I don't own Homestuck

When I Don't Remember You

Chapter 4

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So… going through boxes and boxes of shit from your closet, looking for two apple juice-stained envelopes labeled "Sburb", isn't nearly as fun as I would have thoughts. Especially when all Jade does is lift up and dump out boxes with her magic spacey powers. When asked why, she replied "Paradoxes". And that was her answer to everything.

After a while, I begin putting things in piles; I don't need this, I need this, and I don't want this but I need it for irony's sake. After I finish a box, Jade puts the stuff I don't want into another box until two boxes are full. Then, I carry the two boxes downstairs.

"What're you doing?" Mom asks from the couch the first time I make the descent from my bedroom to the garage with the boxes.

"cleaning my room. you always complain about it so im doing it." Mom turned around and gave me a completely shocked look. I shrugged and put the boxes in the garage. "oh," I say, "can you make me an appointment with dr marian? tonight if you can." Mom nods and I go back upstairs. I hear her on the phone a second later.

When I get back to my room from the final descent to the garage of the day, around 6 P.M., Jade is hovering above my bed, using her magic powers to eat chips. I flop down on my bed next to her, telling her she can sit if she wants.

"no," she replies, "I like sitting like this. you will too once youre God Tier!"

"DAVE!" Mom calls from downstairs. "YOUR APPOINTMENT'S AT SEVEN. BE READY AT SIX FORTY FIVE OR WE'RE NOT GOIGN!" Several seconds later, "*GOING!"

"ive been meaning to ask about that actually," I say, taking some chips and putting a couple into my mouth, once my mother's voice has died down below the noise of the TV.

"ask about what?" Jade replies.

"god tier. you talk so highly of it. what the fuck is it?" Jade's face lights up, like she's been waiting for me to ask this question since she got here, and even before that.

"well," Jade begins, "god tier is what happens when you fall asleep of a special quest bed. mine looks like this." From a pocket in her skirt, or at least what I assume to be a pocket, she pulls out something that appears to be a miniature planet model.

"The Land of Frost and Frogs—LOFAF, for short— was my planet during the Game," Jade explains, "my quest bed looks like this." I looked at Jade's face, only to find that her entire body had been turned into a green, static-y mess. I could now see a frost-covered planet where Jade's body was supposed to be. The planet zoomed forward, stopping so I could see a girl with long black hair and the same glasses as Jade, lying, dead on a slab of stone. Underneath the corpse was the same symbol that was on her dress now.

"is that you?" I ask, knowing the answer already.

"yup." Jade replies, "but dont be such a debby-downer about it. im happy this happened! being a god tier is so much better than being alive. its like… being free from everything you could imagine. its great!" Jade says, her smile ever brightening. "and youll be like that too once you come back! youll be returned to your planet and youll go straight to your quest bed!"

"alright," I reply, casting a quick glance at my alarm clock; 6:30, "so youre gonna put me in this game and then kill me? cuz thats the vibe im getting and i dont think i like it."

"well you cant become the knight of time any other way, dave!" Jade replies, using her space powers to pick up all the trash in my room and put it into a garbage bag I got from downstairs.

Twenty-five minutes later, I'm sitting in the same chair I sat in the night before. Dr. Marian's outfit had changed to a green dress with a pink belt, tied like a bow in the front.

"So Dave," she says, pushing a piece of her hair out of the way. It's been dyed red, "This Is The First Time I've Had A Client Come Back Within Twenty-Four Hours. Could You Explain To Me What's Wrong?"

"i started being followed." I tell her, not willing to lie to her. She seemed like a pretty chill girl.

"Followed?" She asks. "By Whom?"

"jade." I reply.

"Jade?" Dr. Marian asks. "You've Named The Apparition That Follows You?"

"no. thats the name she told me."

"She Speaks To You?"

"yeah. she knows all about me. says my names dave strider and that your names kanaya and that we need to start playing some sort of game."

"That's Very Interesting. Have You Tried Telling Jade," she says Jade's name apprehensively, "That Your Name Is In Fact Dave Stanley?"

"yeah i tried. she doesnt listen to anything."

"So This Girl Who Is Following You Around, Does She Try To Tell You To Do Anything?"

"no. why would she? she seems like a pretty sweet and innocent girl. she's got these harry potter-looking glasses, and this hoodie, and dog ears, and—"

"So You Can See This Girl, Jade?" I nod, sitting up, and propping myself up against the wall in order to make room for Jade, who sits next to me.

"Is She Here Now?" Dr. Marian asks. "In This Room?"

"of course— she follows me everywhere."

"I See. Now, I'd Like To Try… Some… What Is That?" She asks, pointing next to me, where I now see Jade and another girl. This girl has blonde hair, and is wearing similar pajamas to Jade, except they're orange and the symbol on her chest looks kinda like a sun.

"Hello, Kanaya." The girl says, raising a hand. "Hello, Dave." I give her a completely blank stare. She looks so similar to mom; is this Rose? My sister? "My name is Rose," she says, confirming my suspicion.

"hi rose." I say, just making sure she's there.

"Rose…" Dr. Marian says, "You Look So Familiar, Rose."

"Well I'm your girlfriend, Kanaya." Dr. Marian gives my sister a completely terrified look.

"Is something wrong?" Rose asks. "I quit drinking so I could come here to bring you back to us. You need to find your copy."

"Dave…" Dr. Marian whispers. "Can You See Them Too?"

"of course i can," I reply, "thats jade, my friend, and rose, my sister."

"Ah. So They Aren't A Hallucination, Are They?"

"nope." Dr. Marian, you know what, I'm just gonna call her Kanaya, stands up slowly and reaches out, putting her hand on Rose's shoulder.

"It Is Real…" She whispers.

"We are." Rose replies, "Now, please, we have to find your copy of the game. Let's go."

"But I'm In The Middle Of A Session!"

"i dont give a shit." I say, pulling out my phone. "ill call mom right now and tell her to come get me."

"Yes, Please Do So. I'd Like You To Meet Me Back Here In Two Days, Please." I nod, standing up.

"aight. lets go jadey." I say, gripping the door hand, turning it, then walking outside.

"hey dave?" Jade asks in the car. "do you WANT to find your copy of the game? because I feel like you dont."

"i guess i do but at the same time i dont."

"why not?"

"well because. youre telling me id have to die to get back into this game and that doesnt really sound like such a fun time."

"but it gets so much better once youre god tier! life is easier, you never die again, its great!"

"youve said it all before jadey. but i just dont think id be into it." Jade frowns, a tears dropping from her eyes. I climb into my car and she sits on the seat next to me.

"right… i guess i understand that. you have the right to not want to. but there is going to be a nuclear war in about 13 months. youll be dead fairly soon. you wont end up with terezi, either. your parents will have disowned you, so youll be living in an apartment a few minutes from where you go to school. terezi will end up with a guy who does a lot of heroine, and shell become a druggie, too. what im saying here dave is that itll be best to just find your copy and move on. terezi and kanaya are getting really close, and equius and nepeta are already gone."

I pause, leaning back in my seat. I pull the car over and park in the gas station lot. I look at Jade. A slow sigh escapes my lips.

"alright. ill find my copy. ill come back. for you."

"really?" Jade asks, smiling brightly.

"yeah." I say, leaning over and kissing her lips.

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