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Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who: John Egbert (

ghostytrainer and Rose Lalonde (

tentacletrainer
Where: Other Father's House in Goldenrod
When: 9/16, immediately after this thread
Summary: Gamzee's sober reappearance in Johto has triggered some nasty memories for Rose. John's not exactly happy about that. Discussion time!
Rating: PGish for discussion of past violence against children by other children
Log:

give me a minute.

[And for once, it really is just that. Maybe even less, since John was just downstairs in the kitchen at the time. Gamzee wasn't the only one who was hungry, apparently. But now is not the time for sandwiches. And so his lays forgotten on the counter, only half-completed.]

[Poor sandwich.]

[Upon reaching the bedroom, John doesn't even bother knocking. Not only is Rose upset (or at least John is pretty sure she is) but this room is every bit as much his as it is hers. So too bad, no gentlemanly knock beforehand.]

[...hopefully Rose is decent.]

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[[She's decent enough. Just hanging out in some summer clothes on their bed, answering Karkat while she waits for John since she knows that 'give me a minute' meant 'I'm going to come bust down our door and we're going to talk and you're going to like it little lady.'

Which was honestly just fine with her. She was having lots conflicting feelings and she knew she owed John a better explanation of that entire incident. Might as well get it all out now, right?]]

Hey.

[[Setting the gear aside, she crosses her legs and buries her hands in her lap. Guile lifts her head from her nap to offer a friendly 'Eon'.]]

[No doors were harmed in the making of this log. John totally just turned the doorknob like a normal person. Though damn...it probably would have been more dramatic if he'd done that, wouldn't it? And infinitely more manly. Can he get a do-over?]

Hey.

[He crosses the room to sit down on the edge of the bed. He doesn't say anything just yet, instead opting to give Guile and the still-sleeping Casey next to her a few ear scratches. Cuties.]

[Okay but really, that's enough ignoring the Donophan in the room. Time to start talking abo--shit. He was in such a hurry, he left his notebook downstairs Oh well, he has his 'gear still. He can just pointlessly text her.]

you really didn't have to tell him. i still say the details weren't any of his business.

No John...they were. [[She sighs a little, leaning against the wall the bed is up against.]]

He's Gamzee's moirail. That's an important detail he needs to know about. He told me he hadn't realized what affected troll Gamzee back home could still affect him here. By giving him those details, he's better equipped to handle him now.

You wouldn't want him finding out about that through Gamzee attacking someone again, would you?

well no.
but i explained to him. granted, i probably could have told him a little more than what i did but...

[He just kind of reacted. He wanted to draw attention away from it as quickly as possible so that Rose wouldn't have to do exactly what she ended up doing anyway.]

[He just didn't want her to be upset and wow he kind of spectacularly failed at that, didn't he?]

i just wanted to protect you. that's all.

[[That brings a smile to her face.]]

Thank you. It's really good to know you care about me.

of course i do.
you're my fiancee and i love you.
and i don't like it when you're upset, especially if there's something i can do to prevent that.

You can't always prevent everything...it's okay.

[He puffs out his cheeks indignantly.]

i can try!

John... [[With a soft sigh, she scoots over to sit next to him, giving his hand a squeeze with her cold one.]] I'm sure you want to talk about more than my feelings and your valiance, right? Or was that really the only reason you came in here?

[It's a little harder to type with one hand, but since he doesn't want to let hers go now that he has it, he deals with it. He doesn't even care that it's cold, he's kind of gotten used to that.]

mostly i wanted to make sure you were ok.
but i also kind of want to know about that one thing you said.
about gamzee luring you to me with my gear.
if you want to talk about it, that is.

[[Won't it be weird when she actually has a human body temperature again?]]

Mmm...I'll be alright talking about it. What exactly did you want to know?

[No more weird than when John can actually talk without lisping or drooling again.]

what else didn't you tell me?

Well...probably just about everything. You and Dave were playing text marco polo, but you were struck with a rock to the back of the head before your game could be finished. Instead of a polo or marco in return, Dave received a response from Gamzee. He showed me the messages and we decided to go find you. When we did, you were on the ground and bleeding. When we checked on you, Gamzee approached.

[[She sighs. This is where it starts getting hard to talk about it. If it were anyone else, that first part would be too. But John already knew about his concussion at the very least so...]]

kinda remember the marco polo thing now that you mention it.
but i had always assumed that you guys just kinda...found me. like you got lost and went in a circle or something.
and then gamzee attacked dave, right?
that's what happened next?

