oculusriffs: dodostad @ tumblr (a fuckin BIRD was involved)
dave strider ([personal profile] oculusriffs) wrote2018-11-11 07:18 pm
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inbox for [community profile] balance_rpg


TG: this is going to be fucking stupid isnt it


[want to get in touch with Dave? you can leave a TEXT, VOICE, or VIDEO message — or alternatively, he shouldn't be too hard to track down in person.]
ryuji: (that i didn't...)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-18 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
[Ryuji gets that, too. The shields part. And here he is, still pushing past and hoping that he doesn't break anything when he tries. Dave's weight in his hold, the way he puts his head against his shoulder, all of that; he knows that when he carries him, he's holding more than just a person in his arms. He's taking with him all those fears, worries, reticent and horrible feelings of failure. It's Dave. What wouldn't he give up in this world, or any other world, to make a space safe enough for the both of them?

He's got some pretty strong arms, or at least, enough to make their way over to his room and put Dave down onto his bed. It does feel somewhat reminiscent of Dave being his backpack for a little while, coupled with the extreme sense of loss at not really being able to do much of anything besides being there. He's given Dave the whole of his heart already, and the thoughts that led up to getting here were those of trepidation and worry. But seeing him, touching him, carrying him; that's different. He couldn't do shit to stop it from happening.

To say that he's thought a lot about this potentially happening is a huge understatement; some of that anger seething out of him is also directed at himself for not being there. He had to wake up on the Moon Base, without anyone around him that knew Dave, or how much he's been through. People who cared, sure, because you don't go into the medical profession without trying to save lives, but they didn't care like Ryuji cared.

It just sucks. If he'd been a little more level headed about the entire thing, he would've seen what promise he'd have to make, because it should be almost immediately obvious what Dave's about to ask of him. But Ryuji's first instinct is to agree, without knowing the terms, because that's just how he feels about him and there's nothing that can change that mentality.]


Yeah, 'course. [Calm down, dude. He needs to. He never knows what to do when so many emotions smack him straight in the chest.] What... are you thinkin' about?
ryuji: (you know what i call it?)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-19 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[Yeah, that was pretty much the only thing that could've come out of Dave's mouth with a pre-ordered promise like that, and Ryuji's fight or flight instincts are still too much in fight mode to want to back down.]

I. Uh... W...what?

[Sitting at the edge of the bed, it's not like the panicked sound of his vocal chords vibrating goes unnoticed, but he's at a loss of words for what to say in response to that. Ryuji sits at the edge of the bed, brows tilted downward. That's not a fair request to make in his eyes, not when the result of that ended up with Dave being cold, being dry... having died.]

No. [The sound rings weird in his own ears. To date, it's hard to remember if he's ever been so stubbornly opposed to what Dave wants, and this is a strange place to be in for him. His hands bunch sheets up, his lips purse into a thin line-]

I ain't doing that. You can't... you can't tell me not to go after something that hurt you. Shit, I. I wasn't even there! I shoulda. [Been the one getting brought back to base if it meant Dave was safe. It's probably obvious what he's trying to say here.]

No. I can't promise that.
ryuji: (you're as guilty)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-20 03:24 am (UTC)(link)
[This is a really hard place to be in, because he wants to listen to Dave, but he also wants to say that he's headstrong enough to go down there right now and burn an entire Christmas tree down just to make recompense for what it claimed from his boyfriend. He feels a lump building in his throat, every time he swallows down, and as he looks over, wheels are turning in his head.]

Undo it?!

[Holy shit, is he really talking about time travel right now? Ryuji blinks, letting go of the blanket in his hand.]

Even if you could go back and change the course of events, whatever it is that's out there still has that potential or hurting you. Or someone else!

[Ryuji can't get off of this one track mindset he's currently placed himself on, and as it continues to derail at 150mph, he's getting so worked up now; the result from a lack of sleep combined with anxieties that hit really close to home. Dave doesn't deserve that either, but unfortunately, he's such a protective person that he can't come down from it.]

