awashlogs | DECEMBER CATCH-ALL LOG

[Quest info here!]

[It's sort of become a monthly thing, this whole "go and track down Ichimatsu to drag his stupid ass off for a quest" thing. He doesn't mind it in the slightest and he feels like maybe it's a good way to form bonds with someone who doesn't seem too easy to bond with. Overall, he would consider Ichi a friend by now and it's with that in mind that he floats his way through Chroma looking for the dumb cat.

Eventually he comes across him and he remembers the last time he really saw Ichimatsu. That...had ended kind of poorly, but at least his color's back now. He's hoping maybe things will be okay again, and as he approaches he calls the other's name.]

Ichimatsu! [He won't bombard him about the quest yet, mostly because he has a feeling that's maybe not appropriate after becoming a colorless zombie.]

[Quest info here!]

[It's when they're alone that John decides to broach the topic. It's pretty early in the morning, quiet and peaceful in the house and John's also suffocating under the weight of several blankets because his boyfriend gets cold easily and John's willing to compromise. He's aware he's maybe kind of sweaty but he's warm and laying in bed and eventually he turns to face Dave. It's the day after quests went live, the morning after, actually, and he'd taken the time to think this over before approaching him.]

Do you really think if we go find the bell and make a wish it'll come true?

[Quest info here!]

[...lord.

The thing is that John doesn't mind caroling. John loves music and John loves the winter season, so this whole thing is right up his alley. The problem is that John also likes to make things harder for himself because sometimes John is an idiot and decides he has to challenge and prove things. To who? We don't know.

As it is, he sees the quest to carol and he knows he could immediately rope Dave into that if he felt like it (and probably will try at a later date.) Instead, he reads it over and he begins to form an idea in his head.

He sends two messages separately, one to Vriska and one to Shouto. He tells them to meet him in the center of Ruga and that he wants to talk to them about some of the quests, but he keeps it purposefully vague.

...if he has to, he'll go hunt them down though. Does he have to go hunt them down? He kind of assumes he might have to grab Vriska, but Shouto will listen...he hopes.]

[Shouto does indeed listen. In the kind of way where he strolls into Ruga like he's been awoken from a nap. There's a lot he could have been doing, but instead he opted to sleep more.

But if a friend asks him for something, he figures it's only good friendship to actually go and meet them for it. Especially when it's one of those quests.

Does he know which one he's doing? Absolutely not.]

Hey.

[ Oh no, he won't have trouble finding her. She comes willingly, since his request was juuuust vague enough to make her...

...very suspicious of what he's up to.

What is he up to????

She better just check it out, the idiot.

Still, both boys beat her there, and she'll actually slow as she walks up to them, regarding John with narrow eyes. After a moment of doubt, she'll actually join them. Utterly casually, to Shouto: ]

Hey, you look like garbage.

[ wake up!!

John gets more of a drawl. ]

So what did you want, exactly? You were not exactly specific.

[He was really bad at consistency and especially consistency when it came to caring about ...well, anything, but especially other people in a way that wasn't akin to a toddler with a crush throwing sand at you. So draining John's color had been... A literal and figurative nightmare. He didn't know how to look after someone that had been reduced to John's state, and he sure as hell didn't know how to express that he wanted to, either. Nevermind the actual literal nightmares-- it had been a Time.]

[But that was overwith, now, even if he was still more reluctant than usual to sleep, and it's a familiar voice coming familiarly overhead that makes him lean back on his hands where he's sitting (perched up on some manner of boxes, or something that looked vaguely like boxes, but probably wasn't especially structurally sound) and looks up. There's a distinct moment of relief to find him bright blue again, and he is almost obvious with it. Almost.]

Well look who's lively again.

[Shouto gets a grin because this actually isn't the first time he's seen his friend like this, and Vriska gets an eyeroll because he's not at all surprised that's how she greets her friends. They should both maybe be a little suspicious, but instead John grins brightly at both of them.]

Okay, so here's the thing. We have already proven that doing the quests brings back color and fixes a lot of the shit that breaks in town, haven't we? And we got out of that dumb ice castle and it's obviously December by now based on the quests Mr. F is giving us. So I am thinking that we're all going to have to work even harder to fulfill whatever requirements Mr. F has and see what happens.

[Give him like two seconds and suddenly a piano falls from the sky and a gust of wind picks up, catching it to gently set it on the ground.

GUESS WHAT TIME IT IS, FRIENDS.]

[Dear god please don't ever tell him what the fuck is happening in homestuck. Shouto jumps back the moment the piano comes in because he might not have watched many movies growing up, but that thing sure looks heavy.]

You want us to carol? [Is it even a verb? Hell if he knows.]

[He shouldn't but he laughs a little even as he drops in for a landing, grinning brightly as he settles. He's not too terribly surprised to find Ichimatsu here and he at least has the grace to look a little sheepish after last time, but he just nods in reply.]

Hey. [Wait.] Why aren't you inside? It's still winter, dude.

[ That sure is a fucking piano. Homestuck. Vriska, unlike Shouto, is not even remotely shocked. In fact, she seems like she was totally expecting something like this, and she'll get all up in John's face and jab a finger right in the center of his chest. ]

I knew you were up to something sneaky! You are the most obvious person on this or any planet. You totally tricked both of us out here and now you're giving us all these reasons we should just go along with your stupid plan!

