open; this is stupid but in triplicate

[oculusriffs]

» WHO? Dave Strider + whoever feels like approaching!
» WHEN? after the music stops through the rest of the month
» WHERE? various spots around the station
» WHAT? shenanigans. not the kind of shenanigans that involve time travel, but the kind of shenanigans one does when there's too much other shit to worry about. pick a shenanigan from the prompts and let's go
» WARNINGS? none atm, except for the threat of nerdy rapping I guess!

[so, after a very tortuous week that very nearly ruined music for probably the entire station, and after enjoying the most powerful of sleeps that followed it, Dave's finally put himself back together enough to head up from his quarters on deck 4 and confirm what he was starting to suspect — that he is, in fact, the only Strider left on board.]

[and there's a lot that could be elaborated on here about that. like how he wishes he hadn't been too chickenshit to open up and talk about the things that needed to be said between them. and that he'd like to say sorry for the way he acted when they first met. and maybe say thanks for not being a completely terrible human being, as weird as it sounds to be thanking someone for that.]

[but frankly, that's all too much to deal with right now. so here's what he's doing instead!]

i. the garden

[not the one that's newly discovered and equipped to grow them even more actual goddamn food, but the makeshift one Haru's been keeping. because he's got a science project planted there, and ... okay, he knows well enough that it'll never actually succeed. he just wants to see how far it gets, if it gets anywhere at all.]

[and thanks to a resident walking encyclopedia on board, Dave is now aware that plants have different reactions to sounds. and there's something he's been itching to try, assuming the sweet sounds of the terrible pop music didn't kill the science project to begin with.]

[anyone who approaches will be met with a quirked eyebrow, and a pretty weird greeting, out of context.]

Hey. Say literally the first thing that comes to mind. [go on, give him a rapping prompt. he's gonna do it!]

ii. the corridors

[and if you're brave enough to haunt the same hallways Dave is at any point through the month, you might just hear a voice coming from the ceiling.]

Heads up!

[because the stupidest sword to ever be crafted, lodged in a space station toilet, retrieved, then cleaned, is suddenly also falling from the ceiling. it's not actually a threat, though — getting hit by it kinda feels a lot like getting smacked with a wiffle bat.]

[but yes, Dave is in fact floating up by the ceiling. yes, the gravity's working. and yes, he is attempting to teach himself how to wield the weird weapon properly. he knows it can be done — at least, he sort of knows how to best handle it now. and he's got nothing better to do, so why the hell not?]

iii. the observatory

[as time passes, though, Dave can't help but start to think something. that maybe, brief as their meeting was, and as much that ultimately went unsaid between them, it really, truly wasn't the worst thing that's ever happened to him, like he'd worried it might be. and maybe, by virtue of being who he was, Dirk's given Dave permission to just. completely shed the horrible shit in his own past that's been tormenting him, and move on. he probably won't ever manage to do that completely. but permission granted.]

[he'd been spending all this time trying to forget their interactions over the past two months, but now, he's suddenly realizing that he doesn't actually want to.]

[anyway, later on in the month, he's standing at a fixed spot in the observatory, staring out into the blinking void of space. try to start up a conversation, and as if on cue, he holds up a hand, in an attempt at shooshing.]

Hold on, it's coming back around.

[and there they are — two pieces of paper, floating along outside the station, enter from stage right. it might be hard to tell what they are from this vantage point, and you might need to follow them for a few steps to get the whole picture, but they're two comics.]

[one of them is a comic about a guy hooking himself up with some sick potrified pizza from a replicator that's literally shaped like a rear end. you get where this is going. the other one is something of an abridged version of a comic he once drew, where the two characters in question went to church, except instead of the whole church spiel they're failing to pull the fabled sord..... out of its porcelain altar. and he's somehow managed to render the sord..... even worse than it actually is in real life.]

[also, it's night for some reason. you can tell because he drew something like this at the top of this comic.]

[THIS IS INCREDIBLY SILLY.]

[but, also poignant, somehow? it's completely unclear how they got out there in the first place. but it almost seems like Dave meant it as a tribute, or something.]

iv. wildcard

[not enough shenanigans for you? make up your own!]

Comments

i.

[tumang]

[ Amos keeps an eye out for the garden still, even with the hydroponics farm that's been recently opened by Prax. It seems important to maintain both of them - if one fails, the other can be a very essential backup.

There's someone already in there when he walks in, though, and Amos considers the question for a second before going for whatever's in his head. ]

I need to get back into the habit of carrying my shotgun with me everywhere.

[oculusriffs]

[how exactly he's reacting to the first thought to come to Amos isn't outwardly apparent. but then, Dave has always had a damn good poker face.]

You found it, then? I mean — can't say that I blame you. Just wondering how much help it'd be against space ghost DJs. Or whatever the hell else they're gonna do to torture the living next.

[tumang]

Kinda why I haven't had it around. Been carrying some tools instead.

[ The ones he'd found since waking up here. A collection of random wrenches and screwdrivers and a crowbar and various and sundry. He motions at a corner of the ceiling with one of the said screwdrivers. ]

If I find a single speaker, I am dismantling it to its bare components, and I am burning every single one of them.

[oculusriffs]

[music is one of the most important things in the world to Dave, aside from his friends. it's why he's used a record as a symbol to represent himself for most of his life, and also why there's a broken record on the shirt he's currently wearing.]

[and yet, he has only an enthusiastic thumbs up and encouragement to give at the idea of a speaker bonfire.]

Now you're talking. Tell some shitty ghost stories while you're at it; let 'em know they didn't win this round — really rub the salt in the spectral wound.

iii.

[foolishjourney]

[Oh hey, he remembered you, Dave. You helped(?) him out when he first got here, and even though he's pretty sure there was an element of just wanting to laugh at his suffering, he still appreciated it. Hands stuffed in his pockets, he offers a greeting and walks up to Dave's side, planning on saying something, but--

Then he's shooshed. Huh.

Minato stares, stone faced but internally incredulous, as the art comes floating around, and he walks forward to squint at it to get a better look. He watches, silently, as they continue to float by.

Silence.


More silence.


...And then he turns around to look at Dave and claps.]

[oculusriffs]

[okay, that's a good point, the dinner tragedy was pretty funny. but nobody deserves the macaroni and cheese Minato was cursed with, so hopefully, with two gardens at work here, the guy will be able to get his proper snack on soon.]

[in any case, Dave has certainly done some incredibly stupid shit for the sake of a joke in his lifetime, but sending two dumb comics into orbit around a space station definitely takes the weird flavorless replicator cake. so he is, to say the least, pretty pleased to see that he has Minato's approval.]

Glad you like the newest Reverie Terminal art installation. Dunno how long it's gonna last out there, though.

[foolishjourney]

I'm surprised it hasn't frozen or something. I think that's how it works.

[Honestly, they should do a collab sometime.]

Hopefully it'll be at least long enough for more than just me to see. That'd be a drag.

[oculusriffs]

[Dave would absolutely be down for a collab. he’s done it before - well, that was really more him and Terezi swapping terrible joke (?) art.]

It’ll work until I figure out something more permanent than paper. If I’m gonna catch shit for space littering or whatever, I want to at least deserve it.

You having better luck with your menu options? [it’s kind of a completely obtuse way of asking, but he’s just checking to see if Minato is cool after the disaster that was the beginning of this month.]

ii

[altruistical]

[Sypha, just only just arrived, is still trying to get her baring of this this place. She is just trying to make a mental map of this place when she hears someone yelling.]

What-?

[Her eyes widen as something is dropped onto her. While the weight itself is light, it still scares her and sends her heart racing. She leaps back with the thing (what is this mess?) still fumbling in her hands.]

What? What is this? [It's....a blade??] Who- [And then she looks up. Honestly, she isn't very shocked to see a floating child. Another magician?]

Are you- are you throwing weapons?

[oculusriffs]

[blade is a barely qualifying word for it, sure! and magician is a close enough word to describe Dave. but he floats down, something like curiosity written on the parts of his features that aren't obscured by a pair of sunglasses.]

Dropped it. [if there's an apology in there somewhere, it's being overridden by the fact that, fumbling or not, Sypha seems to be holding on to the sord..... with some measure of success. it's hard to describe how exactly the weapon handles, aside from "unspeakably shittily." but, imagine trying to hold onto a plastic knife, except the handle's been slicked in oil. and also, it's actively trying to glitch its way out of your hands in a way that doesn't exactly match with physics. or reality in general.]

You're already one of the few people here who can actually hang on to it for more than a few seconds. Try giving it a swing.

i. :3c

[intrusivethot]

Huh? Um.

[ Ren does not say the first thing that comes to mind. He'd come over to see if Dave had any other sweet book report swag to deliver on but if they're going to play improve comedy it's not like Ren's in a place to be turning that stuff down. ]

Thermometer.

[oculusriffs]

[sadly, Dave has no more books or book reports on offer at the moment. just a really disturbing comic that he probably tore to shreds then flushed down the toilet.]

Thermometer — okay, then. Am I allowed to ask why that's the engine on your train of thought?

[intrusivethot]

[ Why u no save, the good people of this station deserve to be disturbed out of their post music funk (not the fun kind of funk, although that might not even be fun anymore after listening to Play That Funky Music White Boy THAT many times.)

Sorry, he will latch onto literally anything and run with it like he's going for the Heisman Trophy right now. Shit's bad. ]

You may.

[ He pauses expectantly. ]

Okay, it wasn't on my mind. I guess I just wanted it to be something random and outside my mind's wheelhouse.

[oculusriffs]

[don't worry, the physical comic may be flushed out to space, but its essence is safe here, in between these brackets. cw: muppet babies.]

Fair enough. Gimme a few minutes, I'll come up with some sort of rhyme to toss at the plants.

[yes, he's going to rap at the plants. please hold!]

i.

[gundamned]

[So. This makeshift patch of soil is mankind's futile attempt at a recreation of the Garden of Eden?

Hm. Not bad...]

...

[Upon seeing another person in the garden, however, Gundam suddenly looks less than pleased.]

Stand back, mortal! Take not another step! Lest you wish your lifeless cadaver to fertilize the crops beneath us.

[oculusriffs]

[........... what lmfao.]

[Dave's default reaction, when it isn't "what," is a whole mess of sass. perhaps unfortunately.]

Hate to be a buzzkill, dude, but I'm immortal.

[gundamned]

[You asked for the first thing that came to mind!

Gundam looks momentarily taken aback by such a response. ... A nice line, indeed. Hm...]

Kekeke...

Very well. Then be warned that you shall live out your eternal curse suffering from the poison that emanates from the core of my very being. Rendered a pathetic creature who only dreams of being able to escape a word of never yielding agony by the sweet embrace of death.

[oculusriffs]

Yeah .... still not the weirdest way I've been hit on, but. Okay.

[DAVE, NO.]

Was murder really the first thing you had on your mind?

iii

[ryuji]

Hey, what'd you--

[And just like that, he's completely stopped dead in his tracks. No one's particularly good at shutting Ryuji up for too long, but, Dave seemed to swoop in like a vulture against his better urges to butt in and ask what the hell he was plotting and scoop up that mousing sound easily enough. Huh?

Two floating objects seem to roll by, his curiosity prodded as he looks out the deck's windows, following along as they move to get a better view. Okay, that's... a replicator. Shitting out pizza? Seems pretty accurate, to tell the truth. If you kind of think of replicators as a giant stomach, then they're all practically reingesting replicator excrement. Ryuji shudders.]

Man... This is... For real.

[And then gets a closer look at the second one. Is this art imitating life or life imitating art? Who can really tell at this point.

Dave Strider, you're a mess. Ryuji must be too, since he's grinning ear to ear like a giant dweeb. And he's currently trying to search his mind for the ONE TIME he went an art gallery, remembering what the people around him were saying about the various pictures that had been painted and hung around for people to gawk at. Nope, that shit was way too goddamn heady for him to actually commit to meme-ory, so he falls back on his laurels on this one.]

I know they say artists are tortured souls, but who hurt you? [Leaning back from the railing against the window, he proudly reaches over to give Dave a small push against his shoulder.]

[oculusriffs]

[this is, in fact, for real. and even though, as it turns out, Dave's pretty prone to that exact phrasing himself, one day soon it's going to spill out as it does and he's going to immediately associate it with Ryuji. they hang out so often that it's hard for Dave to not start picking up on some of his more distinct vernacular, anyway.]

[but he smirks, a little less subtle than usual, at the shove, the grin, the implied approval of his choice of media: Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff, pen on paper, in space. not getting it doesn't make one a philistine — the appreciation is what's really important.]

The space service industry, obviously. [if you're pissed at the food replicators for messing with your emotions for a week and for just being terrible in general, then depicting them as an ass in a weird act of artistic rebellion seems only fitting.]

I guess if I wanted to really go for the tortured look, I would have flushed both those down the toilet and let 'em float their way out there themselves.

That sounds a little too high-brow though.

[ryuji]

[He cried into a bowl of ramen as the spice girls played overhead, and yet- he still has no idea that the food was poisoned. Ryuji was a pretty emotional boy to begin with, so he thought it was just... you know. Not sleeping. That made him act the way that he did. Still, without a clue, the replicators were pretty vile enough to deserve this treatment anyway; they've forsaken the time honored tradition of a slow boil pork bone broth and pooped out sub-standard seasoning packets that made him angry every single time he wanted to slurp down noods. And man, did he love his noods.]

Yeah, tell me about it. The pomp and circumstance of an official send off like that would kinda ruin the mood you were tryin' to set here.

[Then there's the question of how he actually did get those posters out there to begin with, but Ryuji doesn't want to visit that particular question. Are you going out into space all willy nilly, dude? There was a buddy system for a reason. What if your attempt to get that stuff to get sucked into the gravitational ring ends in your death, and what if that death is entirely just. Like, you SERIOUSLY deserved to have gotten hit by a large piece of debris or something?

Hm.]

You gotta show this stuff to Yusuke. [Wait, does he know the context of that sentiment?] He's an art student. He'd probably sit there with his hands out in a camera box kinda shape and be all... [Two L's on his hand stretched outward in opposing directions to best scope out the view, and a very airy rendition of Yusuke's voice ensues. Yeah, he's turned his focus to Dave, looking at him through an artist's lens.]

The angles on your line work... this aesthetic! So profound. Brave!

[oculusriffs]

[Dave's pretty emotional himself, honestly, even though it's largely muted and hidden due to being raised by an emotionless robot. so it was a lot more obvious to him that the food was tearing down his walls — and it's also why he also spent a lot of that week by himself.]

[but oh, shit, he's on display now, the subject of Ryuji's handheld framing device. quick, do something artsy and profound and suave! something to really ruffle the feathers of artistic elites. get them really chattering, trying to find meaning behind every single horribly pixelated Sweet Bro or Hella Jeff that he's ever rendered.]

[Dave Does Not. he just fingerguns, completely deadpan. see the icon.]

Don't think I've met Yusuke. Another one of your friends?

i

[hopefragment]

Huh? Uh, poster.

[--Because the long, rolled up piece of paper is in his hand and on his mind, it's the first word Hajime blurts out at the unexpected question. It had taken some exploring to try to find Dave, but it felt like cheating to just text him. Not when he's trying to surprise him with something incredibly stupid.]

Why?

[oculusriffs]

I was looking for words to rhyme.

[and Hajime, for his part, is kind of unexpected himself — or rather, the fact that he's actually holding on to a poster is a bit unexpected. his eyes may be hidden behind the shades, but it's very obvious that he's looking at the roll in Hajime's hands curiously.]

[hopefragment]

Oh.

[He almost asks why again, but Dave didn't elaborate on his own, so Hajime guesses he'll wait and see. Is Dave a poet or something?

Regardless, Hajime flips the rolled-up poster over in his hand, offering it with an easy smile.]

I found this in the gym earlier... I think it's yours.