awashlogs | into the woods

Entry tags:

dave strider,
keith

into the woods

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.

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My best friend. [ john, easy. john who's probably the only one who didn't die, because his eyes are still blue and he didn't show up with a wound that had to be stitched shut, or scars where mortal wounds had once been. ] And another friend - [ ex-girlfriend? that part matters less than the part where dave still likes terezi, still considers her a friend and trusts her implicitly even if they live on banter and jokes and avoiding the serious. ] and there's a third person from back home, but I don't know if she'd really care. We're not close.

[ a shrug. ]

You said you didn't recognize anyone, right? [ there's something at the edge of hearing, but he dismisses it initially; it's the same way he'd refused to look at the horrorterrors headon for the longest time, until rose lalonde told him to do so. ]

Good. So they'll know if you don't come back.

[Since Keith sure didn't leave a note. Did Dave leave a note? Given that they kind of decided on this little adventure last minute, Keith is going to guess no.]

Hey. Does one of your friends type like they're allergic to the letter keys on the keyboard?

[Because he definitely talked to someone who typed like a number-for-letters-seizure who mentioned him. And time travel. And well.

A momentary pause as he answers the other question.]

Yeah, no one I know from my world is here. Only person who might notice if I go missing is this kid I wound up living with. [A good kid who Keith would rather not try to come look into the woods after him anyway. So that's fine.]

Lots of numbers? Yeah, that's Terezi.

[ vriska uses 8s but dave wouldn't characterize her as allergic to letter keys. ]

You get used to it; all of the trolls have little typing quirks, some more ridiculous than others. I don't actually have to think about readin' her shit, but I also grew up in the era of l33tspeak.

[ good old early 2000s... ]

She uh.

[...so he grins and tries to stifle the expression. She may have talked him into seeing how far they could jump a houseboat. But since that log hasn't logged yet, Keith will not mention it.]

Mentioned you. In regards to some time thing and my situation back home. I don't know. Honestly I was just really confused at every point.

[That's true. However.] ...leet...speak?

[That is like ancient history where Keith is from Dave how does it feel to be an old old man of the internet.]

Oh, did she? I mean, I do time travel, that is my thing.

[ LOOK...

he doesn't mind technically but he feels SO OUT OF DATE...again...his references are so dated...

a pause. ]

Do you hear that? [ whispers. something familiar, but just out of reach... ]

[Keith will shut up now and listen, brow furrowing.]

What is it...?

[A low whisper, and reflexively his hand drops to his dagger. Not drawing it even now. But wow is he ready.

Keith's fight or flight instinct is broken and stuck permanently in fight.

Except for getting emotionally close to people. Then it's broken in the other way entirely. Gotta run like hell from that.]

[ funny, dave's tends to lean towards flight sometimes.

but he's closing in to keith's side so he'll be better able to defend him if a fight occurs, eyes scanning the woods. ]

...It's almost like the voices of the horrorterrors, but it's not quite...

[ it's murmured under his breath. across the way, a deer freezes in its tracks - but it doesn't quite look like a deer. it has eight legs, and strange growths on the antlers... ]

[Keith is about to ask of the what but he isn't given the chance. He's too busy staring at the.

What. What is he looking at.]

What the hell is that?

[He'll turn just slightly so he can properly flank Dave, in case that creepy deer-thing isn't alone. His dagger is in his hand and a moment later said dagger is flaring to life and turning into a sword.]

[ like, the deer is still mostly a deer. keith's sword lights up and shit and the deer bolts into the woods, as deer do. dave breathes out, slow, and looks around again. ]

I think, [ he says softly ] the wildlife is maybe a little...wilder than we're used to.

[ more mutant, he means. ]

Uh... yeah.

[And okay so like. Keith is used to alien wildlife, so that shouldn't have been so weird, but that was so weird. Because it was familiar enough that the wrongness just really shone through.

He may just keep his sword drawn now. Just in case.]

So I guess... there's hunting if people want... spider venison.

[Is that a bright side? He's trying.]

And if they know how to prep it. Which we should...learn?

[ the path is getting darker and darker as they go.

almost like they're being led somewhere.

it's not a thought dave likes, and he's getting tenser, even if his poker face remains firmly slotted in place. ]

You know I have a friend who'd be all over spider venison recipes...

