:46 PM] DAVE: *grits teeth* no *nudges some cheeky smuppet butts back into the shadows*
[11:26:09 PM] DIRK: *they just come back out minutes later*
[11:26:36 PM] DIRK: *sighs and drags a hand down his face* That's a good question, RoLal.
[11:27:21 PM] ROXY: i think i can agree whole heartedly
[11:28:25 PM] DAVE: *he sits down gingerly on dirk's chair to listen to the conversation*
[11:28:29 PM] ROXY: can we just cut out all the hyper villain bs for a sec and figure it out cuz i kind of like my best friend better when he aint chunking accidental weaponry at me
[11:28:42 PM] ROSE: *nudges Dave like "Move over or I will sit on you"*
[11:29:05 PM] DAVE: *moves over for rose* *the seat is still warm lmao* *turns out dirk isnt a cold blooded reptile*
[11:31:04 PM] DIRK: ...*he stays quiet for a while before he hops up on the counter and reintroduces his hand to his face while he tries to collect himself. he hecked up real bad, and he knows it too. he isn't ready to admit all of his faults, but he messed up enough to hurt his best friend which in his mind was really hypocritical of him for wanting to slaughter Eridan just for the possibility of him and/or Vriska hurting her and Dave*
[11:31:45 PM] DIRK: *lets out a long, deep breath and shakes his head* I royally suck.
[11:32:08 PM] DAVE: *his jaw drops a tiny, tiny bit* *:o*
[11:32:32 PM] ROSE: *sits down next to Dave on the chair, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise at Dirk's response*
[11:32:47 PM] DIRK: I suck and I don't really deserve being your friend.
[11:32:55 PM] ROXY: *it occurs to her that they still have an audience and she feels kind of bad about that for Dirk's sake pretty suddenly, so she moves a leg to nudge the door shut. Sorry guys. You can probably still hear the convo tho*
[11:33:14 PM] DAVE: *whispers to rose* this is even less fun than last night
[11:33:24 PM] ROSE: I would imagine so.
[11:33:40 PM] DAVE: *kicks a smuppet unhappily*
[11:34:18 PM] ROXY: ok you sucking isnt... a total non truth
[11:35:17 PM] ROXY: as much as you may sometimes suck that dont mean you cant be my friend
[11:35:26 PM] DIRK: *he clenches the sink counter until his knuckles turn white and he keeps his eyes averted from hers* No, you don't get it. I swore to myself that I wouldn't let him hurt you again after that whole blackrom bullshit with Vriska way back. And then I'm suddenly holding a crying Lalonde in bed because he did something /again/ and I didn't even know what was going on.
[11:35:51 PM] DIRK: I failed to prevent him from hurting you again.
[11:35:56 PM] ROXY: dirk...
[11:36:34 PM] ROSE: *lets out a soft sigh because this sounds like insecurities she is very familiar with, whether hearing about or experiencing them*
[11:36:50 PM] ROXY: *she's touched by the sentiment, but even so, she knows it's not right. That it can't be.* you cant keep me from the world
[11:37:05 PM] DAVE: *he rests his chin in his hands and glares at some puppets.* *uncomfortable fidgeting.*
[11:37:08 PM] ROXY: gettin hurt is a thing thats gonna happen and maybe probably needs to sometimes
[11:37:21 PM] ROXY: sides he didnt really hurt me anyway
[11:37:51 PM] ROXY: i was just upset for him and... things
[11:38:22 PM] DIRK: Is it because you got rid of all the booze before he could get to it?
[11:38:34 PM] ROXY: its because...
[11:38:41 PM] ROXY: he asked me how to quit drinking
[11:39:29 PM] ROSE* shifts uncomfortably because that is something she was not expecting to hear about and does not want to think about*
[11:40:24 PM] DIRK: He of all people should know that's not something he should ask you.