Dude, something attacked you, and I couldn't do a goddamn thing to protect you. And if it's still down there. If it's still down there, it deserves to be put down.
Edited 2018-12-20 03:25 (UTC)
ryuji: (let me look into your eyes)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-20 06:02 am (UTC)(link)
[He's ready to fire back an entire scathing review of that thing he just said there where Ryuji wasn't the one who screwed this up, and they'd be going around in circles around each other taking blame for Dave going down like he did. They could probably do this for a good long while until Ryuji got frustrated and eventually got to the same point Dave just did there, and then he'd be the one, laying there, suddenly hit by bulldozer.

Ryuji's shoulders slump downward. Yeah, he'd take a chainsaw to that tree, too, if it meant doing anything that was actually worth doing, but he caught that almost-word that he managed to miss half the ending of, and it's really fucking him up for a moment. Or at least, it's Dave pulling out from behind with a red shell in hand and just letting it rip straight at Ryuji's kart, and suddenly he's left spinning without any balloons left.

Leaning forward, he stops Dave from straightening or otherwise fussing with his hair by cupping his elbow. This isn't how he imagined it to go, but it's not like that sentiment isn't wholly mirrored back right at him. Shit, why else is he ready to go fight the entire world just because someone hurt him? Why else is he sitting here, feeling so completely destroyed at the one thing he never wanted to happen to Dave happening?]


You mean it?

[If he doesn't get what Ryuji was going with here, or tries to steer clear of the conversation around it, he'll clarify and kick the door right open.]

You love me?
ryuji: (i recently invested in some shirts)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-21 05:38 am (UTC)(link)
[And while holding his elbow, he's slightly goading his arm downward, so that he can find some fingers to hold onto, since whenever he's feeling particularly out of sorts, holding his hand has always been a calming gesture to make things a lot more digestible. Almost all of that anger and soul crushing wish for vengeance comes to a halt, because that's where it comes from, too. A place of love for the person in his bed, right now.]

I don't think... I've loved anything as much as I love you, Dave.

[As hard as he thought it would be to say that, it comes pretty easy. Like it's natural for Ryuji, it's something he's known for a while but up until now, he never had the space to bring it out in the open. It was something he had thought about when Dave was falling asleep with him, a sense of rightness to everything that no one else could or would ever get in between.]

...And I'm just. I'm scared, y'know? I mean, that's a scary thing just by itself, but it ain't like love just stops at the word, like there's some cap to how much that word means and suddenly it stops meaning anything more than what it is. And the more that grows, the more terrified I am at even... like, the smallest threat of losing you.

[So that's... pretty much where he's at. He knows he can't be there for every single fight that Dave has to get into, and to think that he could or should is probably wrong. But if he's going to have to end up swinging a sword, he wants him to win. To come home after every battle, whether or not that's against a legion of the undead, spiders, bear cats, or just the ones inside his own head. Ryuji lifts Dave's hand up to his lips and kisses his knuckles.]
ryuji: (ron and diane sittin' in a tree)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-23 12:17 am (UTC)(link)
[It looks like his quest for revenge ends pretty much here. If he backpedals through those thoughts and Dave's plea, he can see where it came from, and it's. Well, Ryuji would still like to kick some ass for hurting his person, but at the same time, everything does come at a price. Or a balancing lever of sorts. Set what's right in the universe and scare Dave. Or let it go and end the panic cycle of two idiots who have a lot of heart over each other and nowhere near enough care about themselves. What's actually more important to him throughout all this should be pretty obvious.

Ryuji settles, and Dave's trying to telepathically share something that a way too thick skull is blocking out. But ever greedy for contact, he closes his eyes and takes that in, too. Telepathic calming through thought osmosis. Thoughtmosis, sure. And it's been said before, but Ryuji's never been one not to trust a promise that Dave makes. The honesty is just so important to him, which is why he couldn't promise Dave to begin with that he wouldn't go off and do something stupid. He wouldn't ever put himself in a position to take back his words, because he means them all when he says them- even the goofy, stupid, jaw-droppingly ridiculous type, too.]


Cool, 'cause I like bein' at your side. S'the best part of my day, anyway.