[And Hunk would manage to make it appetizing even. A sudden little pang of homesickness for his friends but he shrugs it off.

Keith isn't fond of the thought that they're definitely being directed by the forest itself either. It's unsettling and he mutters,]

This feels like a bad horror movie. [A pause.] Hey. What's that?

[A weird little hill? Doesn't look right, entirely.]

It looks like, you know, where an entrance to fairyland would be. Or a hobbit house.

[ why would keith know either reference...but dave redirects towards the mound, because they're out here to explore and going Away from the interesting thing would be stupid as hell, maybe. ]

Wonder if it's just as abandoned as every other house we've found?

[Hey. He's from Earth. He's read a book! But yeah exploring. And when he sees the weird door straight into the mound. Well. Yup. Not eerie at all. This is definitely where a fairy tale witch would live. At least he's probably too old to be appealing for baking into a pie. Right?

Right...?] We can find out.

[Breaking and entering. Except this is when Keith glances back and sees something genuinely unsettling. Sword up and he's reaching his free hand out to grab at Dave's arm.]

What the hell... [Shadows on your six, Dave. ...and your seven. And four. And okay. This is... not great.]

Fuck. [ okay, shit, that isn't great at all. dave yanks the door open because maybe it's a bad idea to trap them but it might be an exit or...something.

either way, they're kind of surrounded and forward seems like the only option. he drags keith inside, already trying to clear the room -

which is books.

books seems to be a solid answer for what they have walked into, here. ]

The hell?

[Keith sticks by the door, keeping it open enough that he can peek out, watching, sword still in hand.]

Yeah so they're coming closer now.

[For informational purposes only. He casts a glance back over his shoulder at the room. Books.

Well you know what. He slams the door shut and grabs up the nearest book to leaf through it...]

...this one's blank. Did we just find the world's worst library?

[ dave's sword disappears into his sylladex and he flips open a book, frowning. ]

This one, too. Why would - oh, for fuck's sake. [ there were signs in the district, but...but had he seen any other writing? ] It has to be the ink. No color, no ink. That's so...utterly stupid? Unless everyone here just writes in invisible ink for the hell of it. But I don't have lemon juice on me, or however you're supposed to make that appear.

Edited 2018-03-20 13:32 (UTC)

If it's the ink... depending on how it was printed, there might be some impression, right? They call it a printing press right?

[Unless they're new like. Laser printed? Keith doesn't know this is above his pay grade.]

Anyway. Maybe we could find a way to read them. It might be worth it to take them with us if we can carry a few. And don't get torn apart by those things out there for our trouble.

We can always experiment with them to see - but carrying isn't a problem. [ abruptly, the book in dave's hands disappears. ] I can take - not all of these, but maybe ten or more? Pile of books - anyway, my 'dex is mostly empty right now.

[Whoa. Okay that just happened.]

Your wha-- [A pause.] Nope, you know what? Whatever it is, perfect. Grab what you can.

[And Keith will start tearing through the rest of the little cabin to see if there's anything non-literary worth grbbing.]

I'll cram as much in as I can. Let me know if there's anything else we need to grab -

[ though it seems like only food is available, really.

WHICH IS, LIKE, A PRIZE but ]

I mean. There's food... but do we want creepy cottage in the woods food? I feel like that ends bad for people.

[He's not a fairy tale expert. But it sounds like a bad idea in general. And since his tossing the place is turning up nothing of value, Keith goes to check the door and promptly slams it shut again.] They're right on top of us.

[Awesome.]

I think it ends bad if it's candy and there's a witch who wants to eat naughty children.

[ but. cool. dave lets his sword drop out of his sylladex into his hand again. ]

I didn't see another way out - did you? Or are we gonna have to break for it?

Suppose so. I think I'll stick with the canned goods back in the town though.

[But more importantly. They've got to get out of here or food won't matter at all. A flash of violet and Keith's dagger is back in its sword form.]

I don't see another door. I think we're gonna have to fight our way out. Let's, you know, try not to get eaten by shadow monsters.

[Ready? Keith is ready. Keith is ready to shred monsters with his sword. ...Keith is not ready for how disappointed he's going to be when that fails miserably.]

I got your back.

[ HOWEVER, NEITHER OF THEM HAS GOT THIS. dave goes to open the door, though, sword in one hand, and steps outside. ]

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