Dave's Gallery Showing pt 1

DAVE: Finally, it was time for the big event. Dave's been busy working hard with the gallery to make sure everything would be ready for the opening of his first gallery showing. Advertisements started going out, plans were made and solidified, and soon enough, the evening came. Dave sends a lot of reminders throughout the day to his friends, Rose and Vriska and Jade and Aradia, wanting to double, tripe, and quadruple check that they were coming and the dress code(it was a black tie event) and everything, even though they've already assured him they'd be there. ((1/3))

DAVE: When the event finally opens its doors, the party begins, patrons making their way in. The gallery itself is rather classy, very modern, and even showing work from some more famous photographers. Dave honestly cannot believe this is the first gallery he got into, that he's alongside giants- he really thought his first would be some lowkey affair at some newbie gallery no one cares about. but nope. This is his big day. There are other artists having a showing here too, of course, the event planned to let multiple new entries into the gallery be shown. But he's one of them. And that's what's important. ((2/3))

DAVE: He's looking very handsome in a tailor suit, the pants and jacket shades of red, shirt and shoes black, and a white tie- the right breast of the jacket bearing the broken record insignia he seems to be attached to. His ears are matching his suit- theyre a bit red from fluster, as Dave tries to keep himself collected while gretting patrons, standing near the part of the gallery that his works are being shown in, attractively framed and arranged on the walls behind him. They're all photos from the Ogre fights, in different sizes, cropped in different ratios, the more dynamic pieces given a more central place in the arrangement- most especially a photo of Thorn finishing off Ogre with the metal bars in the first fight, and an especially big print of Canis Majora socking the giant Ogre right in the jaw. ((3/3))

DAVE: Dave slips his phone carefully from a pocket inside his jacket, and quickly sends Rose some nervous texts.

DAVE: > its opened people are comin in oh man

DAVE: > i really hope i dont sweat

DAVE: > i cant tell if they like my stuff or not

DAVE: > people are starting to look

VRISKA: Downsides of having a dress code that was exclusively casual: No formal outfits. Vriska had panicked over Dave's gallery opening once she'd learned about the dress code, prompting a frantic evening of going through dress catalogs for anything that looked good. Her parents had sent her money but it wasn't enough for the stuff she *really* wanted, and everything that looked good to her was either too small or too expensive. If it wasn't for Jade's monetary intervention practically at the last minute, she'd have repurposed some shorts into a weird dress, just like how the Internet taught her. Still, in spite of everything working out in the end, she couldn't help but be nervous. Dressing formally wasn't her thing, and she'd swore off the fancy stuff ever since she'd left her rather affluent home. Slipping back into it after a while was odd to her, but it was Dave's big day, she may as well look good for it. Sitting in Jade's car, she drummed her fingers on her lap as the city passed by.

ROSE: > Should I have Jade turn us around and stop to bring you a paper bag to breath heavily into, or will you remain functional until we get there?

DAVE: > i dont need a hyperventilation bag!!!

ROSE: > That startling number of sudden exclamation poles standing tall afront the red tide suggests otherwise.

ROSE: > Dave, you'll be fine.

DAVE: > youve probably already figured this out from the dress code but

DAVE: > this is kind of an actually really nice gallery

DAVE: > that shows actually decent and even sometimes well known photographers

DAVE: > and im in it

DAVE: > im nervous

VRISKA: She looked over to Rose, looking equally well-dressed up in the front seat. The pale goth was texting someone, and she didn't have to guess to know who it was...not that that stopped her though. "That Dave?"

ROSE: Rose was in no way a stranger to formal dress. A long lifetime of presenting herself to her mother's colleagues before curtly slinking back to her room and burying herself in computer games and literature out of spite had imprinted an almost alarming degree of immediacy in her self-presentation, even if it still ran with an undercurrent of bitterness. Still, she was perfectly capable and willing of swallowing that instinctive disgust in favor of sincerely looking good for the showing, and while she still refused to wear a proper dress like Mother always bought her, the tight black dress she wore was a whole new sort of formal, form-fitting and stiff and giving off her characteristic level of deliberate maturity. Paired with a pair of high black boots, a fresh coat of black lipstick and just enough eyeshadow to exist, she was simultaneously rigid in her emotionless presentation and nonchalant in her posture as she texted and nodded. "Mmhm."

ROSE: > Yes, but you're forgetting to take into account that you're actually a thoroughly competent photographer with a more than decent gallery. Two out of three is hardly bad, and the third is an inevitability.

DAVE: > are you sure

VRISKA: "He's not freaking out is he? He should be feeling like a million bucks, what with having his own gallery and all."

DAVE: > i feel kinda out of place

DAVE: > like im waiting for people to realize i dont belong

DAVE: > and then my ruse will be up and they kick me out

ROSE: "Of course he's freaking out. Still, he makes it sound like it's going to be worthwhile."

ROSE: > I've been sure for several years now.

ROSE: > If anybody tries to kick you out, inform them of your prestigious credit. If you have yet to develop any, I can stand next to you in silent, idle solidarity for your plight.

VRISKA: "yeah, well that makes two of us" She said under her breath, looking back out the window at the city, her thoughts on Dave and his newfound success.

DAVE: > thank you

ROSE: Rose's lips curled up into an almost imperceptible smirk. "I doubt either of you will make any catastrophic social faux pas. Merely keep your head up and refrain from making any sort of gesture of emotion or independent thought. That always worked for me."

VRISKA: "Be a smiling Stepford socialite, got it."

ROSE: > If it helps, Vriska appears to be equally disconcerted by the notion of standing around in an extravagant showcase.

ROSE: "Precisely. Chin level, back straight, nod when spoken to and seize only the offered opportunities to immediately vacate the premises."

DAVE: > ok well tell her that makes two of us

DAVE: > i mean its not that i dislike dressing like this

DAVE: > i feel snazzy as hell

DAVE: > its the people part thats getting me rattled

VRISKA: She squinted at Rose, leaning forward gracelessly in between Jade's chair and hers before remembering that she wasn't wearing jeans for once. "Christ, I don't know what's worse, that you know all this crap or that you're not bothered by acting that way."

ROSE: "I am. But it's significantly less insufferable doing it of one's own volition."

ROSE: > I think the dressing is what's flummoxing her more.

ROSE: > I'm glad you can enjoy being dressed up nicely, though.

JADE: No stranger to black tie events, Jade knew exactly how important this would be to Dave. Likely, just as important as Jade's release of Incipisphere was to her and she wanted to look her best. Her phone had been blowing up over and over with Dave's reminders, obviously a result of his nervousness. She couldn't blame him. She'd felt the same way about her commercial. The difference here is she knows he's going to be loved. His photography and skill at showing off everyone's abilities was amazing. Nothing like it was immediately available to the public and most photographers were too scared to get that close. His recognition was going to be instat. And if not, oh well, they all have a fun night out in cute outfits and they can go eat pizza or something afterward.

JADE: Jade glances occasionally at everyone in the car, hoping the tension of the past few weeks wouldn't ruin the mood too much. It was hard to read everyone, either way. At least the music she was playing was enough of a distraction that seemed to keep everything relatively upbeat. Jade had asked Aradia to sit in the front seat, while Rose scooted into the back. The reason was pretty simple. Hopefully, Aradia would have an easier time of things if she didn't have to look at Vriska directly.

JADE: With the seating arrangements all set and the three of them dressed, Jade drove to Vriska's apartment and picked her up, exclaiming that she looked very pretty and Dave's jaw was going to drop. Or at least his face was going to turn red, which was always funny. After the quick pick up, it takes some time for Jade to find a good parking space, many people pausing to get a look at the ostentatious car. It pulls up to the valet, who immediately looks confused by the white and lime green decorated sports car. Jade steps out of it, first, clad in a clingy black dress that seems to have been tailored out of the night sky, green trim lining the bottom and top of it. She's wearing black legging and short heels of the same color as the trim of her dress, the strapless number showing off her shoulders readily and apparently carefully tailored to cover any cleavage. She's wearing a simple necklace and has done her hair up in a the same way she had done for the commercial. As soon as she's out, she's already looking around for Dave.

DAVE: > i look amazing in a tux and im gonna own it

DAVE: > anyways im sure vriska looks fucking awesome

DAVE: > and i bet you do too

JADE: "We're here, let's go, up and at 'em!" Jade drums on the top of her car while looking inside at the others. "We can't keep the big man waiting. Tonight is his night. He's the star. It's him."

ROSE: > I wish I could wear my scarf. I feel more bare than I would like without it.
ROSE: > But after the bus, I don't want to be wearing it over black dresswear while surrounded by pictures of me wearing it over black dresswear blowing up giant monsters.

ROSE: > We're here, by the way. See you soon.

DAVE: Dave's a couple rooms in- the gallery a rather decent size, with high ceilings and large, open arches between rooms. He has a whole wall to himself for his photography, and he's standing near it, phone in one hand as he's clearly very hesitantly shaking the hand of someone he's greeting.

DAVE: > theres such things as fancy dressy scarves and shawls and stuff you could do that next time since its a little too late for that now

DAVE: > anyways see you soon

ROSE: Rose slides her phone into her purse (god, she still wasn't used to have one of those), nodding at Vriska before stepping out of the car. Were she taller, she would be the spitting image of cold, calculated fashion, boots clacking on the ground as she smoothly stood up and closed the door behind her. Her scarf missing, nothing concealed her rigid, stony expression and posture, and she glanced to Jade for a moment before stepping forward, making her way with unflinching determination. "It's a shame he couldn't make as much of a career from his comics as he could his photography."

ARADIA: Aradia, who had been studiously ignoring Vriska, steps out of the car. She is wearing a dark red hourglass dress, along with long white stockings and no shoes whatsoever. "I feel. Weird, dressed in this."

VRISKA: She followed in after the bunch, all the photographers and glitzy guests making her feel more exposed without her costume. As Mindfang, she was fine with attention, but as Vriska Serket? She only felt far out of her league, and she unconsciously tugged on the skin-tone sleeves on her prosthetics, wondering if they were obvious. She stood at a slight hunch, too used to baggy jackets and jeans to feel right at home with being a socialite, as she stepped after Rose and the others, bringing up the rear and trying to show as little of her face as possible without covering it with her hands.

JADE: "You look great, Aradia. It's only for one night and just think about how this will look for the city. Dave managed to get at least one confirmed cape to show up at a gallery opening. It'll be fun." Jade opens her the fancy black clutch bag she'd brought with her and takes out a bill, handing it to the valet. "Don't worry about parking it. It'll park itself." She gives him a wave and starts into the gallery, ignoring the looks they were getting from the socialits in attendance. She grins mischievously when the car suddenly peels out and shoots off to find its own parking spot, scaring a couple of them. "Let's go find Dave."

ROSE: Rose would have smirked at their confusion, but she merely gazed over them, violet eyes sharp as she nodded and strode into the building. She had never been to this sort of affair before, massive and prestigious and full of high-class well-dressed patrons; Vriska aside, she wouldn't have been surprised if she was the youngest person present. And yet, she had no trouble simply shutting herself off from them, frigid in mannerisms as she walked forward and let any idle glances turned her way go unheeded. Mentally, she was taking it all in, but emotionally she was effortlessly sliding back into that distant, unflinching mindset. At least for the moment.

DAVE: Dave slides his phone back into his jacket, taking a deep breath. They should be here soon, right here with him. He'll feel a lot better when they are, at least he hopes. He gives plenty of awkward half smiles as he nods at people passing by, his heart pounding as he watches patrons stop to admire the photos on the wall, talking amongst themselves.

ARADIA: Aradia feels very exposed. "...Maybe I shouldn't be here. If people work out who I am, they might work out who you guys are."

VRISKA: Vriska did her level best not to steal nervous glances at everyone present, but her gut was practically swarming with butterflies, hoping against hope that by some cosmic joke on her behalf, anyone who knew her parents wouldn't be here. They knew she was here on a friend's request, but she'd already put an ocean between her and her folks, she wasn't intent on being reminded of them when they were so far away. Aradia's little comment mirrored her own thoughts, and for once she completely agreed with her. She never said it though, she wouldn't give the time toaster the satisfaction.

JADE: Jade frowns a little at that, bumping Aradia's shoulder slightly. "Hey. It'll be fine. We can pass you off as an art piece or something, if someone gets too nosy. Or a really extravagant cosplay to help promote awareness for Dave's gallery. There's tons of excuses to write it off." Jade straightens up from her whispering position, eyes scanning the room for Dave. "There he is!" She waves for them to follow and makes a beeline for Dave.

ROSE: Rose relaxed just a tiny bit seeing Dave's little wall, briskly moving towards him without giving off the impression of rushing. When she thought he could her, she gave him a curt nod, waiting for an opportunity to arise to get closer and speak with him. Ans yet, her eyes were also drawn to the various pictures, taking in the sights of...well, her. For all her mental gymnastic preparation, she still managed to be caught off guard by being the centerpiece to such an exhibit, and even if nobody else knew it, something that definitely felt like smug satisfaction was welling in her chest.

DAVE: When Dave spots his friends finally coming into the room he's in, he actually smiles brightly, a real full one, his cheeks dimpling. He gives them a small wave, before gesturing for them to come join him. The mere sight of them has him visibly relaxing, having previously been very stiff and clearly nervous.

ARADIA: "I'll just stand completely still in different poses." Aradia is staying very close Jade as she moves, not making any attempt to move away from her side.

VRISKA: Vriska felt her shoulders loosen at the sight of Dave, relief flooding briefly into her chest before she caught herself starting to slouch worse. Standing up straighter, she waved cheerily at Dave, her grin jaunty and nervous as they approached. Her eyes go over Dave from his shoes up to his face, and her smile got a little more natural. "Nice threads coolkid."

DAVE: "Heh. You too, Serket. Lookin' good." His eyebrows raise up a bit, a playful smirk on his face. "Never thought I'd get to see you in a snazzy dress. I like it. Even if it's kinda odd compared to your usual aesthetic."

ROSE: Rose allowed herself a small smile, exhaling through her nose as the atmosphere around their group seemed to relax a bit. "You do look exceptional, Dave. If I didn't know better, I would presume you're a regular to these affairs."

JADE: "Dave, this amazing. Aaah, I'm so proud of you! Oh my gosh," Jade stops as she looks at the other central piece, the picture of her cracking Ogre in the face. It was weird seeing herself on display like this. "Wow, I never realized how nice this one came out. Everything looks so good. How many people have you spoken to?" Jade didn't make any effort to get away from Aradia, keeping close to her and accomodating her as best she could by trying to touch her arm occassionally as discreetly as possible.

VRISKA: "Tell me about it, I'm about this close to swapping out for my usual jeans and shirt combo." Feeling a little more at ease, she allowed herself some time to check out the exhibits from where she stood, pursing her lips playfully at the sight of Rose getting all up in Ogre's grill.

DAVE: The comments from Jade and Rose make his ears, and then his cheeks redden more than they already were, and he shifts a bit on his feet. "Well... I've been to galleries before, but as a patron. So. Maybe?" He laughs a little sheepishly, tugging slightly on one of his sleeves. "Thanks... And I guess I've greeted a bunch of people? I wasn't really keeping count." As if on cue, his shoulder is tapped by an older woman, who politely introduces herself when he turns to her, and they briefly shake hands. And now Dave is distracted by the woman asking a couple questions about some of his pieces, the two of them gesturing to different ones as they talk. At first, Dave was stiff in his responses, but as he gets into his mode for explaning his art, he becomes much more relaxed, words coming easier as the woman listens with fascination as he explains how he had to get up close to the fights, crouched on an abandoned bistro table in the photo they were talking about, in order to photograph them.

ROSE: Rose turned to look at Jade, amusement evident as she loosened up. "I presumed we wouldn't get much time to speak with him personally. Would you like to see the rest of the exhibit, or remain here and bask in the eccentricity of his offerings?" She said it like they weren't childhood friends, just for the amount of people nearby.

ARADIA: Aradia is looking at everything with wide, bright, curious eyes.

VRISKA: Vriska cradled her arms, looking around while Dave hobnobbed with the socialites. The exhibits she could see from where they were brought a lot of fond memories, even the ones where he got his taters got by shrapnel. "What? Oh, Christ you say that like he's a weird puppy or something...but sure, let's look around."

JADE: "Yeah. We can come back to talk to him just to make sure he doesn't implode out of nervousness, but maybe we should stay in view so he knows we didn't ditch him?"

VRISKA: "Good plan."

DAVE: Apparently satisfied, the woman thanks Dave for enlightening her, a smile on her face as they shake hands again, and she moves on to view some of his photos further along the wall. Dave takes a deep breath, letting it out with a 'phew!' as he turns back to his friends. "Haha, wow, this is nuts, huh? Hope they pass out those little fancy snack trays or somethin' soon."

VRISKA: She clapped softly once Dave was returned to them, looking fairly impressed. "Not bad coolkid, you handled Ms. Moneybucks over there like a champ."

ROSE: "I suppose we could make a food run if it becomes necessary. Do you have back room access for private matters such as hamburgers given you're being hosted?"

??: Among the crowd is a man who stands out from the rest once you notice him. Mainly because despite the suit, he's also wearing a silver baseball cap and a pair of pointy, anime-esque sunglasses. The suit jacket he's wearing is a clean white, contrasting with the black pants and shirt, with a matching pair of nice white and black footwear. The tie was slim, a silky silver tie. However, the tie is loose, and the collar of the shirt under the jacket is popped, edges hanging up just under his jawline.

??: He Strides out from the crowd of patrons in a way the necessitates that it needs to have a capital S, bordering on eponymous. He makes a beeline for Dave, who notices him after he reaches a couple yards away and promptly pales despite the darkness of his skin. The man, despite clearly being someone Rose, Jade, Vriska, and Aradia would know, might seem familiar, with rust-red hair and warm brown skin and a curving nose, though the shape of his face and the toned build of his shape might throw it off. Despite being of a very average height, and definitely shorter than Jade, there's something about him that just makes him seem so very... tall. Imposing, almost. "Sup, lil bro?"

?? [??] is now Bro [BRO]. ~~ 379 ~~

VRISKA: She turned to the man who spoke, the words reaching her only after she'd taken in Mr. Tall Dark and Weeaboo just then. "...Oh, damn."

DAVE: Dave didn't get a chance to answer Rose's question before he noticed his Bro, Striding on up to their little group like he owned the place. Where Dave had been gradually relaxing after his friends showed up, now he stiffens right back up, straightening his posture- and is he sucking in his gut a bit there? "Uh, h-hey, Bro. I didn't... think you were coming."

ROSE: Rose had been about to turn away from Dave and motion for their small clique to wander a bit and give him space when the silver-capped man made himself known. For one brief moment, she wasn't even paying him any mind, but all at once she suddenly stopped and let her gaze fall back on him. Him. Him. She had no idea if this was something Dave planned, something that he was even aware of, but as she silently looked over the tall man, a lifetime of conversational topics and late-night chat conversations flooded back to her mind, and immediately, any softening and relaxing of her stance and posture she had let occur in Dave's presence was instantly rescinded. Her eyes turned to Dave, taking in the way he froze and stammered, and it only took her split second to start moving, very pointedly walking up to the two Striders without an iota of hesitation or mercy in her utterly glacial body language.

JADE: "We should go somewhere after this is all done! It would be nice to wind down after the fanciness overl-" Jade pauses, looking at the man that had caught Dave's attention. Her posture straightening as he approached was almost instinctive, one hand tapping at her hip as Bro approached. She looks between Dave and the anime shaded man, immediately noticing Dave's change in disposition. He looks ever more nervous than when they got here. Her eyes don't stray from the man in the baseball cap as she frowns a little.

ARADIA: Aradia's eyes are on the man. She has a wide, but polite smile on her face. She has spoken to Dave about his abuse. She knows exactly who this is. She wants to snap his neck right now.

VRISKA: Her eyes flit between the man and Dave's more rigid posture, and she immediately realized that this was exactly who she thought it was. Everyone else was forming up too, and a part of her felt glad that no one had to say anything to know that this asshole was bad news on sight.

BRO: "How in the hell d'you expect me to miss my lil bro's first photo showing? Baby's first gallery, maybe I should take a picture and put it in the family photo album." There is no family photo album. "You don't gotta directly invite me for me to show up, so don't worry about it, I ain't gonna miss this for the world. These your little friends?" He finally looks over at the others, at least a couple of which are definitely not 'little', and you know he knows it.

ARADIA: One of them is also a robot.

BRO: He knows. He fails to mention it.

DAVE: "Yeah... thanks." Dave looks like he's trying to hide that he is anything but thankful and, in fact, slightly terrified. That sounded more like a threat than a thoughtful promise. He jerks slightly at the mention of his friends, who he glances over at with a bitten lower lip. "Oh. Yeah. These are the friends I've made." He gestures to each in turn as he introduces them. "Jade, Vriska, Aradia. And Rose- you remember her, I told you about her before?"

ROSE: Rose didn't stop until she was standing in front of them, close enough to make her intended presence known. "Mr. Strider, I presume." As soon as she opened her mouth, it would be apparent that every single bit of emotion and relaxation Jade had managed to draw out of her was completely gone, replaced by a void of straight-backed, unmoving nothingness that manifested as a very short young woman staring up directly into those shades. There was no aggression in her voice or stance, but nor was there a scrap of genuine friendliness or amiability, and for that one brief moment Rose had completely reverted to the silently bitter, stoic facade of her younger self. "I'm pleased to know Dave has spoken to you regarding my existence, given our long-term correspondences."

VRISKA: Why does he say that like it's some kind of task he had to do? Making friends? Just how badly did this guy fuck him up to make Dave act like having friends was part of a checklist? Vriska might've been overthinking it, but the way Rose got all up in his grill said otherwise. Strider Uno was trouble, and having him just show up out of the blue wasn't a good sign. She'd nodded curtly at the man when Dave introduced her, but made no effort on her part to introduce herself.

JADE: Jade doesn't say anything at first, her eyes flicking up and down Bro to size him up. Not turning from him, she taps her knuckles against the back of Aradia's hand. She's not sure if the gesture is to prevent herself from punching him or to prevent Aradia, but she knows she needs something to ground herself around this guy. Everything about him gave off the air of something constantly on the hunt and looking for a target. No one in this room was a person to him. "Hi!" She smiles, lifting one hand in a small wave. "Dave's told me all about you."

ARADIA: "The human neck contains seven vertebrae." Aradia says in a cheerful, welcoming tone.

BRO: "Oh yeah. Rose Lalonde, right?" He raises a thick eyebrow over the rim of his pointed shades. "Dave's mentioned you a lot. Makes sense, seein' as he didn't have other friends. Glad to know you're not a little girl, anymore." That last bit seemed more aimed at Dave than at Rose. And then Rose is seemingly promptly forgotten as he looks over the others, landing on Jade as she introduces herself. "Oh, has he? I'd love to hear about that, but I think Ms. Aradia wants to play popquiz." And then his attention is on Aradia. The smirk refuses to leave his face. "No shit? That's cool. Did you know the brachial artery pumps about thirty litres of blood per minute, but the body only has about four or five litres of blood total? Imagine how fast it'd take to bleed out if that was cut. Crazy, huh?"

ARADIA: "That's why it spurts so much."

DAVE: Dave lowers his gaze to the floor at the comment about Rose's age, biting his lip again. He took a deep breath through his nose, trying to keep his breathing steady, though his heart was beating a mile a minute. Finally, at the 'conversation' sparked between Aradia and Bro, he looked up with a frown. "Can we not?"

VRISKA: Sparing a glance toward Dave, she didn't mince any words, Vriska just outright saying what she felt was necessary. "What the fuck are you doing here Strider? Everyone in this little group knows you're kind of a giant asshole, so just get to what you're gonna say and then fuck off."

DAVE: That makes Dave's eyes go wide, and he promptly motions for Vriska to cut it out the whole time she's talking, only to groan and facepalm when she fails to drop it.

ROSE: If there was any emotion visible in Rose's expression, tone or posture, it would have twitched at Bro's comment about her age, and likely would have violently cracked at his comment to Aradia. "That tends to be an inevitable outcome of the continual passage of time, I'm afraid. I'm sure the world would be a greatly improved environment were we not continually at the mercy of its flow. Alas, the times of Dave having intellectual conversation with prepubescent women was too fond to last." Her tone remains even, but she's clearly on the edge of darkening it, though she remains as fakely calm as she can. "And whilst I'm sure you can share in Aradia's revelry in anatomical fascination, I'm afraid the rest of us may have your insightful comments on mortal injury soar gracefully over our-" When Vriska spoke, she stopped, half-turning to give her an utterly piercing gaze, before turning back to Bro and shrugging. "Heads." She does not move.

JADE: "Asshole or not, he's still Dave's old father and he has every right to be here as much as the rest of us." Jade says, casually, turning to look directly at Dave. "It's okay. It's important that people that care about Dave show up to support him." She's not talking about Bro in that sentence.

VRISKA: She answered Rose's glare in kind, not up to putting any kind of polite face around someone that upset Dave by dint of simply existing around him. Rose could do her cultured bitch style all she wanted, Vriska had no time and no patience for being that polite.

BRO: "What, asshole? Me? The guy who's just flown, what, six hours? All just to see his lil bro have his first gallery showing? I think you're a bit misinformed, but maybe we're using different definitions of asshole." He only seems entertained, thumbs hooked into the pockets of his pants- he's wearing fingerless leather gloves, for real. He even gives a small chuckle at Jade's comment. "Not old, and not his dad, little lady. I'm barely in my forties. I'm just his Bro. And anyways, I'm just here to admire my baby bro's artwork."

JADE: "Great, then maybe I can show you around. I just got here and Dave has to take the time to socialize with people. Maybe we can both check this stuff out at the same time." She's smiling, one hand lifted in offer of letting him precede her in looking around at everything.

DAVE: Dave has slipped his phone back out as subtly as he can, quickly texting Vriska with one finger before shoving the phone back in his jacket.

DAVE: > stop please stop im the one wholl have to deal with the consequences not you and i dont wanna deal with extra why do your friends think im an asshole dave bullshit on top of the horseshit cake please

VRISKA: Vriska fished her phone out of her tiny tiny purse, frowning at how small the damn thing was before seeing the message.

VRISKA: >Sorry it just bothers me that he's here at all. That was uncalled for and I'm sorry.

ROSE: "Enough." It's spoken calmly, but with nothing but pure, distilled bitterness interwoven into every syllable and tone, that burning distaste for his very being seeping into a scathing tone that barely manages to be masked by being directed at Vriska as well. "Regardless of the ample reason provided to begin quarreling with ourselves, the fact remains that we came here for Dave's sake, and for Dave's sake I would like to refrain from open conflict amongst ourselves. While there are clearly many underlying currents of frustration and apprehension, I would greatly prefer to save the inevitable conversations for a later date." She doesn't take her eyes off of Bro, having spent enough time around Dave to figure out the key to making eye contact through shades and making absolutely no effort to mask her intent to glare into him. "I'm certain there are a lot of questions that we would both like to ask given our long-standing co-existence with your brother."

BRO: "Good idea, Jade. But maybe after I greet my boy here a bit more. Barely even got a chance to say more than a hello, yet." He moves to stand closer to Dave's side, an arm going around the shorter Strider to rest a hand on Dave's shoulder. If it were anyone else, it would be a very friendly gesture. Dave looks like it's anything but. "It's been ages since I've seen the kiddo in person, you get me? I'm just here to have a good time and be proud of my lil bro. Don't gotte be havin' any fights with you kids, right?"

DAVE: Dave is doing a surprisingly stellar job at hiding just how uncomfortable he is at the very moment. Some of it leaks out on his face, but his pokerface is still very impressive regardless.

ARADIA: Aradia finds Rose's hand and very gently takes it. She does not know what to say, except that she probably would hold Bro down while Rose gave him an eldritch Falcon Punch.

JADE: "Nope. No need to fight. We're all here just to enjoy ourselves! It makes sense that you'd want to talk to him after so long." Jade turns to look at Dave. "Do you want us to give you two some space?" This question is addressed to Dave, specifically.

ROSE: Rose's glare turns to Dave, softening slightly, although it's obvious she's very intently taking in his tells and reaction. She's silent for a moment, mind running to find the best thing to say (that isn't a product of those niggling voices in her mind telling her to let herself spark and crackle in his presence) and posture stiff and unyielding. When Aradia takes her hand, she makes only the barest hint of responding, fingers lightly tracing her metal hand's side. "I can fully understand your desire to have some personal time with Dave. While I cannot say I'm invested in being in your way, I would like to request an audience with you two, both because I haven't had the time to spend around Dave at all lately and because of the inherent social opportunities presented by being able to speak with his guardian." There are at least three lies in what she just said, but every single one of them is buried under her completely calm and stoic demeanor.

VRISKA: Vriska was about this close to making up some kind of excuse to just deck Bro in the jaw, but Rose and Jade knew him even more, and they weren't trying to snap him in half with bodyslams, so that meant she had to have restraint...for now. She set her jaw into a slight grimace, glaring at Bro as he slipped his arm around Dave's shoulders.

BRO: "Mm. Sounds fun, Rose. It'd be nice to have a chat with the now grown up version of the little girl who kept him company for so long." He does actually seem genuine about that, but it's not very relieving.

DAVE: Dave looks up at Jade at the question, hesitating. He glances at Bro, then back at Jade, before nodding that they should go- though his eyes are saying he'd rather they stay. Hopefully, they'll at least stick close enough to intervene if necessary.

VRISKA: Vriska was planning on just being within striking range of Bro if anything went down, staying close to Dave's side for the moment.

ROSE: "Very well." She gives Aradia a side-glance, letting go of her hand. "I'm afraid I was never in possession of a comprehensive and vested interest in artistic endeavor, although my interest in seeing Dave's success outweighs my disinterest in formal affair by a biblical degree." That and the look she gives Dave are, she hopes, enough to make it clear to the shorter boy how much she wants to be closer to him right now, although she stands defiantly against Bro instead, lightly folding her arms and glancing back up at him. "Perhaps I can provide counterargument to your initial assessment of our relationship as that of merely a 'little girl' as well, in the interest of my own personal standings."

BRO: "Glad to hear Dave's actually found more people to keep him company for once. Though, I think you're having a lil misunderstanding. That wasn't my assessment of your relationship- I was merely noting the fact that my boy made only one friend for the first two decades of his life, and it was with a girl four years his junior. Just somethin' I thought was interesting." He shrugs, like it's not big deal. And then, as if Rose had simply lost his attention, he takes his hand off Dave and turns to face him. "So, lil bro, this the cape photography you've been wanting to work on since you dropped out? Not bad, Dave."

JADE: "I'm sure we'll all be able to have our questions answered, later. Right now, let's just go look at some of the nearby stuff. I want to see what sort of weak competition Dave has. We can all meet back here in a little bit!" Jade taps her hands along the little black clutch purse she had with her, using it as a way to keep herself grounded. "Anyone want to walk around with me or should we all just split up for a bit?"

ARADIA: "Why do you keep mentioning that Dave's friends are girls?" Aradia quirks her head slightly. "It seems like a weird thing to point out, and you're doing it every chance you get."

BRO: "Ain't somethin' I'm doing consciously if that's offending you." He says, even going to far as to tip his baseball cap in Aradia's direction. "Now, I think I'd said I'd like a minute to talk to Dave?"

ROSE: Rose was silent for a moment, teeth grit under her calm expression before she nodded. Without another word, she half-turned to step over to one of Dave's pictures, arms folded as she looked up at it and tried to stifle her blazing frustration and resentment at the elder Strider's mannerisms, as well as her inability to stay close to Dave for it all.

VRISKA: She moved toward Rose, joining her in quiet resentment as she pretended to look at the picture and tried not to project violent imagery regarding Dave's brother over it. God, did she want to enact some violent imagery right now.

JADE: "Come on, Aradia. We can come back to them in a little bit." Jade takes Aradia's hand. She doesn't tug her, as she usually would when she wanted to show her something.

ARADIA: Aradia nods, but she does not move until Jade does.

JADE: Pulling Aradia aside, Jade walks up to one of Dave's other pictures, but she's looking at it blankly. "I don't like him," Jade says, under her breath, as she takes out her phone.

JADE: Aradia, Rose, Vriska> im more glad that we showed up than i was before

DAVE: "Yeah. I mean, I got into this gallery, so it's pretty much gotta be more than just decent, right?" There's a tone to Dave's voice, almost a plead for at least some approval, even if it's from Bro. maybe especially. Dave then goes into explaining to Bro how he'd chase after cape scenes like the ones pictured, in order to get as close as possible to take good picturse. He even mentions he's been injured a few times.

JADE: > this was supposed to be a happy night for dave and then that guy shows up :(

ARADIA: "I know what he's done. I. Don't have. A great track record. With people like him."

VRISKA: >I say we shank him.

JADE: > no

VRISKA: >GOOOOOOOOD.

ARADIA: > sec0nded

JADE: > we cannot shank him

ARADIA: > well we can.

ARADIA: > but its illegal. 0nn0

JADE: > thats true, but we shouldnt!!

VRISKA: >It's not illegal if we don't get caught.

JADE: > we are not shanking him

BRO: "Nice, kid." Is all he says to Dave's need for recognition, though they do share a high five (even if it's a bit forced from Dave's end). Following Dave's explanation, though, Bro actually laughs. "I'm impressed, lil bro! I can tell you ain't been training, didn't think you'd be able to keep up with a bunch of capes bein' lazy like that." He snorts, "Explains why you got hit by shit, though. Hard to dodge like that, huh? You should work harder on that."

JADE: > the most we can do is wait for him to go away, make sure dave is okay, then do something to help him forget about it later

JADE: > if we cause a scene, then he wins

JADE: > i think....this guy treats this all like a game

VRISKA: >I don't care if he wins.

VRISKA: >I care that he gets grievously injured.

JADE: > we are not putting him in a hospital >:(

JADE: > end of story

ROSE: Rose is glancing at her phone but not moving or responding, staring ahead directly into the painting and focusing intently on dissecting and picking apart everything out of the boys' mouths.

JADE: Jade squeezes Aradia's hand, the other occupied with her phone. "Dave will be okay."

DAVE: Dave opens his mouth, then clamps it shut, glancing around at the other patrons. They're not even paying attention, but with the way Bro said that so openly, for anyone to hear, Dave feels like they had to have heard, that they're judging him, and he tries to suck in his gut a bit more. "Yeah. Sorry. I haven't had time."

VRISKA: She grit her teeth even harder just listening to Bro, gripping her phone even tighter as she hammered out her message.

ROSE: Rose lowers her head a bit more, tensing.

VRISKA: >I am going to kill him. I'm fucking sorry but he needs to die.

ARADIA: "No. He probably won't."

VRISKA: >I have robot arms. It'd be so easy.

JADE: "Besides, I-" Jade stops, head turning just enough to side eye bro. Her grip tightens unintentionally around her phone, the sound of the material straining. "...We should be there for him in the fallout."

JADE: > no

JADE: > no one is attacking him!

JADE: > this is daves big night

JADE: > this is a bad setback, but were here to cheer him on, not make a scene

ROSE: She looks down at her phone, then turns to look at Vriska out of the corner of her eyes. She's not looking directly at her, but she hopes her opposition to the other girl's actions is clear.

BRO: "Well, you should make time, Dave. We made time while you were in school. I make time every day. You can make time, and you can work harder. You're just choosing not to." The hand is on Dave's shoulder again, like it's supposed to be reassuring. It's not. Bro looks down at him sternly. "I expect you to pick up the pace, lil man. You hearin' me?"

VRISKA: She felt Rose's eyes on her and she immediately sent her a message in response.

VRISKA: >@Rose As if you weren't thinking it you hypocrite.

JADE: "I bet he planned this." Jade says, turning back to the picture, before moving along with Aradia to a painting that is still withing sight of Dave.

DAVE: "Yeah... yeah, I know. You're right, Bro. Sorry." Dave says, making no argument otherwise. The hand on his shoulder makes him flinch slightly. "I'll work on it. I promise. I've just been distracted."

ROSE: Rose is surrounded by civilians, fully exposed, with her back to Dave and Bro. She glances down at her phone again, and as she hears Bro talk, there's the tiniest, most imperceptible give in her facade. It's a genuine miracle of willpower, the culmination of all of her learning, that she manages to control herself so well as to do it, but for one, brief moment there's a crack of black energy, just barely enough to make the girl next to her feel it without letting any other patrons catch on. It's not directed purely at Vriska, and she doesn't give the other girl the soul-tearing glare she wanted to.

ARADIA: "Yes. We should. I don't know how to deal with this. I just know how to withstand it." Aradia is staring at a picture of Rose, as Thorn. "I'm sorry he has to go through this."

VRISKA: Vriska winced, knowing exactly what the hell she just felt. She snorted and put her phone back into her purse, moving away to look at the other exhibits.

BRO: "I know, kiddo. Don't be sorry, that's not what I wanna hear. I wanna hear you're doing better." He says, taking the gloved hand from Dave's shoulder. "So do better. Anyways, kid, think some of your guests are tryna get your attention, so I'll leave you to it, little artist dude. Good luck." And with that, Bro finally leaves Dave alone, backing off and just glancing around the crowd, ready to shmooze in his weird fucking way.

JADE: > rose? vriska? you go to dave first

ROSE: The exact moment she heard Bro leaving, Rose turned to look at him. Her eyes were fixed on the older man, watching him and waiting for his retreat.

VRISKA: She didn't even wait for Bro to leave, she'd knock him over if she could. Still, with Bro leaving in the opposite direction, Vriska missed her chance to get some payback but quickly moved over to Dave's side. "Dave? Jesus, are you alright?"

DAVE: Dave just nods, breathing a sigh of relief when the hand is off him, and Bro is backing away. His presence is so fucking heavy, suffocating, and it's like he'd just burst out of water when he was drowning, able to finally breathe. And, hey- the h'ordeurves have arrived! Servers bearing platters of little fancy rich people snacks and tall, thin glasses of champagne weave effortlessly through the crowd, offering the contents of the trays to the patrons.

JADE: "Me, too." Jade puts her phone back into her clutch purse, frowning. She lifts the hand she'd been holding Aradia's with and lifts it to loop around Aradia's side. "Endure tonight for his sake, okay? I'll try to make it up to you. And up to him. Neither of your deserved something like this."

VRISKA: She gave Dave's hand a comforting squeeze, her eyes still on Bro's receding form even as the food arrived just then.

ROSE: "Dave. If you need me, I'll be just outside. I promise." Rose turned, walking past Jade and Aradia with downright fell intent and completely ignoring the offerings of fancy foods. Instead, she beelines straight for the nearest vending machine near the exits, purchases a soda, and walks out into the night.

DAVE: "I'm okay." He says quietly, flinching slightly at the touch to his hand. "I'm fine, it's not a big deal." His voice is low, resigned.

ARADIA: "It's okay."

JADE: "Oh no." Jade says, looking up at Rose leaving. "...Ugh, I hate people like this. They always put everyone in a bad mood. Why is it every time we try to do something fun, this happens?" Jade lifts a pleading hand into the air, as if asking the question to the universe, then places that hand palm first against her face. "We should see how Dave is doing."

Canis Majora's connection timed out. Please don't quit straight away; they could be back.

ARADIA: "You check on Dave. I'll check on Rose?"

JADE: "Deal. No murdering, got it?" Jade gives Aradia a kiss on the top of her head, letting her go and turning to walk toward Dave. She slips around the ground, taking an offered h'ordeurve (it's tasty, but not at all filling) and stops when she is close enough to talk to him. "I get this feeling that could have gone a loooot worse."

DAVE: "Yeah. Could've gone better, too." Dave says. A server passes by with a platter of h'ordeurves, and Dave looks at them like he clearly wants the whole thing, but he refuses. But when a glass of something bubbly and alcoholic is offered, he accepts that.

ARADIA: Aradia smiles at Jade, and then heads out of the building to try to find Rose.

ROSE: Rose is standing behind the building, completely alone, drinking her soda a bit too quickly.

ARADIA: Aradia walks up to her, arm at her sides. Her movements are stiff, even for a robot. "Hi."

JADE: "...Have you eaten today?" Jade says with a concerned frown.

ROSE: Rose doesn't respond. After a moment, she finishes draining her can of soda, lowering it to her side and letting its' remaining contents drip onto the ground. There's a long silence wherein she doesn't respond, but before Aradia can say anything there's a very audible, very short crunch, followed by the noise of twisting, grinding, burning aluminum as Rose abruptly blasts the can in her hand with her power, effortlessly crushing it in her hand as both ends blast into metal shrapnel and she feels it erode and disintegrate in her wrathful energy. A few seconds later, it subsides, and she lets the jagged, sharp hunk of destroyed metal clatter to the ground, a rivlet of blood dripping from her palm. "Hi."

DAVE: "I had brunch with the gallery operators?" Dave says, raising an eyebrow at Jade. A woman walks up to Dave, shakes his hand, and tells him she's very impressed with his work. Dave is definitely flattered, but his response is subdued, though he reacts much more smoothly at the whole dealing-with-people thing. But his hand holding the drink is trembling, even as the lady leaves.

ARADIA: She looks at the hand, and then back up at Rose, letting a moment pass before asking, "Are you bleeding?"

JADE: "...After the gallery is over for the night, you should come by my house. You and Vriska, both. We can do a cartoon marathon or something."

ROSE: "..." Rose lifted her hand, looking down at the very clear way she had managed to cut her hand open with the can. "Shit."

DAVE: "... Yeah, maybe. Sounds nice. We'll see." He says, carefully taking a sip of his drink. "Hopefully Bro won't wanna visit. Might be able to make an excuse that I wanna sleep at a reasonable time, if he does."

ARADIA: "Okay, so you see that, too." Aradia approaches Rose, getting close but not quite reaching her. "I would ask if you're okay, but I don't think any of us are."

ROSE: "I was hoping that would help more." She sighs, relaxing a bit and turning to half-face Aradia. "I should have done more."

ARADIA: "We shouldn't have made a scene. He's gone, now. It's okay for now."

ROSE: Rose nodded, and opened her non-bleeding arm for Aradia offeringly. "If it were up to me, he wouldn't have even gotten that far. But he's...Dave's father. Dave grew up idolizing him. Fuck."

BRO: Bro's not exactly gone. He's not even that far from Dave. He's just minding his own business, looking at the art and enjoying some bubbly and a snack. His mere presence in the immediate area more than enough of an effect.

JADE: "You'll think of something. If he's just here for the gallery, then it's okay, right? He'll be gone tomorrow and it'll be fine."

ARADIA: Aradia puts her arm around Rose's. "He blindsided us. We're a bit scattered, I think."

DAVE: "Yeah. Yeah, probably. It's fine. I'm fine." He takes a deep breath through his nose, and then another sip. "Everything's fine. I can do this."

ROSE: "I don't want to hurt Dave by hurting him. But Dave shouldn't have to deal with any of what he's offering." Rose slumps against Aradia a bit, raising her other hand before pausing and lowering it to not smear blood on the other girl.

JADE: "Yeah, you can." Jade takes a glass of champagne from a passing server, thanking them, then lifts it to Dave. "A toast to you being the best artist in this whole place."

ARADIA: "Yes. I understand. Remember when I saved my Mom's life? That is sort of the same feeling, I think."

DAVE: That makes Dave smile, finally, and he gladly lifts his glass to tap it against Jade's with a clink, before taking another drink. "Thanks for coming, Jade. I'm really glad you guys are here."

ROSE: "Mmhm." There's a silence before she shifts. "I shouldn't leave Dave alone. Even if Jade and Vriska are with him, I should be there too. And I should probably see if Jade has any medical supplies on hand for my glaring lack of foresight."

JADE: "You asked us to come and we're your friends. Why wouldn't we? Did Vriska go to the bathroom? I say her umm..." Jade points at the place on her own shoulders where the false skin sleeves end. "Slipping down and I figure she went to readjust them. I should have recommended a shawl to hide the seam."

ARADIA: "Do you want me to text her? She probably has a first aid kit in her car."

DAVE: "She looks good. Wish she didn't have to hide the arms- I think they're cool. But I guess they make her recognizeable as... you know." Dave shrugs, though he's feeling the lack of Vriska, it's nice that Jade's here at least.

ROSE: "I'll ask her myself. I don't think anybody will notice." She gently slid away from Aradia, moving into the light of the doorway and lifting it to hiss at the stinging cut. It's still bleeding. "Hopefully."

JADE: "Yeah! Yeah. I wish we didn't have to have a prepared excuse for Aradia. If anyone asks, shes's a cosplayer here to help promote the cape focus of your gallery. For professional, very dedicated, don't ask her to break character."

DAVE: "Got it. I'll keep it in mind." Dave smiles, putting one hand in his pocket. He seems to be loosening up again.

JADE: "I think a couple of people here recognize me, too. Especially after my commercial. Oh no! Do you want me to make myself scarce? People might wonder how you know me and I'm not sure if that'll be good or bad for your reputation." Jade tries the champagne, prepared for the bitter grossness she's come to expect of it, only to be pleasantly surprised by something sweet and fruity. "Huh. Tastes like apples."

DAVE: "No, it's fine!" Jade might be able to hear the unspoken 'please don't leave me'. "I don't even know what bad press could come of it. I don't care if they recognize you. Honestly, the idea that the heiress of SkaiaNet would come to look at my art and talk to the artist might look good." He smirks, and sips at his drink again. "It does, doesn't it? Maybe that's why I like it. I should get another after this."

ARADIA: "Do you need an action movie dress-tear bandage?" Aradia says with a hopeful bounce in her voice.

ROSE: That admittedly got an amused noise out of Rose. "I wouldn't want you to tear up your eveningwear just for my minor injuries, but you're welcome to give your medical assessment of the damage whilst we walk." She nodded towards the entrance, beckoning Aradia with an offered bloody hand.

ARADIA: Aradia walks towards the entrance, taking Rose's fingertips with her own and looking down at her palm.

ROSE: The cut isn't that bad, but it's bleeding openly, and the contrast between her blood and her pale skin is stark in the light. Rose leads them back towards Jade and Dave, giving them a little wave with her free hand and immediately focusing on the latter. "Sorry. Are you okay?"

DAVE: "Yeah, I'm fi- Rose!! Rose, what the hell, you're bleeding." Dave groans, worrymode activating. "Look, shit, they have a first aid kit in the back, want me to take you?"

ROSE: "Dave." She turns on him, eyes narrowing slightly. "You are not going to make yourself sick worrying about a mild cut after something like that."

DAVE: "What are you talking about? Rose, you're bleeding." He sighs in mild exasperation.

ROSE: "I've bled before, and I believe I've survived a startling 100% of such instances." She doesn't pull her hand from Aradia. "I came to ask where the bandages are regardless. But more importantly, I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you during that abrupt confrontation."

DAVE: "Really, Rose, it's fine. Not reacting to him is honestly the best road you can take here. Reactions are what he wants." Dave has reached out to Rose's hand, lifting it slightly, keeping it elevated above her heart. "There's a first aid kit in the back, where they do the framing. It's supposed to be for employees and stuff, though, so i could take you or I guess you could ask one of the waiter dudes."

ARADIA: "It's not deep, she'll be fine."

JADE: Jade had stepped away when she saw Rose and Aradia coming, excusing herself to use the restroom and satisfied the Dave wasn't going to be alone. She's on her way back with a smile. "Vriska might be a while. She's having trouble getting the arm stocking to stay in place an-Rose, why are you bleeding?"

ROSE: "I have a tendency to make poor life decisions."

JADE: "Ahh, hm." Jade nods as if that explains everything. "You two stay here. I'll be back with the first aid kit I keep in the trunk of the car."

ROSE: "Much appreciated."

JADE: "Rose? Please try not to shed any more blood. Yours or someone else's." She places a kiss on the top of Rose's head and turn to head to the car garage.

DAVE: Dave just sighs, thankful at least that Jade is helping. He's still holding Rose's arm in place, at least until he realizes it and retracts his hand. "Keep it above your heart and it'll bleed less."