[The longer he stays like this, though, the more he realizes that he's cracked out on approximately 0 hours of sleep, and as much of a throwback to Sweet Dreams Are Made of Bees, it does feel different enough to make a difference. Had it really been as long as it had? Stumbling through his feelings, leading up to a moment where he could tell him that he loves him, just like this?

Wait, Dave, what are you thinking? It went quiet.]


Huh? You okay?
ryuji: (the best damn agent they had)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-23 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
[Holy shit, has reviving him made him lose his marbles? What the fuck are you doing, Dave?

Ryuji just cocks an eyebrow upward at this display.]


Dude, what're you doin', it's cold on the floor.

[This isn't really the time to start taking up meditative mantras or anything, considering Ryuji was pretty intent on dragging him straight downward and cuddling the ever loving shit out of him until he needed a second application of revivify. He leans over, yanking at his arm a little bit.]
ryuji: (because you're my boss and my friend)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-23 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
[This is ridiculous, and like all ridiculous things, they can only go so far before accepting that the only way down is more dumb shit. And yeah, it doesn't really make any sense, but if Dave is going to be hell bent on being on the floor right now, and he's not going to respond to nudging him back to bed, then Ryuji will try to compensate a little bit.

Which is especially funny considering what Dave's about to do, but he pulls up the blanket from under him, wedges his ass out from under it, and sighs.]


You're seriously gonna give me an ulcer.

[And then casually drapes the blanket over the back of his shoulders.

Hey, knight. Here's your cape.]
Edited 2018-12-23 01:32 (UTC)
ryuji: (still........)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-23 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
That's not what I meant!

[Video games... video games... he doesn't have a working model for this to base anything off of, so he's pretty clueless on what's supposed to be right or supposed to be wrong about oaths or anything like that. From Kingdom Albian Fighters IV, though, there was a main character who gained strength by giving something up in swearing himself to the summoner leading lady. But this isn't an RPG, this is real life, and seeing Dave on the floor talking about this sort of thing is a lot bigger than picking up a controller and putting it down when the dinner bell rang.

Ryuji thinks back to the whole deal with the devil thing, too. He would've done it, if it meant giving him an extra padded layer to protect Dave, and eventually settled on believing that things were fine as the way they were and left that hostess with the mostess on read. But this... also isn't that, not by a long shot. This is someone he knows, someone he loves, offering yet another promise to him. Dave's never not come through on his promises.

But this is also Mr. Sakamoto, so excuse him for a moment.]


... this feels like you're proposin' to me.

[God fucking damnit.]
ryuji: (butter is my favorite food)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-23 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
[God, he's so exhausted by everything right now, but he has enough energy in him to lean forward, elbows propping his head up from his knees, and make just enough closure of room to be all up in his business, smiling in that haphazard way he always does that comes off a little too cocky even when he doesn't mean to. Except, maybe, at least it's a little bit cocky. He did just fluster Dave into near non-oblivion.]

I mean, kinda.

[If anything, brutal honesty has always been the best policy for him. This was such a tender and beautiful moment, too.]

So, this oath thingy. How do we kick it off?

[Besides trying to be a coy little shit, he leaves the observation open to whatever interpretation they want to give it. Bullshit magic promises, or just plain old promises, Ryuji's good out here. Look, if he's offering a way to know what's going on with each other at any given moment, as a means to figuring out what they're supposed to do when they're both out in the open in this paramilitary crap they have going on, then yeah. Give him unlimited danger sense range since there's only one person he wants to be able to use it for anyway.

Wait, was he supposed to say "I do" or something?]
ryuji: (i just had 5 cats on me at once!)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-23 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
[Dave can't just hold out his hand and expect Ryuji not to take it. Doesn't work like that! Not at all. Straightening up and gaining a little aplomb, he stops leaning on his knees so lazily, and takes Dave's into his own.

Except, you'd think this was supposed to be some sort of monk chakra ceremony or something. He has a bit of a different idea, here, where Ryuji slides his hand backwards a bit and curls, bringing his hand hold into more of a locked-in-war position. Yeah, he's bringing this back to square one, since it seems kind of right.]


