Chapter Text
There's something to be said, about the first time you meet your soulmate. Did you expect a romance off the bat? Or did you hate them, and slowly grow to like them? For most people, meeting your soulmate is a simple affair, hitting it off not long after meeting and after a long time of dating, getting married.
But for some, it isn’t as simple as a meeting. For some, it’s much different. Everyone’s soulmate connection is different. Some don’t show until after they meet their soulmate, some are always there, from the moment of birth.
A name written on the arm, a coloured string of fate, or their partner's pain, shown through scars on skin.
But for some people, their connections are different, and far more complex than a simple tattoo. And this would be the case for three young men.
===> Dave: Wake up.
You yawn and stretch, eyes still closed from sleep. You pull your arms over your head and push the air. You open your eyes slowly, blinking the blurry sleep from your sight.
…
You blink again, faster and faster, your vision is still unfocused. And as your tired brain begins to focus you notice something.
This isn’t your room.
Your breathing picks up as you sit up and immediately notice something is very wrong. You look at your arm and see blurred brown. You begin to breathe faster, as you feel around and realize, yep, this isn’t your body.
===> Dave: Flip the fuck out.
You didn’t scream, it wouldn’t be very Striderly if you did. But you did begin to panic as it dawned on you that you’re in a strange place, in a body that isn’t yours.
You mutter curses under your breath, your voice too high-pitched to be your own. What are you going to do? This isn’t your apartment. What are you gonna do, call the police? You’re the one in this person’s house.
Dave ran a hand through curly hair, yet another sign that you were a stranger to this body.
You remember that you can’t see jack shit. Glasses, you think, this person probably has glasses.
Your hand waved around wildly before feeling cold metal and glass. You shove the glasses onto your face. The weight of the glasses was familiar, even if everything else was not, and you begin to relax as you properly analyze your surroundings.
God damn, this guy has a lot of posters. And a lot of bad taste it looks like. You look at the titles of the posters, which primarily featured Nick Cage. Seriously? Nick Cage?
You quickly get your mind back on track. Right, new body, new location. Other than the shitty movie posters the room looks pretty normal, a computer, a giant chest, nothing really too out of the ordinary.
You determine that it is pretty unlikely you were kidnapped by a scientist who put you in someone else's body. Anyone who can do that can probably determine that those movies are shit.
Knock knock.
You jump at the knock. Shit, you couldn’t have been lucky enough to magically Freaky Friday your way into the body of someone who lives alone?
“Joooohn,” A feminine voice called. So that was the name of the guy you were possessing. John huh? “Breakfast is ready.” They continued.
You remain silent and contemplate crawling out of the nearest window.
“John?” The voice repeated, “You better not still be asleep buster! Don’t make me come in there!”
Fuck, shit, fuck, what the hell are you going to do? When that chick finds out that her brother? Son? No, the voice sounds too young for that- is being possessed by some random guy shes going to be pissed.
You glance out of the window, grimacing as you notice that you’re on the second story. Hide in the closet maybe? Nope, no closet, shit.
You hear the creak of the doorknob before you see the door open and stare at the woman in the doorway. Her hair was short and curly black, skin the same colour as the guy whose body you ended up in.
“John! Were you really just pranking me? That was really cheap you know! I thought dad taught you better than that!” The girl admonished, looking at you.
Her gaze became scrutinous as her eyes narrowed. She took in your tense form and carefully expressionless face.
“Wait a minute,” She started, straightening up, pursing her lips into a narrow line, “who are you and what have you done with my brother.”
Damn, that was quick, you thought. You held your hands up placatingly and tried to look as non-threatening as possible while the woman's face became more and more dangerous.
===> Dave: Attempt to placate the enraged woman
“Yo chill lady, I don’t know what's happening either,” Wow, that could have gone a lot better way to fucking go Dave.
She raised an eyebrow, “Explain.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, I went to bed and next thing I know I’m not in my room, my visions blurry as fuck, and I’m sure as hell not in my body. If I knew why I was in a shitty parody of Freaky Friday I’d be back in my body before I even woke up.” You ramble, keeping a nervous eye on the woman whose features softened, lips turned into a frown.
She went silent, staring at you before sighing, “Well you’re not lying. Sorry for spooking you”
“It’s fine, It’s not every day I get yelled at by some hot chick who thinks I killed her bro”
The woman grimaced. “ Please don’t call me that when you’re in my brother's body. My name’s Jane.” Jane said, finally revealing her name.
“Dave Strider,” You reply, voice chill.
“So, Dave, you don’t know why you’re in John’s body?”
“Nope,” you pop the p, “like I said, went to bed, woke up like this.”
“Mhm,” Jane hummed, “Well it looks like we have a solid mystery on our hands.”
You stay in silence for a few seconds. Jane crossed her arms, looking at you expectantly.
“Well?” She finally asked.
“Well what?”
“Are you going to get up or are you going to stay in my brother's bed all day?”
You give her a look, “I dunno if you noticed but I don’t exactly have any clothes on and I’m not really interested in seeing your bro’s dick.”
“John doesn’t sleep naked!”
“How do you know that?”
Jane groaned and walked to the dresser grabbing a shirt and pair of pants before tossing them at your face.