He attacked both of us, actually. The only reason Dave was in that condition was because he protected me. Made me run and hide. Just in case...you would both need someone. I mean, if all three of us were unconscious, you wouldn't have received the medical attention you needed. When I was sure Gamzee'd left, I came back and found Dave in poor shape and knocked out as well... [[Hand squeeze.]]

While I tended you both and tried to figure out how to get you out of the cave, Gamzee had moved on. I'm not sure exactly what happened or when, but Eridan had a run in with Gamzee and was nearly killed. Soul helped him. And at one point he faced off with Karkat... I guess he was the one who helped calm Gamzee back down.

[John doesn't say anything to that. Instead, he puts his gear down and lets go of Rose's hand so that he can pull her into a hug.]

'm thorry...

[[She's okay with that hug. She's pretty calm, but hugs aren't bad.]]

It's okay, John. It isn't your fault.

[He sighs. Yeah, it kind of is. But he's not going to get into that conversation with her again. It's not ALL his fault, he knows that much. There were a lot of factors at play but...there's no denying that his stupid mistakes didn't exactly help.]

[Good things she's okay with that hug though. Because it's not stopping for a while.]

[[Hey, if he wants to hug her for a few hours that's fine with her. But unfortunately it does need to end eventually.

And no, it wasn't your fault. It was hers. And somewhat Karkat's but hers. The entire traveling idea was her idea and if they'd traveled in a group instead, there would have been no separation and Karkat would have been there to keep an eye on Gamzee and--

It's her fault okay?]]

[After a few minutes, John bumps the lower half of his face against her cheek. By now, she should know that this is his best attempt at giving her a kiss. The fangs are a little too thick and too big to allow him to pucker properly...]

[And no, it's definitely not your fault Rose dammit stop beating yourself up over it. It's not any one single person's fault.]

'urve 'oo.

[[It is. And it's hers. End of discussion.

She chuckles and kisses his cheek in return.]]

I love you too. Thanks.

[So help him, Rose, he will slap some sense into you if he has to. It's just as much his fault as it is yours. And Soul's. And Gamzee's. And probably some other people too.]

'as...thar anaything elthe? That 'oo--

[He sighs, frustrated, breaking the hug and picking his gear back up. Dammit he had more to say that he thought he did. And he hates trying to talk like this.]

was there anything else that you wanted to talk about?
like...you told me but happened but you didn't really tell me how you feel about it or anything.

Mmm... [[She shrugs a little, trying to decide if she really wants to get into it.]] If we were to talk about how I feel about it, it would boil down to 'like shit' honestly.

well that settles it then.
miss lalonde, i am going to have to ask you to lay down on the bed here and pretend that it is a couch so that i may psychotherapize you.
because you very obviously need to talk about it and i am a trained professional with only the most legit psychobabblery cred.

[[She raises a brow at that, but does as asked. John, hope you don't mind your lap being used as a pillow.]]

Alright, Doctor Egbert. Proceed.

[Oh no, not at all. actually he was going to suggest that.]

please elaborate on "like shit," because frankly that is just way too vague and doesn't really tell me much.
you have to open up a little to let the healing begin, miss lalonde.
i can't help you not feel like shit without a little help from you.

[[John if you want to get anything out of her, you need to not make her laugh.]]

Well, Doctor, it was a traumatizing experience! Surely you would feel like shit if you were traumatized.

[But laughter is the best medicine, didn't you know? ]

well duh.
of course i would. anyone would.
hence why you have to be more specific.
we have to move through the shit, miss lalonde.
it's unpleasant and it stinks, but it simply must be done!

Mmm... [[Sighing, she nods.]] Well, it was no fun finding you on the ground like that...and it was no fun having Dave tell me to run either.

[His previous smile turns upside down at that. He can only imagine...no. He doesn't really even have to imagine. He was with her when she lost her soul to the shedinja, after all. While it's not exactly the same circumstance, it's pretty damn close.]

[But he didn't really expect this to be a pleasant conversation. Or for Rose's feelings to be anything other than painful but...she's been keeping this locked up for too long.]

go on...

I was...honestly scared. Fighting Gamzee wasn't working even with both of us there. I didn't want to run or leave Dave behind, but fuck it all he was right and so I did.

[John sets his pokegear down on the bed next to his leg. It's weird to see Rose like this. Vulnerable, and talking about something that actually scared her. Byno means does John think she's invincible. Or that she isn't scared of anything. But it's just...strange to see, all the same.]

[Instead of typing or saying anything, he just rests his hand on her head so that he can brush his hand through her hair. He's hoping this will coax her into continuing to talk without him having to type out another "go on..."]

[That and that she'll at least find it somewhat comforting.]

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