[11:41:08 PM] DAVE: *Dave knows all about the lalondes and drinking. that is not a road he wants to go down again. he bumps shoulders with rose a little as a show of solidarity.*
[11:42:36 PM] ROXY: but im the only one he could even think to ask cuz
[11:42:46 PM] ROXY: i just didnt know how to give him a good answer
[11:43:01 PM] ROSE: *she gives him a weak, bittersweet smile and nudges him gently back despite how rapidly her heart is beating now*
[11:43:04 PM] ROXY: *there's a lot of hesitation in her words, because even thinking about it now is upsetting, but she's trying not to let it show*
[11:45:23 PM] ROSE: *thinks that that if Eridan knew about her past drinking problems, he could have asked her and they could have avoided Dirk's mental breakdown altogether. she gets up from the chair and moves to idly pace around Dirk's bed and look for something to distract herself with before she starts feeling worse*
[11:46:18 PM] DIRK: *frowns* It's not your job to put him back on the right track.
[ 11:47:03 PM] DIRK: You of all people shouldn't have to think about that part of your past.
[11:47:13 PM] DIRK: Let alone teach someone else how to get away from it.
[11:47:19 PM] ROXY: of course its not my job but im still his friend and he was asking me for help
[11:47:56 PM] ROSE: *picks up random metal scraps and examines them with mild interest*
[11:48:38 PM] ROXY: yeah maybe it wasnt the best thing but if you saw the way he was talking
[11:48:42 PM] DAVE: *Dave now has the whole chair to himself. this isn't something he really wants or cares about. he tugs on his lip and turns around in his chair to glance at dirk's desk without really seeing anything. after a moment, he gets up and walks over to rose. he stuffs his hands in his pockets and glances down at her hands.*
[11:48:54 PM] ROXY: he was scared i couldnt just turn him away
[11:49:38 PM] DAVE: *sotto voce* *half joking* *not sure what to say* you probably have enough members for an aa group what do you think
[11:53:11 PM] DIRK: *hops off the counter, keeping his eyes trained on her. he understands now why she felt obligated to help Eridan because he's her friend, and she wanted to at least help him get better. he remembers vividly when he openly disagreed with her own drinking habits but couldn't quite bring himself to actually make her stop until she started taking the initiative herself. it just makes him feel more sick inside knowing that he failed as a friend even back then*
[11:53:31 PM] DIRK: ...I had no idea.
[11:54:16 PM] ROXY: yeah so just
[11:54:39 PM] ROXY: *turns her gaze down to the floor, because looking at him is still so intimidating for some reason* just give him a break hes going through some stuff right now
[11:56:22 PM] ROSE: *she looks up from the metal in her hands when she catches a glimpse of Dave standing right there. her fingers close around them as she looks up and gulps, afraid that her voice will betray her if she even tries talking. her lips are already being tugged downwards in a small frown and she can feel a few tears starting to form, which she tries to blink back. she looks back down at her hands before letting the metal scraps fall down back to the bed and she just clenches her fists at her sides. this was not how she expected to spend the night with her family*
[11:56:59 PM] DIRK: *nods numbly, the gears still turning in his head as he thinks about all of this* Yeah. That can be arranged.
[11:59:06 PM] ROXY: ok *she kind of breathes the word, finally managing to look up at him again* thanks
[11:59:33 PM] DIRK: I'm a major asshole. *it's just a matter of fact statement. he's not putting it up for debate because they both know he's been a major jerk lately*
[12:01:19 AM] ROXY: *for some reason, that manages to drag a soft laugh out of her* youre gonna need a better uniform than that major
[12:01:54 AM] DAVE: *he rubs his chin and twists his mouth and then turns to rose and hugs her tightly to his chest so that he doesn't have to watch her cry because that's bullshit and he's not going to do it.*
[12:02:33 AM] DIRK: *chuckles dryly* What about general?
[12:03:57 AM] ROXY: general asshole
[12:04:01 AM] ROXY: yeah sounds about right
[12:04:41 AM] ROSE: *that's it, she's done for. she wraps her arms around him just as tightly and her lip quivers as silent tears roll down her cheeks. her breathing has been reduced to quick and shaky breaths and she hates feeling like this. she's practically shaking in his arms as she buries her face in his chest*
[12:05:56 AM] DIRK: *offers her a halfhearted grin* General asshole reporting for duty.
