Event Nine.

[awashmods]

Thus, on Life’s gloomy sea, Heareth the marinere Voices sweet, from far and near, Ever singing in his ear, “Here is rest and peace for thee!”

t's a dark night, and the sounds of feet in the darkness are further dampened and hidden by even more magic, as they are lured away by the soft sounds of dreams that are too good to be true, leaving the Town much, much emptier than when it began. On one side, an island, and a ticking clock to a gruesome death. On the other, the slow realization that those bonds everyone has been forging might mean much, much more than they first thought. Welcome to Awash's ninth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Please be sure to very clearly mark where your characters are in your prompts, so people know which they can tag depending on which group they are in. Thank you!

Comments

[parodeity]

I don't think it's selfish. Or if it is, I am too, or something.

[ his fingers tap out a beat on his leg. ]

Honesty. The - how I feel. You're my brother? That's not a question. I mean, I said it like a question but it's not. You're - a good guy. Sometimes it can be hard, yeah, you look so much like...sometimes it's hard, but more often it's not because you're so different even when you're similar? You're more like me than you are him. And you're someone I like. I like being around you. You're funny and you get my jokes and references and you're smart and you remind me of Rose and you're. Someone important to me, because you're you, not because of who you are or aren't like. You're important to me so...be careful, okay? I'd hate to lose you. Like, a lot. It wouldn't be easy and you're not replaceable or someone I want to do without.

[robosmith]

[ oh man. dave keeps doing this to him and dirk just isn't prepared for it. it doesn't get any easier either and it's bad enough that halfway through he finds himself looking down at dave's finger, focusing on the beat being tapped out because that's easier than to keep directly looking at dave in the face of what feels like a relentless torrent of positive feelings.

he's done nothing to deserve dave and yet somehow he has a kickass brother who is far too kind anyway.

it takes him a small moment to get himself to look up and find his voice again. ]

... Okay. [ his voice sounds weird to his own ears so he clears his throat uncomfortably before attempting to say more. ] I'll try my best.

[ it's really all he can promise when his callous disregard for himself is ingrained. and when it comes to protecting those he cares about, he knows he'll put them first. ]

And uh, you know I feel the same way about you, right?

[ he's said it before how important dave is to him, but he'll say it again if he has to. ]

[parodeity]

[ there's a kind of startled look because dave's bad at internalizing other people liking him for.

reasons.

but. ]

Uh. Yeah? I mean, like. Brothers, is what I thought...

[ they're winning this ]

[robosmith]

[ they're having a feelings jam in the middle of a rescue, of course they're winning this.

but oh boy, okay. he can do this because that startled look won't do at all. he'll repeat it as many times as necessary until dave inherently knows just how important he is to him. ]

Well, yeah. You're my brother, but it's not just because we're related ectobiology-ways, if that makes sense? [ hell, they're not even brothers on an ectobiological level. but that's beside the point. ] Like you're the one person I always feel like I can be completely honest with. You already know what I can be like at my worst through another version of me so there's no use pretending otherwise. It's... freeing.

[ and neither of them are as cool as they would like to be and they both know it, no point in actually fronting. ]

Even though we technically haven't known each other that long, hanging out with you just feels natural. It's not like anything I ever expected, but it's so much better than that and now that I know what it's like, it's not something I would ever want to lose. You're one of the kindest persons I know and I'm glad you're my brother.

[ what this boils down to: you're my brother, you're important to me and i love you. too bad keeping it short and sweet just isn't the Strider Way™. ]

[parodeity]

[ oh. okay. now it's dave's turn to be punched in the emotional gut? like, how do you even. dirk, how do you even!

it's true, though. for all that sometimes out of the corner of his eye dirk can startle him by looking like bro, it feels somehow natural to hang out. it's kind of awkward and they're both bad at it, but even the part where it isn't effortless makes it feel somehow more real.

dave settles for leaning in to hug dirk again, hi dirk. ]

I'm glad you're mine, too. [ it feels inadequate in comparison. ]

[robosmith]

[ don't dish it if you can't take it, bro!!

but yes, hello dave. dirk sees him lean in and he's Ready. none of the usual instinctive tensing, he just immediately hugs back and if he's kind of slightly smiling like a doof then at least everyone is too preoccupied with rescue and siren shenanigans to notice. hopefully.

he mumbles something that sounds a lot like "good. i'm glad." in response and he holds on for a little while longer before the sounds of splashing water remind him that they should probably get a move on and he gingerly pulls back. ]

C'mon, let's haul ass. I've been dyin' to get off this shitty island.

[parodeity]

You've got it. Be careful with your leg.

[ they can end the hug. it'll probably happen again eventually because they're both hug-starved, let's be honest, but for now this is a good place to end it and they transition into BOATSTUCK.

lucky them!! ]