into the woods

[parodeity]

WHO: Dave Strider & Keith. Keith like Madonna, there's just the one name that matters.
WHERE: the well --> the forest, because dumb teens
WHEN: Noon on the 18th onwards
WHAT: "yes we are going to have a nice chat and perhaps tea" several hours later "OH GOD WE WERE ATTACKED BY SHADOW MONSTERS AND WILL NEVER FEEL HUMAN WARMTH AGAIN" that seems to sum it up, so you know what.
WARNINGS: the aforementioned idiocy, dave is liable to swear, they don't even bother to have their gray food snacks probably

[ noon at the well, because it's the creepy easiest location to find and meet by (they need better landmarks) and then "away from the well, because yeah". this is the entirety of the plan they'd made the other day, although dave had mentioned tea they definitely don't have and meant water they do. spending time conversing with someone not yourself is probably better than wandering around an empty house ignoring the impulse to check your eyes, ignoring the knotted scars under your shirt. at least, dave figures that's probably the case? and keith is weird and kind of reminds him a little of a less talkative karkat, and has a cat mecha in another world, apparently. he might also be dead, too.

so keith's a good option for "let's be losers in the same vicinity and thereby be not so loser-y" and dave shows up with the painstaking punctuality of a time player at the well.

there's a certain deliberate carelessness involved in perching on the side of said well, but it's not like he has to worry about falling in. flight helps, there.

whenever keith shows up, dave lifts his left hand in an absent wave. ]

Yo. So, I didn't actually gather up any gray food or water for this, but we can go find some if you want?? Or we can like...attempt to be semi-useful and do some more explorations. There's that huge-ass forest, maybe there's a bush with berries on it somewhere. Not that I know the difference between poisonous berries and not poisonous ones, but I'm pretty sure someone here should know...or we could test it on an animal we plan to eat. Wait, shit, that sounds mean actually? Not that it'd matter in the long run if you were gonna eat the animal. Except if it died of poison I think then you wouldn't eat it and it'd be for like, no cause? I'm rambling, sorry, hey, how're you today.

Comments

[lonered]

[Keith isn't the type to talk about other people's business -- unless said business is going to cause some terrible trouble. But this isn't that.]

At least once.

So, uh... don't most people only get the once?

[parodeity]

Yeah, normally. There were...mechanics in play to make death not quite so permanent if you died in very specific ways. Like. There were ways to come back. The last time I did there wasn't any of those ways backing me up, but.

[lonered]

Huh. That sounds... complicated. Really complicated. Is this something normal where you're from? Or did you wind up in something pretty unique?

[Because Keith sure gets how that works out. Most people on Earth where he's from stay the hell on Earth and know nothing about aliens and wars and Voltron.]

So... death only has loopholes sometimes.

[parodeity]

It's normal for Sburb players. But uh, yeah. Normally you have one backup life if it kicks in, if you're a player - a dream self you can flip to if another player activates it in time. [ via corpse smooching ] The other loophole is for god tier players. We're conditionally immortal - that is, I was. You only die for good if your death is ruled "just" or "heroic".

[lonered]

[Half the words that Dave says never really make sense entirely to Keith. But the other half kind of break his heart a little. On a regular basis. Dave's a good guy. He's got that much settled in his mind.

But all this "player" thing is confusing.]

...so you're penalized for being the good guy.

[parodeity]

I don't know if it's being penalized, exactly. It just...is how it is. I always knew that death was possible, it's just...you can't let that stop you doing what needs to be done.

[ so.

heroic it was. ]

[lonered]

Yeah. I guess that kind of sounds like life in general, right?

[Maybe? Or, well, it sounds like how Keith lives his life anyway. More and more he kind of feels like he's starting to get who Dave is, and more and more, he like the guy.]

[parodeity]

Yeah. I mean, it's how I think of it. Maybe sometimes I go all reluctant hero, but like...some things just need to be done, no matter what the cost. Or the cost just...doesn't matter, because you have to move.

[lonered]

Yeah. I get it. Sometimes you just have to act, no matter what the cost might be. Sometimes it’s the only way.

[Tough decisions and all. Keith nods, half to himself. His thoughts have slipped back home again, wondering if everyone else is all right. If the battle turned enough in their favor.]

[parodeity]

...Man. We should really go lie the fuck down, probably. [ but dave kind of smiles anyway. ] Thanks for...giving me a thing to do for a while, though?

[lonered]

That involves walking. ...for some of us.

[Damn flight enabled jerks! But Keith is going to get back to his feet proper, stand up, groan because what. the hell. and nod, offering a smile in turn.]

Yeah. I mean, thanks too. Don't get me wrong that sucked at the end, but it was kinda fun right up until then. And maybe those books will wind up being useful.

[parodeity]

I'll keep 'em safe. [ he promises...but anyway. ] See you later, dude.

[ and we can tie this one up with a bow, yay! ]