06: Why do you live your life in someone else's shadow?

[findsrisks]

Who: Nanaki and Davesprite
When: June 13th
Where: Over the network -> Nanaki's place
Style: action
Status: Closed

[It's been a few days since the fair, and Nanaki has spent most of it relaxing and recharging her 'interacting with people' batteries. Even though she likes hanging out with people, she does need her alone time.

But by Thursday her batteries are recharged and she's ready to talk to people again. She actually considers an open invitation for a hangout, but before she can send out the invitation to the network she remembers how hectic the whole 'help me clean up my apartment and I'll feed you' thing got. Maybe instead of an open invitation, she should just invite one or two people over for a small hangout.

Oddly enough, Davesprite is the first person that comes to mind. He's only one of her many friends, but for some reason she's found herself thinking about him first when she says 'friends' nowadays. Admittedly, he does know how to have fun, so he would be the perfect person to ask over for a movie and game night.

So while she thinks about who else to invite over (if anyone else, Davesprite seems to open up more when it's one-on-one with him), she pushes at a few buttons on her SFC and calls him.]

Hey, you busy tonight?

Comments

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

[Davesprite's chilling out, recovering from a night of Muppet movies in an effort to cheer Dirk up and spend some quality time with a mug of apple juice. He'll never get over the fact of being in a place where his favorite drink is attainable whenever he wants it.

That's about when he gets a call from Nanaki. Not that he'll complain about having an interruption by her, especially since she's great company. Davesprite is quick in answering her.]

Nope, I've got no plans tonight. What's up?

[findsrisks]

I have an empty couch and a bowl full of popcorn that's just begging for company. Want to come over and watch a movie?

[Games are possible too, but movie night sounds a lot cooler than game night.]

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

[For about a second, he thinks she's asking him out. It passes, though, as he discounts it as Nanaki just being friendly. It's also been a while since he's had a movie night with a good friend.]

Well, I'd hate to refuse such a request if they're begging for me. What time?

[findsrisks]

How about after dinnertime, so 7-ish?

[As oblivious as Nanaki is to her accidental 'is she hitting on me?' moments, she's not that oblivious. Dinner and a movie is definitely a date-thing, and this is not a date.]

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

Works for me. I'll watch anything that doesn't involve Nic Cage, puppets, or Dane Cook, so I'll leave the choice up to you.

[And he's going to show up at seven on the dot. Nobody can claim that Davesprite isn't punctual, at least!]

[findsrisks]

[Well there goes her plans for Muppet Treasure Island

By the time Davesprite arrives, Nanaki has a bowl of popcorn ready and some DVDs she picked up from a store.]

Hey, come on in!

[Her place is small, since it's only her, but it is immaculate. There isn't a stray piece of clothing in site, and the only dirty dish visible is the pan she used to cook the popcorn, which is currently in the sink.]

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

[It's like entering the Twilight Zone as he floats on in. At least he won't run the risk of getting stabbed by a stray ninja star or something.]

Nice place. You the only one living here?

[findsrisks]

Yep, it's just me. I'm used to living on my own, so it suits me.

[She will go ahead and sit on one end of the couch, leaving plenty of room for Davesprite. It's also the side closest to the dvd player, so she can lean in and put the dvd in once they decide what to watch.]

We've got a couple choices for movies, I grabbed both 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Atlantis.'

[Underwater movies just seemed like a good idea.]

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

[He shrugs, seeing no need to argue the point since it's obvious she's taking care of herself just fine. Davesprite folds his wings closer to himself as he sits down.]

Man, I haven't seen either of 'em in a long time, too. [He takes a moment to consider the choices.] Atlantis is waiting, so let's go with it.

[findsrisks]

[He has a wing blanket! And after putting the dvd in, she'll sit back on the couch and grab a few pieces of popcorn before setting the bowl down between them.

The DVD has to boot up so they have a moment for chatting.]

Anything exciting happen since we saw each other last?

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

[Davesprite shrugs again.]

Had some bonding time with Bro, Dirk, and Dave last night. Turns out Dirk's Dave is a famous movie director and whatever other jobs he took on in movie creation. That's about it. You?

[findsrisks]

[She was about to answer, but something catches her attention and makes her raise an eyebrow.]

'Dirk's Dave'? Just how many Daves are there?

[She's met Dave and obviously knows Davesprite, so she knows there's some fuckery going on here. But more Daves?]

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

More than you can count. That Dave is a little special, though, only because he was never a player and never would be. He was supposed to be Dirk's Guardian, like Bro is mine. It's a mindfuck that I might have to explain later.

[Not that he doesn't want to, but just because it'll take a lot of time to explain the difference between Dirk's world and Davesprite's.]

[findsrisks]

[Ah, so it's more game shenanigans. Nanaki knows enough about sburb to know that it's confusing as hell at times, so this would be filed under the 'time fuckery' section of it.]

Alright, that works. Is that Dave here too?

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

No, which is a shame in some ways. Though, that also might have resulted in him and Bro duking it out everyday to see who's dominant or whatever.

[It actually kind of amuses him.]

[findsrisks]

Aaah, so I guess 'fighting for dominance' is a thing that runs in your family, huh?

[She says that teasingly. The mental image of all the Striders punching each other is kind of funny.]

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

It's a constant state of one upmanship and trolling. Usually Bro wins those contests.

[He waves a hand casually, a no big deal gesture.]

[findsrisks]

Huh. I would've thought you would have the advantage, since you have the high ground.

[She's navigating the DVD menu to get to the 'play movie' option.]

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

I wasn't always like this. 'Sides, it would've been like comparing a master to an apprentice. Bro taught me all I know.

[Davesprite snatches some popcorn while he's at it.]

[findsrisks]

It sounds like you look up to him.

[Which is good, everyone needs someone to look up to. But then she gets stuck on the name for a moment, and she frowns thoughtfully.]

You know, I think I met someone named Bro who looks like you.

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

[Oh God.]

Baseball cap? Pointy shades? Spiky hair? That's basically him.

[Davesprite's quiet for a moment.]

I did look up to him, though. Still do, actually, but...it's complicated.

[findsrisks]

[She nods.]

Yeah, that's him. But why is it complicated? It seemed like he really cared about you, when I talked to him.

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

[Davesprite shifts a little uncomfortably. The only people he's sort of shared these 'talks' with are Bro and Dirk, and that might as well just count as one person technically. Still...he trusts Nanaki. A lot, if he's honest with himself.]

He's dead, in my world. I was there when he died. Hell, I almost died, and in some ways that would've been preferable. My existence also complicates it a bit. I'm not the same as Dave, just kind of a copy or spare or whatever.

[He manages to keep his poker face and his tone even. How, he's not even all that sure.]

[findsrisks]

[Nanaki's face falls when she hears that. Of all the things it could have been, death was the one she had been least expecting.]

I'm sorry, I didn't know...

[But the rest of what Davesprite says sounds like it could be just as bad.]

What do you mean, a copy? You're different people.

[cawcawmthrfckrs]

It's fine. I didn't expect you to know, since we don't really talk about that.

[He's being too casual about this and he kind of knows it, but he's not really in a mood to care.]

Sorta. It's true that I've been through different things he has, but we're still the same person at the core of it all. My best friend kinda had an...issue with that.