awashlogs | Event Five.

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Event Five.

So here I’ve stood for forty years
In dark and dust and creaky sounds,
Waiting for her to say, “Turn around.”
This might not be just what she meant,
But me – I’m so obedient.

t first, it seems a little too simple for a true test of morals. Don't eat, don't take, don't look? The most basic of requirements. And with guides, it isn't too difficult at all to avoid those obvious pitfalls.

At least, until the Town's suddenly far, far too empty, almost eerily so -- until there's nobody there but your fellow reds, or blues or yellows, in a town that is far too big for just a portion of the people there.

And that's when the true test starts. Good luck.

Welcome to Awash's fifth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. This log can be used for either phase of the event; please just mark clearly when it is happening and which colors can respond to the prompt.

Please remember as well to let us know if your character passes or fails these tests!

You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

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[ dirk follows and although it all remains the same, somehow knowing john isn't around makes it seem emptier.

he glances at the piano, seemingly thoughtful if it weren't for the slight restless twitching of his fingers. ]

Could be. I wish we had some way to check, but my powers are useless in this scenario.

[ just knowing where they are would put his mind a tiny bit more at ease. ]

[ he catches the twitch. ]

You play?

What? [ his attention is drawn away from both piano and thoughts that didn't have much to do with the piano at all, gaze going back to dave before it clicks. ] Oh. No, not really? At least not the piano. My bro did keep a keyboard around, but I didn't play a whole lot.

Did you want to like...learn? [ he sounds uncertain. ]

[ it's not like he'd say no because learning how to play a classical instrument is something he's totally down for, but he's picking up on that uncertainty and it's hard to ignore. ]

Did you want to teach?

I wouldn't be as good a teacher as Egbert. I mean...he's played longer, and better. [ dave's a hack, he means. ] But I don't...mind?

If you want to I'm certainly not opposed to learning how to play a classical instrument. [ a shrug followed by the wry admittance of: ] Honestly, any distraction will do right about now.

[ he figures that's the case for both of them. ]

[ hmmm. ]

Well, sewin' first, we already decided on that and I have the stuff to fix up anyway.

[ which reminds him. he'll wave dirk to the couch and then flashstep off to go retrieve the hideously medeival clothes they can. try to tailor into something else or at least fix up.

it's the work of a few seconds, and he sets the pile of fabric on the coffee table before slouching into the couch himself. he also has a few haphazard sewing supplies. ]

Alright.

[ he'll dutifully sit down on the couch when he's waved over to it and take his own homemade sewing kit out of his sylladex, settling down and laying out what he thinks he's going to need just for the sake of keeping his hands busy.

at least dave is back within seconds and dirk eyes the pile curiously. ]

What do you want me to start with?

May as well go from zero, I'm okay at mendin' but don't know the legit rules. I'm better at like, stitching up cuts.

[ it makes painful sense that that's all dave knows, but he nods without saying anything about it. ]

I can teach you some different types of stitches.

[ he's grabbing some fabric and picking out a thread in what seems to match the fabric best before reaching over to pick up his needle where he put it when suddenly: ]

Motherfucker.

[ there's three needles instead of the one he laid out. god dammit. give him a second as he pauses, squints and tilts his head slightly at them in a considering manner, before casually picking up the middle one. he'll continue right on as if the hiccup hadn't happened, setting about preparing the needle and then sewing a basic running stitch into the fabric. ]

Alright, I'm guessing this is the one you know already?

Yep. Are we gonna do fancy cross stitching?

[ how many types of stitches does one need? things dave seriously doesn't know, although he threads his own needle absently. ]

We can do a cross stitch, but it's not one you use often when it comes to basic hand sewing. It's more for embroidery.

[ he'll wait for dave to thread his needle before showing him anyway so he can follow along. prepare yourself, dave. there's quite A Few. ]

I mean, maybe I want to embroider a loving epithet about Doritos or something?

[ honestly

he probably would ]

[ a beat. ]

Fair enough. [ of course dirk is just gonna roll with that. ] Never did that much embroidering myself, but I can show you that stitch as well.

[ another one for the list. ]

...You always seem so calm.

[ mildly said ]

[ that makes his hands still and there's a slight pause before he looks up at dave. ]

Only by virtue of the fact that I don't... express much in general, I think. [ with dave that's easy enough to admit as it's always easy to be honest with him. said admittance comes with a slight wry twist to his lips. ] I'm not nearly as calm as I wish I was.

Maybe that's not what I mean exactly. I mean, I can tell you got my awkward nervous or I got yours in whatever mobius reacharound. [ dave's own fingers still has he tries to figure out what he meant to say. ] I mean you're like...patient. Around me. You're not...

[ he doesn't know the word he wants. it's so opposite anything he ever expected. ]

It's restful, or something?

[ his needlework is momentarily forgotten as dave gets his rapt attention, waiting for him to explain what he actually means. ]

Oh.

[ what do you say to that? dirk has no idea. but it means a lot, coming from dave and knowing what he knows about his circumstances. although that only makes it harder to express how that makes him feel. ]

Uh, well, I'm glad. [ kind of putting it mildly tbh, but a valiant attempt was made. ] You're important to me, so...

[ vague hand gesture goes here to indicate something that he can't quite find the words for despite his verbose ways and expansive vocabulary. it tends to fail him when he has all the social grace of a penguin on land.

... man, they suck at this. ]

I...am. [ question or statement, looks like dave can't quite decide.

he purses his lips for a second, then blurts: ]

D'you like - [ hm. ] How do you tell people we're related?

You are.

[ whether it's a question or a statement, it gets confirmation either way before he considers the question blurted out. ]

If you mean the people here, I just say we're brothers or alternate universe brothers. That seems easiest. [ a beat. ] Or would you prefer something else?

[ they look so alike, it's more than obvious that they're related so it's kind of hard to dodge, but whatever makes dave more comfortable. ]

[ they look alike enough to be twins (dave thinks of rose, for a heartbeat) and they have the same last name and like. matching first names. so obviously "not being related" is sort of a ridiculous thing and he figures most people have pretty much guessed the truth.

or like.

the easiest version of the truth, i.e. "brothers" and not "alternate universe brothers", although that's what dave has mostly gone with.

"you are" gets dave to look flustered because he's still not really sure how to handle blatant familial affection or whatever it is. rose only really got like that when she was drunk and usually they operated on a steady stream of constant banter and bickering and best friendship that was familiar and easy to navigate. they rarely touched but dave wouldn't care if she did, and they were rarely perfectly honest about how they felt about one another because that was just how dave and rose worked. the most honest they'd ever been was when they'd been arguing about which of them was going to die to deliver the bomb. he knows that rose loves him and that's cool because he loves her but they don't have to like...say it, or whatever.

he's pale and always freckles and burns instead of tanning and his expression doesn't change much but he's flushing and trying to figure out a way to deal with that but like...

okay.

cool. family stuff. how do you do? ]

Like... [ like, okay. ] Uh, so like, I mean, that's actually the theoretically accurate version that won't make people go "what" instead of "actually he's half my genetic code, because ectobiology, trust me you don't even wanna fucking know, and also then alternate universes" which like I've actually gone into with people and I'm pretty sure I completely confused them so mostly I try not to go into it with people? Because ectobiology is a pain in the ass to explain. And I am 99% sure John LARPed ghostbusters or some other dumb movie when he created us and I do not know how to feel about that other than long-suffering.

[ he's rambling. he always rambles when he's nervous, and even when he isn't, although dave can be quiet sometimes too. ]

But I don't feel like we need to go "nah, alternate universe sperm donor" because one that's weird and two I don't think of you that way, which sounds like a bad break up line actually and okay now I hate I pointed that out. Fuck. Can we erase the last few minutes??? I mean, I have been going with brothers or alt universe brothers but like the thing I was getting at - the thing is, would it be like...chill...

[ this is hilariously awkward and he's way overblowing it when dave finally gets around to his Point. ]

Like, stuff like calling you Bro, or.

[ he doesn't comment on the obvious flustering — he gets it, he would have a similar reaction if anyone were to tell him the same — and he does nothing to interrupt the subsequent rambling, he simply listens and lets dave get to the point in his own time. he only reacts to the "bad break up line" with a nod because his mind always skirts around how dave is technically his son and it's just... no. he can't think of dave that way.

but then dave does finally get to the point and it's his turn to be a little flustered. which is stupid because there's nothing to be flustered about, it's just... well, admittedly significant for them in a way. still no reason for the faint heat rising to his cheeks, but at least he keeps his cool otherwise. ]

Yeah, of course. If you want to. [ no hesitation whatsoever. ] And uh... if you don't mind me doing the same?

[ at least they're both flustered over basic familial interactions. the harleyberts are maybe managing things better. dave shakes his head after a pause and then realizes probably he needs words because that could be either no or no i don't mind. ]

That'd be okay. That's...I mean, that's what we're workin' on here. Right?

[ the harleyberts are very likely fairing a lot better on account of not being emotionally constipated striders.

and yeah, dirk's not entirely sure how to interpret that head shake so thank goodness for the clarification. it comes as almost giddy relief when dirk's quick to lean toward the worst conclusion side of things and he's ready to accept rejection at the drop of a hat. ]

Right. [ a beat. ] Okay, cool.

[ another slight hesitation before he goes with speaking his mind. ]

I'm... glad you want to consider me such. I would completely understand if you didn't.

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parodeity - 2018-07-24 02:00 (UTC) - Expand

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