[12:06:34 AM] ROXY: uve done good work general
[12:07:11 AM] ROXY: now get me a goddamn purple heart for the injuries sustained during this shit
[12:07:47 AM] DIRK: *salutes* Yes ma'am.
[12:08:29 AM] DAVE: *he tightens his arms around her as though he thinks that he can maybe attach his nerve endings for her and take a little of the heat. he doesn't know how well it works, but he feels pretty warm. he also feels like the surface of his eyeballs are getting a little slick, and that won't do.*
[12:09:30 AM] DAVE: *with his mouth near her ear, he murmurs:* you know youre the best though right like hands down no contest #1 a plus
[12:09:32 AM] DAVE: youre a winner lalonde
[12:13:05 AM] DIRK: *he doesn't really have much to offer her so he takes the discarded metal and washes it off throughly so there are no traces of blood left. he dries it off and takes out a little metal instrument he's been keeping in his pocket. to the best of his ability, he carves "PURPLE HEART" into it before handing it to her* Don't have much on me right now, but I'll get you a better one.
[12:14:02 AM] ROXY: oh my god *snorts as she accepts the "purple heart" to pocket it* thanks i deserved that *and finally she just shuffles closer so she can crumple against him and there's all the scents that should have been so familiar but it still seems like she's having to get adjusted because she's spent so much of her life never, ever being this close to him even when he was right there all along -- still, somehow, it feels like home right here, as if things had always been this way, as if she had always been meant to fit right here.*
[12:16:06 AM] ROSE: *she clutches her brother for support because she really needs that right now and feels like he's going to evaporate the second she lets go. it's been a long time since they got straight to the point of their conversations and she misses this because it's just her and Dave, and he knows her better than anyone else. she just holds onto him for dear life because everything he's saying is only making her lose her composure more*
[12:19:31 AM] DIRK: Damn straight you deserve that. If anyone's a trooper here, it's you. *he wraps his arms around her instinctively and holds her close to his chest as he just relishes in the fact that he didn't lose her (not yet at least) and he'll be damned if he keeps messing up and fails to be there for her.*
[12:22:00 AM] DAVE: *it's not like Dave and rose don't come into contact often enough. after all, they slept together last night. it's always so rare for them to have their guard down, though, even around each other, because they spend so much time keeping it up that it feels less than naked. it feels like they're alone again now, like they're on the moon again. the situation is supposed to be less dire now, but Dave feels just as much like they're alone on the edge of a cliff as they were six years ago. or, well- not so alone.*
[12:28:47 AM] ROXY: *it just feels so /nice/ to be close to him again because that's all they ever need to be -- every time something happens it feels like her heart is being ripped out and, honestly, this day was terrible enough and would have been worse if she hadn't spent it with two other people she had come to rely on in ways, because he's had her heart longer than anyone and if anyone knows how to feel the hurt of it all, it's her. She couldn't imagine losing him, didn't want to, because she couldn't ever be the same. She was proud of herself still for not managing to cry before when he had hurt her despite all of it, for managing to push through it, but now that she has him again and she can be so relieved it all seems to crumble at once and she can feel whimpers rising in her throat in little spurts.*
[12:30:28 AM] ROSE: *she seems to have forgotten why they were even there in Dirk's room in the first place but that doesn't seem to matter since she's preoccupied with trying not to completely lose herself with the help of Dave. she feels small and most vulnerable when she doesn't even bother with her usual snark and knowing demeanor because it reminds her that she's just a human who has emotions and makes mistakes. although she's done with her alcoholic habits for good (or at least she thinks she is), she feels just as helpless and useless as she did back when they were the only humans together in a small group of the game's survivors. she reminds herself of just about everything she regrets and it makes her sob harder no matter how much she tries to stop. Dave’s shirt is probably very wet by now and she'll apologize for that as soon as she notices, but at the moment, she just feels like she needs /him/.*
[12:37:00 AM] DIRK: *he can sense that she's about to cry now and his adjusts his grip on her pull her closer, rubbing her back soothingly. he doesn't want her to cry, but he can tell that she needs to let it out. the most he feels he can do is be there for her and that's what he plans on doing. he holds his best friend close and won't let himself let go until he's absolutely sure that they've both calmed down enough to rejoin the others in the bedroom. it's a relief that she feels safe around him again and he mentally vows to never lose his shit like that around her again. the last thing he's ever wanted to do was hurt Roxy but he did it, multiple times, and he hates himself for it. but now isn't the time for self loathing because he has a Lalonde to comfort* Shh, it's okay, Rox.
