Jellyfish Romance ~ Chapter 4
"Hey, Dave?" John looked up from his comic book, determined.
"Sup." Dave flipped the page. "This Harley chick is crazy, man. Damn."
"Haha, yeah, I know, right? Isn't she great? I love the Joker, too. They're just all such great characters." John chuckled. "B-but, um…I was wondering…"
"Spit it out."
"Dave, what does 'jellyfish' mean?" If anyone would know, John thought, it'd be Dave.
Dave stopped reading. He turned to John. "What the fuck."
John thumbed the page sheepishly. "Um…well…you know, 'jellyfish'?"
"Jegus, Egbert. How can you not know what a fucking jellyfish is. It's like a living, translucent plastic bag that lives in the fucking ocean with all sorts of nasty stinging tentacles and it just floats arou—"
"Dave! I know what a jellyfish is!"
"Then what the hell are you asking me."
"Rose said—um—that she'd only date a jellyfish."
"So she's into tentacles. That's way too fucking much information, bro. That's my sister you're talking about. I don't need to know things like that. Fuck." He turned back to the book.
"No! Ew, no, Dave, just no. I just—I mean, she means like a person. How can a person be a jellyfish?"
Dave leaned back against the bedpost, stretching his legs. "What is this about, anyway."
"O-oh. Well, I told her about Karkat's silly shipping chart, you know? Hehe."
"Oh. Okay. Whatever."
Suddenly, something occurred to John. Something terrifying. "Hey, Dave…?"
"Sup."
"Would it be okay if I, uh…you know…"
"What."
"If I…dated Rose?"
"Are you a jellyfish."
"So you do know what it means!" John snapped his comic shut. "Dave! Please, tell me! This has been driving me crazy!"
Dave waved his hand carelessly. "Chill, man. You just fucking told me she'd only date a jellyfish, didn't you." He paused, stiffening. "Or did I just hallucinate that. Did Rose slip me some weird drug in my lunch. Fuck. I knew she couldn't be trusted."
"Of course she didn't! She isn't like that!"
"I don't know. I wouldn't put much past her, the flighty broad."
"Dave! She's your sister!"
"Yeah," said Dave. "Yeah, she is. And no, I don't care, because that's obviously what you were trying—and failing, I should add—to get across."
"Y-yeah. Sorry, Dave, I just wasn't sure…"
"How I'd take it."
"Yeah."
"Why would I give a fuck." He allowed himself a small smirk. "Maybe I'd care that she was dating my lil bro instead." Then he shrugged. "Look, Egbert. This paradox thing doesn't change anything. Rose is still Rose. You're still you. Do whatever the hell you want."
"Yeah! Thanks, Dave."
"Besides," Dave said, reaching for the next comic. "You wouldn't have a problem if I dated your paradox sibling, right."
"Jade?" John blinked, surprised. "Uh, yeah. Sure. I mean no! I mean—"
"Yeah, yeah. I get it."
"I-I mean, we can't break up the shipping chart, right? It'd break poor Karkat's heart. Hehe."
Dave snorted. "Whatever you say, man."