april catch-all.

[parodeity]

WHO: Dave Strider & OTHER PEOPLE
WHERE: many places i finally am caving and doing a catch all
WHEN: during the event
WHAT: shenanigans
WARNINGS: dave swears sometimes and also there will be shadows eating people and whatever

specific prompts in the comments! ping me if you would like something and do not have something.

Comments

KEITH, 4/19: WOLFQUEST, THE WOLFENING.

[parodeity]

[ it's far enough into the event probably that shadows are actively sabotaging shit. so on a cloudy and breezy day dave finally snaps and needs to do anything else. he's tired, he's kind of bored out of his mind when he's not tired, and despite his lobster he's a little lonely.

so he sends a message to keith consisting basically of

want to hunt some wolves with me
yes very yes absolutely yes
circle one and return to sender

and after presumably getting a positive response the two meet up at the well or one of their houses and head over towards the forest. where all bad ideas start and end. ]

You ever hunted wolves before, dude? [ dave is not an expert. ]

[lonered]

[So let's be entirely realistic. Keith is absolutely in for this terrible idea the minute it is proposed. He apparently has just straight not learned his lesson and maybe never will. And he's accepted that.

Especially as a distraction from the fact that his shadow has been screwing with him. And trying to cause shit between him and other people. It's great. Super great.

So he's ready to blow off some steam in the woods where terrible things never happen. To anyone. Especially him.]

Not before it became trendy here. Never really hunted anything honestly. But I came out with a couple other guys a little while back. You?

[parodeity]

Uh, I went once but we didn't really "hunt".

[ henry wanted to be bros with the wolves so that's how that went. ]

I kind of have a vague idea where we should look, at least?

[lonered]

...what did you do?

[Really all Dave needs to say is "Henry" and Keith will be like "oh, okay. understood." but that's neither here nor there.]

Perfect. Then let's get looking. And let's try not to wind up with rabies or anything. ...colorless alternate universe rabies.

[Keith hates his life sometimes.]

[parodeity]

Henry wanted to make friends with them?

[ and now dave is out to hunt them.

DAVE IS GOOD WITH FRIENDS. :) ]

[lonered]

Oh.

[Yeah no okay that sounds right actually. Why wouldn't he? Want to make friends... with the terror wolves.]

How'd that go?

[Are you friends, Dave? Are you now hunting your friends?]

[parodeity]

We got distracted and ended up not finding any?

[ GOOD JOB, KIDS. ]

[lonered]

...okay so. Starting from zero.

[Keith nods to himself, trying not to smirk as much as he is. But wow, Dave.] Did you have fun at least?

[A consolation prize of sorts? The real treasure was friendship the whole time??]

[parodeity]

Yeah, I mean - he's good company?

[ weird company but good company. ]

So, obviously they'll be in the woods - the real question is if we were a wolf where in the woods would we want to live?

[ time for some ROLEPLAY. be the wolf keith ]

[lonered]

Then not a wasted trip.

[See? Optimism. Keith is really trying on that front lately because he fully realizes how cynical he is about most of this city and the reasons they're here and all.]

...well I mean. The deeper the better, right? Wolves aren't usually super excited about running into human beings, unless they're rabid or desperate. So we probably gotta head in at least a ways.

[Keith, too, isn't usually super excited about running into human beings so THIS ROLE PLAY THE WOLF IS EASY.]

EMMA, 4/20: TRAINING GONE AWRY

[parodeity]

[ they'd both agreed that early morning training sessions were best and that's how they've been doing them. dave's not the kind of teacher his own training master was, thank god. he's patient and sort of careful with emma even though he has a warped idea of what kids should be able to do. he doesn't go hard on her but he's not so easy as to be unhelpful. mostly he's teacher her how to effectively wield a blade and how to dodge.

the blade in question is the knife guren gave up, and dave's pretty decent at teaching her how to care for it, too.

today they're practicing drawing the blade after some rolls, so. ]

Anyway, you mostly gotta be sure not to hit yourself or anyone else with it - it's important to always know where you knife is at all time. But I think that's about it - ready to spar?

[keeneye]

[It's a good thing that Emma is a poster child for warped childhood ideals, what with her crazy intellect and reflexes. Not to homestuck levels, but she's almost there. She has taken to the new information quickly as she already has a basic handle on how to hold and handle the blade after their first few meetings.

Keeping a handle on it after rolling is a different issue altogether. She has made it through the practice rolls without much incident, a surprising wobble here and a dropped knife there, but she feels like she's got a handle on it. She pops up to attention at the mention of sparring.]

Gotcha! Always be aware of your surroundings. [a nod!] I'm ready when you are, sensei.

[And she assumes a ready stance, mainly thinking about how she is going to utilize this new dodge.]

[parodeity]

[ so glad dave is making his super white anime student call him, a super american dude, sensei

can't wait for people to figure out that's a thing.

but he's dropping into an even more casual stance before he comes at her - slow enough so she can see him, at least. ]

[keeneye]

[It's fine... There's nothing wrong with this set up. This is a professional dojo.

Well, as expected of a good teacher Dave is starting off with the perfect opportunity for practice. As he grows nearer she dips, falling to the right, so that she can swing with the knife as she exits the dodge roll. The plan was to come up close to combat the difference in reach, but as she stands it feels like her foot clamps down and she can't take the step forward she was planning.

Instead she is pitching forward, her knife held out in front of her. She was trying to swipe! Not to stab! Looks like physics has decided on the latter though.]

[parodeity]

[ they're both lucky dave's so fast on his feet. even so he doesn't expect it and he's more interested in catching emma before she pitches forward onto her face maybe with the knife held like that than he is in dodging a cut.

so.

maybe his arm gets scratched up a little as he grabs for her, but so what? ]

Whoa there.

[keeneye]

[Dave took one for the team... After the initial shock of falling and being caught she jumps up and away, all worry on her face. The knife is dropped to the ground so as to no longer be an immediate threat, or so she assumes.]

I'm sorry! I must have tripped- I need to be more careful! [at the sight of the blood her face goes even paler.] I'll get a bandage right away!!

MINATO & JOHN; 4/23 SHADOW SHIT

[parodeity]

[ so after a pending thread with izuku, apparently people being bodily eaten whole by their shadows is, like, an actual fucking concern that they should have now? accordingly dave's first concern after "well is there any way to get him back" followed by "apparently fucking not" is, you know.

is john okay?

because this sounds like the sort of thing john egbert would somehow trip into headfirst. dave's the one who's so pale he's very nearly completely colorless at this point but he has never been that great about worrying about himself. presumably minato might also be worried about other people, but dave wants to check in on john first - vriska's a statue and terezi can handle herself, he generally assumes - before considering intelligent moves like informing the town as a whole that can happen or just. whatever.

luckily he kinda knows where in bluo john's at, even though he's never been to his place specifically.

sort of. ]

I think it's this way? [ maybe they'll luck out and minato will know or john will be outside. dave's kind of kept from specifically learning to location so as not to bother john overmuch but it doesn't come in handy when he actually actively wants to bother john anyway.

he's floating a foot or so off the ground to see if that keeps his shadow from reaching up to grab him even though that's kind of a stupid idea and not much of a hope. so. ]

[messianic]

[In truth, Minato is definitely still shaken. He can't really show it, not when Dave is also undoubtedly shaken, and not when he has to follow Dave immediately when he wants to go check on John (it makes perfect sense, of course he wants to check on his friend, Minato wants to check on Mitsuru and Ryoji but--).

He had to follow Dave, who seems far too pale at this point, who is really, really worrying him.

But how can he say anything?

He has to see John first before he'll even stop, right?

So Minato grimaces a little (he doesn't know where John is living, unfortunately), and just... nods.]

Okay. Let's...keep going, then. [There's really nothing else he can do at this point, but follow, brow furrowed, expression concerned as he keeps his eyes not on where they're going, but on Dave.]

[windeity]

[Luckily for them, Dave's John-honing skills are still top-notch seeing how Dave's wandering into Bluo and John's...laying on the ground not too far from his house. His shadow doesn't seem to be nearby, exactly, but it's lingering around. His hair's ashy and he's a little pale but not nearly as bad as Dave. He tilts his head back when he hears footsteps though, grinning upside down.]

Hey. [But then he gets a better look. Minato's worried, and Dave's drained of most of his color and he finds it to be a little disturbing.] ...what's up?

[parodeity]

[ shaken? he's definitely not shaken. you know, beyond the part where he was insistent about immediately finding john. dave should have made john tell him exactly where he lived ages ago but when he spots john on the ground he just immediately beelines in that direction, not stopping until he's - very carefully not leaning over john so as not to cast a shadow on him, actually. he's careful about the stupidest shit.

and while he's not really paying the least amount of attention to his too-tangible shadow, he's at least going to try to make sure it can't fuck with anyone else beyond the stealing his voice trick. ]

Are you okay? [ he looks okay. but. ] Your shadow been doin' anything extra weird??

[ that's not an explanation at all... ]

[messianic]

[Minato's worried. Dave is shaken (yes, definitely shaken), and John is... lying here? Okay. And John is pale too, and Minato's hands slowly curl into fists within his pockets, concern and worry all curling together to sit heavily in his stomach.

Just like Izuku--who was too pale, and then...

Minato's quiet, but the way he keeps his eyes firmly fixed on Dave, sans one quick glance John's way, probably says enough about his concern here.]

[windeity]

[Luckily the only reason John's laying on the ground is in hopes of keeping his shadow grounded and away. But Dave hovers without casting a shadow and John's face twists into another frown. His glasses are broken and kind of tied together but otherwise he looks unharmed.]

Other than being a total asshole? Nothing too terrible yet. [It's terrible, he's frustrated and he's just not saying so.] Are you guys okay? [The question's for both of them but yeah his eyes are also on Dave here...]

[parodeity]

What'd you even do? [ yeah those glasses are...dave reaches up to swipe under his own shades, dislodging them a little to rub at his eye, before he stretches a hand down to snag john's glasses. ]

I'm not sure these are actually fixable. [ he's apparently just not answering questions today. ]

[messianic]

We're not.

[Oh.

Well then.

Minato frowns tightly, eyes narrowing a little as he glances from Dave to John.]

We're not okay. [Especially not Dave? Especially not Dave.] These shadows are really dangerous, so we needed to check on you.

[windeity]

[He eyes Dave curiously because he kind of gets a glimpse at his eye but he's distracted by Minato. He sits up, still on the ground and his shadow looms a little behind him. Asshole.]

How dangerous is dangerous? What else are they doing? [He's not sure he trusts this either. To Dave, he asks:] What happened to you? My glasses just got thrown in the well and busted, it's fine.