[12:45:44 AM] ROXY: *she doesn't know if that's helping or making things worse, because even the fact that he cares (despite how much she's wanted it, God, that's all she ever wants) hurts, and she's still whimpering into his chest before it turns into little hiccups of sound and she doesn't know why she's falling apart like this but that she has to, she just has to but it's all okay now because she knows she has him to hold up all the cracking pieces of her. She might apologize if she had the words to, for always being such a burden, for always needing him so much, but it's not as if she could ever stop, anyway.*
[12:47:06 AM] DAVE: *Dave thought he had made his heart steel a long time ago, but apparently steel was really heavy. he can feel it weighing on his chest now, because no matter what kind of dumb alchemist stunts he has tried to pull with his heart in the last few years, rose already established herself in there. he can finally shut his eyes now that he has rose with him. it's hard exercise always communicating telepathically, and it's almost a relief that she can still cry and he can still hold her because it means they're halfway normal. her uneven, hiccupping sobs are jolting and painful, so he shushes her over and over again, and hums some song that he picked up somewhere a long time ago.*
[12:55:50 AM] DIRK: *he closes his eyes and dipped his nose into the hair at the side of her head, murmuring similar comforting phrases into her ear as he continues to rub her back as if that would actually make her stop. he's not an expert in comforting people like this, and it isn't very often that he actually cares about the person in his arms, but he wants to try his best to keep the girl whimpering into his chest safe and happy for as long as his immortality lasts. it's no question that he would give up his own life permanently for her. he's loved her since before they got involved in the game, the trolls, and just about everything else. even if he wasn't /in/ love with her, she was just as prominent in his heart as the person he was in love with.*
[1:01:02 AM] ROSE: *she knows that eventually she will run out of tears and this will just sound like awful and awkward dry heaving, but there is little restraint left in her to stop her from muffling her harsh ugly sobs in his chest. her grip around him tightens as a reminder to herself that he's still real, still there, and still she can still turn to him with just about anything that's wrong in her life. he doesn't have the ability to magically solve all of her problems, and she can't instantly relieve him of his own either, but she tries, and she won't hesitate to work through them together with him. as distant as they may get at times, it's a relief of her own to know that they still have such a close connection and that they can care for each other whenever the situation calls for it. for once she's not overthinking everything or trying to pick apart his brain, and it just feels nice to not have to act being his sister is a chore and drag. in all honesty, there isn't anyone else she would rather be related to and have such a strong relationship with*
[1:03:31 AM] ROXY: *she doesn't know exactly how long she's been standing there, sporadic sounds and tears and she's noticed she started shaking, too, naturally, but eventually it slows and she feels a little less of whatever's been cutting into her heart and a little more of all the things slick on her face and stopping up her nose and she pulls away from him to rather unceremoniously reach and pull toilet paper from its roll to blow her nose with, and she's repeated it a few times along with a dab of tissue under her eyes before she can finally look at him and manage to crack what she hopes is a reassuring smile. Her makeup's probably smeared a little, but that's natural. She's stopped caring about that right now. It doesn't really seem to matter.*
[1:09:19 AM] DAVE: *he rocks her back and forth a little, just because it sounds like crying that hard really hurts. he whispers* play the rain rose *and then rests his chin on her head. it makes him sad that she's this sad, but so it goes. he is pretty proud of his joke, though. he knows that water doesn't snuff her kind of light out. it just refracts it. all he can do is wait for the clouds to pass so she can be his sunshine again. *
[1:09:59 AM] DIRK: *he takes another tissue to dab at the smeared makeup in an attempt to clear it off of her face for good before discarding it in the trash bin on the floor. he acknowledges that she looks like a hot mess at the moment, but doesn't say anything since that won't help anyone and it's not exactly relevant. instead he raises a hand to brush away the remaining tears from her cheeks with his thumb. he looks back down at her with just about every emotion, (including but not limited to sorrow, guilt, and concern) that's coursing through him expressed in his eyes* You okay?
[1:13:43 AM] ROXY: *the little flutter of affection in her chest at that simple gesture feels warmer than it had before, like the sharp edges of it were cushioned now and what remained was pleasant again, at least for the moment. She's still smiling, maybe breathing the barest whisper of a laugh, and he's touching her again, asking her a question.* yeah *her uninjured hand reaches up to take his, squeezing it a little* all better
[1:14:44 AM] ROSE: *soon enough her crying subdues. she's running out of tears now and there's not much she can do other than hiccup and sniffle frequently. her throat is sore from all the sobbing and her voice is a little hoarse when she speaks up. her cheek is pressed against the damp fabric of his shirt and she just closes her eyes in favor of staring blankly at the mess that is known as Dirk's bed* Th-thank you, Dave...
[1:16:37 AM] DIRK: *his lips turn up in a small grin in return before he takes her hand and presses a chaste kiss to her knuckles* No more tears, okay? *he's genuinely happy to see her smile again and it makes him feel like he isn't completely worthless knowing that he was able to make her feel better, even though he was the one who upset her the most in the first place*
[1:17:59 AM] DAVE: *Dave is immensely relieved by the fact that rose is somewhat coherent again, especially because he can hear the other two in the bathroom again. he runs his fingers through her hair because it feels nice for a recluse like him to just be near someone.* anytime rose
[1:19:45 AM] ROSE: *she lets out a long soft sigh at the contact, leaning into his touch a little more if that's even possible at this point* This isn't going to leave this room, is it?
[1:20:15 AM] DAVE: *he grins and squeezes her briefly.* no fucking way in hell
[1:20:17 AM] ROSE: Otherwise I might have to kill you. *she chuckles, even though it's weak, it's an attempt to make both of them feel better*
[1:20:37 AM] ROXY: *there's a part of her that wishes she didn't feel a different kind of flutter in her chest when he presses his lips to her skin, but it's a part of her she can't help and never really could, even as much as she's learned to tame it in all this time; it's a little easier to ignore it now than it was when they were fifteen, at least, and she doesn't let that stop her smile from staying.* ill make sure to send the tears an eviction notice
[1:21:52 AM] DAVE: *he can tell she's returning to normal, which means soon there'll be other heartbeats and thoughts and things in between theirs. he clings to her a little longer.* wow like i dont have enough homicidal gods on my ass
[1:22:51 AM] DIRK: Good. Tears aren't allowed here anymore. *he squeezes her hand lightly before nudging the bathroom door open again with his foot* We should probably check on them. Make sure they're not rummaging through my shit and all that. *he steps aside and holds the door open for her, gesturing with one arm for her to go before him in his best gentlemanly manner*
[1:24:25 AM] ROSE: *she gives him a light squeeze and chuckles again* You just eliminated the possibility of one more trying to murder you viciously.
[1:24:42 AM] ROSE: Don't fret, though. I would make it quick and painless for your sake.
[1:25:05 AM] DAVE: yeah i know you would
[1:25:22 AM] DAVE: ive always known i could count on you to put me out of my misery in the least miserable way possible
[1:26:48 AM] ROXY: im sure theyve had a field day with all your weird bs *steps ahead of him to spot the other set of hugging strilondes, and she sort of pauses a little*
[1:26:48 AM] ROSE: *she smiles a little* Ohana means family, and family means no one gets slaughtered and left to die.