[ a pause, and then she smiles. ]

Actually, I'm a little impressed. Shouto, I think we should do it.

[ two days to his supposed birthday...which was yesterday. god. dave wasn't sleeping so much any longer once john's breathing pattern changed, but he was just relaxed behind john, absolutely helping nothing by plastering himself to john's back. he yawns anyway, giving john enough space to turn like he wanted. ]

Maybe? We got wishing coins that once. Maybe we can wish to see the disco hen.

[The piano's nice and safe and he's Very Proud of the Windy Thing for accommodating him in this moment. He's practically beaming at both of them even when Vriska gets up in his face.

...actually, he just starts to laugh. It's quiet and he's obviously trying not to, but he shrugs instead.]

We're already out here and I brought the music. Also I am betting neither of you have actually done this before, have you? Maybe we'll get an even better reward because it's a new thing.

[He's keeping track and he's pinpointing days to Dave's birthday, too. He doesn't say anything about that though and instead he wriggles to shift and continue facing Dave even as he makes a face.]

You mean that bird we kept trying to find in the woods? I guess that is a possibility, yeah. Wanna try it? We have nothing else to do, but that still involves going outside.

[He would've come out anyway, but god does he really have to sing for this? He probably does.]

No. I didn't have the time.

[Years and years of being molded into a perfect hero means not much time for play.

Wait.]

Are there lyrics that we're supposed to know? [Because he doesn't.] Or... do we follow your lead?

Are you kidding me? [ so yeah, read: no way in hell. that kind of thing was for trashy lowbloods and losers like equius.

who she hasn't thought about in a bazillion years so THANKS john.

Shouto gets a grin. She's kind of having fun at his very startled expense, even if it means she also has to, uh, sing. ]

If there are I don't fuckin' know them, so he better be teaching us! [ she positively beams at John, though there's something a little mean about it... classic Vriska, basically. ] Isn't that right, John?

[GOD YOU'RE BOTH SPOILSPORTS KIND OF. Well no, actually, Shouto's at least trying and Vriska's being herself so he's not at all surprised. He's actually floating to the piano to settle in front of the keys.]

I'm doing the quest, too, idiot. [It's a gentle jab at her but he knows she won't take it seriously and also he has a point. He'll carol at both of them and make them carol at each other and Mr. F can SUCK IT.] I can lead you guys through the words and then you follow along. It will be easy. I promise.

[God help them.]

[ If they're all singing that means it's better. A lot less awkward than singing a song he doesn't know at all and stumbling through the lyrics.

Yes, they'll be able to do this just fine. Shouto relaxes back into his usual posture. ]

Then start.

Who asked you, numbnook?

[ It's easy and casual. Familiar.

... they're still sniping at each other, just like last time, but this time it seems somehow ... less pointed, maybe?

Vriska will follow him, lifting into the air so she can sit on the top of the piano, letting her legs swing freely into space as she leans back on her hands and watches the two boys. ]

You heard the man! Dazzle us, John.

[It's times like these, weirdly, that John remembers why he actually liked Vriska enough to have a crush on her once upon a time. He says nothing when she lands on his piano but he does make a face. It's fine though.]

This one should be easy to follow. You just have to remember the order. [He grins and he looks at the keys, relaxed in the way he usually is when it comes to music. It doesn't take long before his fingers move, gently playing the notes. His voice is loud enough for them to hear the words, and surprisingly it's actually not terrible.]

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, three French hens-- [And there's a gesture while he plays with one hand for Shouto and Vriska to take it away.]

[They seem to be getting along better. It's none of his business, but it's nice that the sniping seems a little less pointed. Shouto relaxes just a bit as the song starts.

And then it just keeps going and he's supposed to remember all of this? Who wants this many birds in their houses? Even Kouda just has one rabbit in his room and he can talk to animals.

At least his voice is nice when he starts singing.]

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me three...

[Please help him.]

[ Sorry, Vriska is going to fail to sing along because she is really busy losing her shit laughing atop the piano. Like, partially it's the situation -- John and Shouto's dulcet tones absolutely tickle her -- but mostly it's: ]

No way! You are fucking kidding me. Humans have this song? And it's so lame, too! Hahahaha!

[Oh my god.]

Okay first of all, Shouto, you need to go backwards with the song. So it's like "three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree!" You can follow the music. [Which John's still playing? But also:]

Are you trying to tell me there is a 12 Days of Trolls Christmas? [WHY.]

[He's trying very hard but also he doesn't know this song at all. If he had time to be singing he had time to be training.]

You were doing it forwards. Why would anybody want this many birds in their home? Do they just keep giving them more birds?

[Does he have to tell Izuku not to get him dozens of birds? Deku would definitely eat them.]

[He gives him a blank look, and then exhales to watch his breath collect in front of him.]

No, really? I had no fucking clue.

[He rolls his eyes.] Way to totally avoid the question.

DECEMBER CATCH-ALL LOG

ICHIMATSU, QUEST 39

DAVE, QUEST 39

VRISKA AND SHOUTO, QUEST 36

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject