It's an impossible world

[knightime]

Dave remembers pain.

Well, that's accurate and not. He remembers everything quite well. It plays kind of like a really bad dream. But he also know that's not quite accurate either, because it wasn't a dream. It was real. It's almost amusing how terrible things can be and still be real in this place. When Dave wakes up the first thought is how painful it was.

It's not new though. He's used to those kind of things when it comes to Jason and it comes to this place. But it always goes away. It's never permanent. Just some stupid hell that Jason inflicts on them whenever his month rolls by.

He can't help but let out a nervous laugh. Instead of the sound of his voice he just hears airy breaths and for a second his heart stops. He sits up right and presses his hands to his throat. It's perfectly fine. He can't feel any marks. Nothing that would indicate what happened. He tries to speak. Still nothing.

He tries to scream. It's dead silent. Dave swallows. It's a bad dream. This is just a nightmare. It can't possibly be real. He's just dreaming and he'll wake up and it's some hellbent punishment that he's experienced before. Except he knows he's just fooling himself.

Dave numbly gets back to his feet. He feels humiliated in some way. Slighted. He can't face anyone. He should have been more careful. Can you even be careful in this place? How long can he avoid people before it becomes obvious he's avoiding them. He's already counting the seconds.

Comments

[knightime]

Dave lifts his hand up just to gently press his fingers to the bandages, brow knitted. The other can already tell how the gears are turning in his mind. His way of coping is to ignore what's happened to him to concentrate on someone else being hurt.

It's a shitty way to cope, he knows. But it's scary to think about not speaking. He's barely started living his new loss and he's already struggling. He can't do this. No more shitty raps. No more rambling about things that don't really mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Speaking was such a good way for him to keep his mind off things, but now he has only silence. Silence doesn't really help your mind when it's so chaotic surprisingly enough.

He doesn't want to think about his problems. Maybe if he just concentrates on what to do with Dave and losing his eye, his own problem may disappear. Go quiet like him.

[turntechtrainer]

It's all he can give his other self, something else to focus on. Dave leans into the soft touch despite the slight pain of pressing against his stitches. He can. Feel the skin pulled taunt and can't even bother to care. He wants to fill the silence. He breathes slowly as he shifts closer, tucking himself in beside the other Dave.

"Think I should patch it? I mean damn I can be a pirate now. Or mafia. Or a hitman. I think I'd make a sexy one, all scruffy and hardcore. Who the fuck is this guy he's so baller they'd say."

[knightime]

Dave gives a lopsided smile and he almost was gonna laugh. Almost find the situation humor, but he's dumb and unaccustomed to not being able to talk (he hasn't approached people really) and opens his mouth to speak. He promptly closes his mouth again, realizing his mistake.

Everything is suddenly a lot less funny. Wow. He's also pretty sure he made it damn awkward.

[turntechtrainer]

He's fast to act, draping his arms over Dave's shoulders and invading his personal space until they're chest to chest with only their legs between them. "Yeah exactly. I could wear it when I don't feel like shading my dragon eye. People would actually be able to tell us apart aside from you being little orphan Annie sized. I don't get why it's so damn hard we may be the exact same dude but I'm built like a tiger and you're more like a hawk. How is that difficult??"

He can guess when Dave would laugh or talk and grips his shirt with his hands. "I'm going to need you help cleaning and dressing this. I don't have the depth perception to do it."

[knightime]

He stiffens up at first, unused to physical contact that wasn't something to hurt him. But he relaxes and gently wraps his arms around the others' waist. It's actually really comforting. Maybe because it's an action he can return.

And hearing the other talk is nice in itself. Maybe because they're the same person. Maybe he's relieved that the other isn't stuck in the same boat as him. He nods in response. He'll do that. That's something he can do. It's a lot easier than having to pile his trunk with books on sign language. Learning an entire alphabet than more. Even then, what's the point in learning something like this when no one won't be able to understand him still?

His arms tighten around the other slightly. As long as he can help the other though...he doesn't have to think about the things he can't do.

[turntechtrainer]

He just keeps talking, rambling by this point, the rush of words almost sounding desperate. He's trying to make light of it all. It's how he's survived and now without another voice he has to carry on the whole conversation. He's done it before. He'll just do it again.

"Man. My days of roof top strifing is over but here I am, back in school again. I'll learn it faster this time. Body still knows what to do. It's all about judging the distance now. Can't cover up this blind side problem. Have to pay more attention to sounds not that I don't. It's just a lesser awareness. Got to fix that. Make better, faster, stronger."

A thought occurs to him, one he bet they both have. "Showering is going to suck. I'll literally need soap on a rope for non-funny reasons."

[knightime]

Dave can't help but let out that breathy laugh he now has. He knows it's a little desperate, and he honestly appreciates the other rambling. It was relieving. He can't speak but at least the other can seemingly make up for his silence.

He gently pats Dave on the back. As though trying to let the other know that he'll be there to help the other with it. It'll be awhile before he'll figure out a sure way to communicate to others what he's trying to convey.

How does one joke that he'll help the other shower? Maybe it's better he can't say that. It might be hilarious, but also kind of awkward. Also really gay.

[turntechtrainer]

He lightly taps his knuckles against Dave's shoulder. "Thanks man. So long as you don't look down - which I don't know why you would we have exactly the same junk - shower help is totally appreciated." Wow that was awkward. And Gay.

"Can we forget I just said that and pretend I said sure man that would be great. I won't stumble around like I lost my mind or some shuffling old man when I'm young and spry." That sounds worse.

He just sighs and rests his chin on his other self's shoulder. "Welp. It's Dave Strider crams his foot in his mouth hour. At least it's with you. I know exactly what shit you'll give me for it and how to counter it. So keep laughing asshole. God we're a mess."

[knightime]

Oh my god. No, shut up. You made this awkward and gay. It's like you knew that he was thinking of awkward and gay things. Is it gay if it's with you even? Now he's thinking of it. Fuck you, Dave. Wait. No.

Dave can't help but laugh. It's just getting worse and worse the more the other speaks and he can relate because he'd probably say just as dumb shit as that.

He tries to control his laughter, but he's just shaking and making the same sound when someone is out of breath from laughing too much. He lightly punches the other in the shoulder. You ass. You're doing this on purpose aren't you.

[turntechtrainer]

What was that? Shut up? "You know I doubt it's even gay if it's us. It's quality me time with you and I. Or like, you know." He's going to turn as red as his eyes if he keeps this up but he's just rambling away. "Not that we're that way."

He stretches a bit and makes himself at home despite his embarrassing words. "Think I should grow my hair out more on the banged up side. Maybe get that kinda lopsided hipster loo- Ew no, why did I go there."

[knightime]

Dave is already turning red and he punches the other in the arm again. Oh my god. Stop reading his mind. Just stop. Fuck.

But at least things are lighter and not quite so heavy. They'll have to eventually talk about it though. Dave can't live in his room just to use the network and a system for communication has to be established. Especially since it means that he can't readily call someone when he needs help. And in this place, that was just asking for death.

[turntechtrainer]

Something would be found out as a means to communicate. Something. For now Dave rubs his back and starts feeling drowsy. Ugggh, he's used up too much energy today. He makes a lazy grunt as he presses closer, like a cat trying to worm their way into the unwary's lap.

"Maybe I should change my name. Sup, I'm Davy Jones, gonna take you the locka." He yawns and his magic fucking cloak just works like a sweet ass blanket. "This is my pal the Kraken. He's gonna fuck you up." What is he even talking about anymore. He has no clue.

[knightime]

Just shut up, Dave. Seriously. You just sound like an idiot and you need to stop. He doesn't really know what you're talking about either, so it looks like they're both fucking clueless.

Please don't fall asleep on him. He can carry you but he rather not. Do you know how hard it is to carry someone taller than you? It's hard.

[turntechtrainer]

He's not sure how he's getting sleepy. His eye has been screaming at him, the empty socket howling with pain. Jason hadn't let him have any medication and Dave refused to beg for it. He'd endure. Thus.

He had.

His fingers dig into the back of the smaller Strider's shirt as he hisses through his teeth at a lance of pain. "Okay. How about we move this to an actually safe place?" He doesn't want to let the other Dave out of his sight. Not after what they went through. Call him protective, call him a knight, he just doesn't want any further shit to fall on their heads until they've had at least some time to recover.

[knightime]

Maybe there's just something soothing about being in each others' presence? Wow that sounds really gay. At least he can't ever say embarrassing things out loud like that.

Dave nods though. It was probably for the best. Hell, he didn't expect the other to go this far out to find him. There's something touching about that. He isn't sure. He rather the other hadn't, if only because he was sure that it was probably difficult with a missing eye.

[turntechtrainer]

They both probably knew that no matter how badly hurt Dave was, he'd barrel right into danger if his friends' lives were on the line. It had only been a matter of time before he'd sought his other self out. He reaches for time, pulling it to him and exploiting the holes in it to port them to his room. He sags against the smaller guy, all of his energy spent. "Ugh. Such bullshit to be this bone tired already. Not old and not thirteen." He grumbles as he once again makes himself comfortable.

If he were a cat he'd start kneading flesh about this point. Seeing as he's a Dave he just stops supporting his own weight.

[knightime]

Ugh, no. Stop. Okay, you're not that heavy, but you're taller and that makes this awkward. Dave tries to slowly shuffle both their weights to Dave's bed ever so slowly. Gonna try and just...get you on your bed. Yep. This is going swell. Maybe ironically tuck you in or something. Dave is just under the impression that the other would want to sleep by himself and not with his mute counterpart that has shitty dreams (that he doesn't talk about).

[turntechtrainer]

But he's still holding fast to his mute counterpart. Going somewhere? Nope. He wants him right with him. "Dude, I said we, not me." Dave waits for that to sink in as he tries to tug his other self down with him onto the bed. They'd shared a mattress (pod) before. Numerous times. It was a comfort thing even if their dreams were...in a word, terrible.

Not talking about dreams was just a thing they did. Not talk or think about it.

[knightime]

Dave kind of just ends up falling on top of the other. There was really no other way this was gonna go with Route Dave tugging him down. He shakes his head though. Because he doesn't want to. Not because he has problems with the other, but he doesn't want to wake up thrashing. He doesn't wanna wake up the other knowing that the next few days will be plagued by nightmares of losing his voice. At least a few days but probably even longer than that.

He doesn't want anyone to see him when he has his inevitable breakdown.

[turntechtrainer]

He sighs heavily and releases the other Dave. They're the same dude, like he won't know what's up. "In case you forgot, he got both of us." He says, not bothering to tap the bandages on his face. He's too tired. The pain he's been ignoring is flooding through the cracks in his defenses. Who ever heard of phantom eye? Not him. It's not there and it still hurts.

"Look, I'm not asking you to sleep. I just-" Needs to know he's okay. Needs to at least have him around until unconsciousness takes him. It's going to. The pain is climbing, or maybe it's been that way all along. He's no stranger to how utterly fucked up he is.

[knightime]

Dave kind of slides off the other and off the bed, but he doesn't leave. Instead he kind of just sits on the floor, next to the bed quietly. He knows that Jason got both of them. Honestly, he thinks the other got it worst, still in pain. He isn't in pain. At least not physical pain. Recovery for him won't be hell, and he thinks that makes the other worst off.

But he doesn't leave. He'll stick around until maybe Dave falls asleep. Maybe stay a little longer after until he can will himself to go back to his room. Or wander the Tower again by himself.

[turntechtrainer]

Dave would argue both of them were as bad as the other and designed to fuck up the other further. Their complex is meant to devour them both and shadow everything they do from this point on. Jason's work is just beginning.

But he sinks into unconsciousness fairly fast. He doesn't even struggle with it like he would have years ago. He's lived a hard life and he knows the more he sleeps, the faster he'll be strong enough to get back into the fight. He sucks in a few breaths, then lets all of his guard down. The pain crashes through him so fast and hard he doesn't has time to hiss before he's pulled down into unconsciousness.

Down into the empty dark.