“Just get dressed!”
“Ok but don’t just stand there a man’s gotta have some privacy”
Jane shook her head and left the room and you put on the plain t-shirt and black pants before hearing her knock again.
“You done yet?”
You answer by opening the door, fully dressed and ready to leave. She looks at you as if to make sure you didn’t do anything weird in the short time she wasn’t watching you.
Seemingly satisfied she points at your face, “Stay there, I need to explain to Dad that some weirdo is in John's body.” Jane then walked down the stairs and entered a room that you couldn’t see but you assume it was the kitchen based on the tiles and the smell of pancakes wafting up the stairs.
===> Dave: Wait.
You look around at the house you found yourself in, the walls are covered in portraits of clowns and comedians. Downstairs there is a fireplace atop which stood an urn watched over by the out-of-place portrait of an old woman who strongly resembled Jane. You assume that she is the one in the urn.
It seems like a normal home, aside from the harlequins decorating the walls. It looks like it is well lived in and cared for. Which was more than you could say for your apartment.
Briefly, you wonder if John ended up in your body, you weren’t sure how you felt about that. You’d probably be more worried about the guy if it happened two years ago but since it’s not you aren’t particularly concerned, not any more than most people would be if they swapped bodies with a complete stranger.
You hear footsteps climbing up the stairs and you look down to see Jane walking up. She grabs your arm and you flinch slightly before realizing she is dragging you downstairs and you decide to go along with it. You try not to fall while she’s dragging you down but she’s surprisingly fast and strong.
She drags you into what you had correctly identified as the kitchen stopping in front of a tall well-dressed man.
You stiffen at the sight of the older male but the kind look in his eyes makes your muscles relax somewhat.
“Hello, your name is Dave, right?” He asks, the gentle smile on his face a sharp contrast to Jane’s cold look, “My name is Jason Egbert, but you can just call me Dad”
“Sup,” you reply cooly.
“I must admit I wasn’t expecting this to be the way I meet my son’s soulmate but it’s nice to meet you anyways.” Your breath hitches in your throat. Soulmate? What the fuck is he talking about.
“Dad what?” Jane asks, voicing your thoughts, “what do you mean by him being John’s soulmate?”
He chuckles, “I can’t blame you for not knowing, it is rather rare after all. But some people, swap bodies with their soulmate. This is completely normal.” No. Fuck no. You can’t be soulmates with some random guy. You don’t even fucking know him.
You begin to hyperventilate. You can’t be soulmates you can’t. Fuck what would bro think if he knew? A small part of you remembers Bro’s in jail now but you ignore it. Fuck fuck fuck.
“Dave?” John’s dad calls out to you but you’re too panicked to hear.
===> Dave: Get out of there!
You attempt to flashstep but John’s body won’t let you instead you run on clumsy legs to the nearest room closing the door and locking it behind you. You take off John’s glasses and cover your mouth to block the noise of your panicked breaths.
Why the fuck did it have to be a guy? Fuck.
Your breaths begin to turn into sobs and you belatedly realize you were crying. You try to wipe the tears from your- no John’s eyes but they keep coming. Fuck, you can’t be crying like this. You aren’t being Striderly at all right now. It takes a second for you to register that no one who sees you would consider you to be a Strider.
You remember what Dirk taught you and start taking deep breaths as you begin to calm down. Ok Dave you’re soulmates with John. You have no idea what he’s like or who he even is but you’re soulmates with him. Great.
What now?
John’s Dad clearly knows a bit about what's happening with you and might even know how to fix things. However, you’re not interested in seeing him after that acrobatic pirouette off the fucking handle in front of him. Not until you’ve chilled out a little more.
You look around the room after putting on John’s glasses. There isn’t anything interesting in there. Just a piano a safe and a desk with some random things on it next to a coat rack. Some kind of office or something? Or like a study? Fuck if you know.
You hear a knock again and get deja vu from this morning, wait it’s still technically the morning. Fuck has it even been an hour? Damn, talk about an eventful day.
You turn your attention back to the door, the knock is softer than Jane’s loud knock. So John’s Dad perhaps?
You sigh and unlock the door, which immediately opens and you see John’s dad smiling at you with concern in his eyes. You internally frown at the emotion, you don’t exactly like being pitied. But your exterior remains as cool as ever despite the obvious tears.
“Sorry about that.” You mutter dumbly, not meeting his eyes. You wish you had your shades right now.
“No, no, I’m sorry, I understand how shocking that must have been to you.” He replied, looking at you carefully.
“‘S cool…” You lie shrugging with your arms crossed. When you look at him he looks into your eyes and puts and hand on your shoulder, immediately your muscles tense. He seems to stare into your soul and you once again wish you had your sunglasses.
His hand falls back to his side.
“I’m sure you’re wondering how to get back into your own body.” You nod, and he continues, “Well from what I’ve heard you have to touch your soulmate in your own body and you will return to your bodies.”
So all you have to do is meet up with this John guy? Shouldn’t be too hard then. But then something hits you.
“... This is Texas right?” Johns Dad looks surprised and then shakes his head.
Well, shit.
===> Dave: Be John in your body this morning.