[1:27:27 AM] DIRK: *steps out as well but stops when he sees them, his lips curling into a knowing smirk*
[1:27:54 AM] DAVE: *he spots roxy and dirk coming out of the bathroom and his grip on rose immediately slackens. he nudges rose.* oh are you guys done having your heart to heart
[1:27:57 AM] DAVE: or heart to void
[1:28:01 AM] DAVE: wait that sounded bitchy
[1:28:06 AM] DAVE: i know you have a heart roxy
[1:28:08 AM] DAVE: a heart of gold
[1:28:57 AM] ROSE: *she reluctantly lets go of him and turns toward the others, but keeps her distance from Dave close* Are you kissing up to your mother?
[1:29:13 AM] ROXY: *snort*
[1:29:14 AM] DAVE: absolutely
[1:29:17 AM] ROXY: thats right
[1:30:34 AM] DIRK: *has a weird sense of fatherly pride when he looks at those two* You're a weird little man. *ignores the fact that they are the same age*
[1:30:52 AM] DAVE: oh youre one to talk
[1:30:58 AM] DAVE: *eye roll**smh*
[1:31:23 AM] ROSE: *nudges him with her elbow* Be nice or he might ground you.
[1:31:57 AM] DAVE: *he wrinkles his nose and elbows her back* im still trying to decide how scared i should be
[1:32:52 AM] DIRK: *snorts* The mad scientist has left the building.
[1:33:23 AM] ROXY: that fucker got tossed out a window more like
[1:33:30 AM] DIRK: Just your neighborhood friendly General, here.
[1:33:40 AM] ROXY: (general asshole)
[1:33:43 AM] ROXY: (hes an asshole)
[1:33:46 AM] DAVE: *snicker*
[1:33:59 AM] DIRK: *bumps her with his shoulder* Rude.
[1:34:03 AM] DAVE: rip dr frankenstein
[1:34:07 AM] ROXY: (hes also good at hugs)
[1:34:37 AM] ROXY: *grabs Dirk's SHIRT to pull him in the DaveRose direction because she wants to ambush their children with hugs now*
[1:34:43 AM] ROSE: *smiles again**Is this what family feels like?*
[1:35:03 AM] DIRK: *is dragged over to his ecto kids*
[1:35:15 AM] ROXY: *commence the wrapping of arms*
[1:35:23 AM] DAVE: oh were still doing this
[1:35:27 AM] ROXY: *also the nudging for Dirk to do the same*
[1:35:29 AM] ROXY: hell yeah were doing this
[1:35:31 AM] ROXY: were making it hapen
[1:35:32 AM] DIRK: *group hug is initiated*
[1:35:37 AM] DAVE: i thought this part of the night was over
[1:35:59 AM] ROSE: *wraps and arm around Dave to pull him in to the hug*
[1:36:19 AM] ROSE: *These Striders are too damn tall*
[1:37:01 AM] DAVE: *he reluctantly (but not very reluctantly) hugs some tiny lalondes and one other (the only other) strider. their height means that they're eye to eye over the girls' heads.*
[1:37:17 AM] ROXY: *face in strider boobs, roxy is content here*
[1:37:18 AM] DAVE: *or sort of eye to eye since one time it was established that dirk is taller than Dave. awk*
[1:37:36 AM] ROXY: *also cheek to cheek with Rose, that's good too*
[1:38:07 AM] DIRK: *nods at Dave over their heads with a small smirk*
[1:38:44 AM] ROXY: *smiles at Rose like yep my makeup is messed up and I can tell you were crying too but that's okay because look at the choice babes we are hugging*
[1:39:14 AM] DAVE: *he's blushing with embarrassment over this hug and embarrassment over blushing which makes him blush more like a stupid maiden but what can you do*
[1:39:26 AM] ROSE: *smiles back at Roxy since it's obvious they were both just pouring their hearts out to their Striders and she feels a whole lot better*