Aight. Prove it. [He doesn't need to prove it, Ryuji already knows all of this, and Dave has repeatedly shown that he'd do anything for him. A thumb sticks outward in the air defiantly, and Dave can probably notice the extreme amount of affection and tired happiness in the way he looks at him. Maybe that's his answer to the "sound good" part, but.

You know.

He's a bit of a walking shitpost.]


Lay down your thumb and I'll know. For now and for, like, ever.
ryuji: (i rubbed my armpits with air fresheners)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-24 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
[In what world did Ryuji even say that he wanted Dave to kick his ass all over again? He's expecting him to just give in and let him win, but then again, he should know better than to think that was going to happen in any and all universes. Which, as time starts to come to a near halt, there's a precipice point of veering out into a whole menagerie of them, all at once. It's like this brain sped up and all the synapses of nerves and connections inside just come alive all at once, just through the extension of a pair of conjoined hands. Only having been told about it before, related through his stories, Ryuji's experience of it- and only for a fraction of time that's small but divisible infinitely- comes alive in through the path of devotion that Dave sets forth between them.

It's not catching lightning in a bottle, but rather taming it, as the data structure of time and space come alive for a bright moment, and when you look at it from this angle, sure does feel like those two things are very near the same thing. Sort of. He can't possibly understand a lick of physics, but it's instincts. Probably similar to the way Dave's said that he knows when things can strayed off the path, and again, just an instant, but it's pretty much the most beautiful and complex thing he's ever felt to date.

And then, as if everything starts to pull itself together, their timelines are syncing up, and it's pretty wild to see this all as a chaotic band of asteroids shooting out in different directions or feel the convergence as the oath settles in on the both of them. What's to say that these really are something as nebulous as hunks of rock floating out in the great void and not just some sort of molecule bonding at the extreme other end- not that it matters either way, because in the blink of an eye, that infinity is just gone, and it's the two of them. No Houston, lava planets, or anything like that any longer, an entire panel of things Ryuji hasn't experienced but somehow just did, and he's looking down at his thumb pinned in place.

You know, he can't even be mad about that. That was some supremely wicked magic bullshit that just went down, and he's left wide eyed and humbled by how infinitely smaller he felt in a continuum of multiple branching paths that could've held a million different outcomes than the one leading up to this moment, here with Dave. But even then, he still thinks this is the right one.]


... I... uh.

[Because what else do you say after that happens?]

Yo, I think my brain just kinda had an orgasm or something because that was trippy as shit. [Yeah, sounds about right for someone who just experienced a small part of a time player's inner cogs.]

So I guess... it worked? You feel any different?
ryuji: (leslie... i mean- not to be inappropriat)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-12-24 05:23 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, sweet. We got inked up. Yo, if we touch 'em you think that we get new outfits and super powers or something?

[Jokes aside, he thinks it's pretty cool looking. What a crazy night it's been- from realizing that Dave died, to getting ready to go to war over him, a mutual admittance to being in love with each others, magic paladins of time shenanigans, and now, matching tattoos. They don't do anything on the down low, do they?

He'll have to learn how to read the signs, too, put feelers out there to understand Dave's state of being, but that's... probably best served for another time and place, like he said.]


You... can tell if I'm tired? Dude, apologies in advance for how hungry you're gonna feel all the time.

[It's a fair warning, his appetite is a constant nuclear reactor needing shoveling into at frequent intervals. One day that metabolism is going to slow down, but until then, it's junk food and mini meals all day every day. Ryuji pulls a bit backward, nothing of a jerk, but a nudge, and indicates that he should come join him in bed. He has no idea how dead to the world Dave is going to be when he sleeps, but that'll become pretty apparent in the morning.

If he can guide Dave up back to his side and not in the supplicant's position he's in, he'll try to cover up the feeling of an oncoming yawn. There's barbarian armor to shed, especially if he's going to be living it in the luxury of his own bed tonight, and he figures... aw, well, what the hell.]


Want me to wear it tonight? Probably it'd help keep you like, extra warm... or something.

[One time offer, Dave. He's ready to let his inner shark roam free in the waters of his sheets.]

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