[1:40:18 AM] DIRK: *would also be blushing were he not so shameless to go along with Roxy's family shenanigans for her sake*
[1:40:26 AM] DIRK: *finds Dave's blushing amusing though*
[1:43:07 AM] ROXY: ahh yes
[1:43:12 AM] ROXY: this is a nice view
[1:43:22 AM] ROXY: *way 2 go roxy*
[1:43:41 AM] ROXY: literally all the striderboob i could have possibly wanted
[1:43:56 AM] DIRK: ...*doesn't know how to respond to that*
[1:44:14 AM] DAVE: yesterdays spa sesh was apparently not enough striderboob for you
[1:44:20 AM] ROXY: never enough
[1:44:31 AM] DAVE: you have an insatiable appetite
[1:44:42 AM] DAVE: for the s-boob
[1:44:52 AM] DAVE: s-boob
[1:45:03 AM] DAVE: ok lets stop im getting insecure about my chest now
[1:45:12 AM] ROXY: its a good chest tho
[1:45:15 AM] ROSE: *doesn't know how much longer she can handle being part of this conversation*
[1:45:22 AM] ROXY: *finally pulls back to grin up at dave because she's a lil shit*
[1:45:39 AM] DAVE: *he looks down and grins back at her* thanks teen mom
[1:46:05 AM] DIRK: *finally speaks up* This is one fucked up family.
[1:46:24 AM] DAVE: youre preaching to the choir
[1:46:27 AM] ROXY: fav family
[1:46:40 AM] ROSE: *grins* The best fucked up family.
[1:46:41 AM] ROXY: being kind of a biased party
[1:47:27 AM] DAVE: yeah i guess there are worse fucked up families
[1:48:03 AM] DIRK: At least none of us were possessed by the Batterwitch.
[1:49:16 AM] DAVE: counting my blessings
[1:53:43 AM] DIRK: *shrugs**What else did you expect him to say?*
[1:54:08 AM] ROXY: *so done with you*
[1:55:07 AM] ROXY: ok so how about we abscond from the creep cave and go have a proper hangout sess cuz idk about you guys but the puppet butts are skeevin me out a lil bit
[1:55:23 AM] DIRK: *frowns* It's not that creepy...
[1:55:29 AM] DAVE: *dave starts humming the tune to simple plan's "welcome to my life"*
[1:55:53 AM] DIRK: This is who I am, Rox.
[1:55:58 AM] DIRK: It's not a phase.
[1:56:06 AM] DAVE: *shakes head* its really not
[1:56:44 AM] ROXY: and yet that somehow only skeevs me more
[1:56:45 AM] ROSE: *chuckles* May I suggest we explore the palace for a more suitable place?
[1:57:16 AM] DAVE: are you going to suggest it
[1:57:47 AM] DAVE: *he detaches himself from the hug in the meantime and straightens out his hopelessly wrinkled time t-shirt, which still has a big wet spot in the middle of it.*
[2:00:09 AM] ROSE: *pats the spot on his chest apologetically and smiles up at him* Let's venture out to less shady areas.
[2:01:05 AM] DAVE: *he chucks her under the chin.* aye aye miss lalonde
[2:01:47 AM] ROXY: agreed
[2:02:28 AM] ROXY: *tempted to grab Dirk's hand to drag him out but manages to resist the urge to grab someone and drag them for once because she's pretty certain she's not going to lose anyone this time*
[2:04:31 AM] DIRK: *kicks a few stray smuppets out of the way and holds the door open for all three of them to leave his creepy and messy room*
[2:05:47 AM] ROXY: *ducks out, still smiling*
[2:06:18 AM] ROSE: *follows suit*
[2:06:32 AM] DAVE: *ditto, with a last wary glance at lil cal.*
[2:07:35 AM] ROXY: *HAA HAA HOO HOO HEE HEE*
[2:07:42 AM] ROXY: *i mean*
[2:07:44 AM] ROXY: *the end*
[2:08:15 AM] DIRK: *turns off the lights and follows them into the hallway*
[2:08:23 AM] DIRK: *I'll be back for you later, Cal*
