Chapter 7: John & Vriska: Seek advice

You crash back into reality with a gasp, then immediately cough and splutter as you almost inhale a mouthful of sopor slime. Thankfully, you don't seem to have swallowed any of it, you cough and spit a few more times, just to make sure. John stirs, his eyes flicker open.

"Are you okay Vriksa?" he asks, concern colouring his tone.

"Yeah, I had a bad dream, thought i might have swallowed some slime"

You clamber out of your cocoon, The slime dripping off your skin, splashing onto the floor.

"I still don't understand how you find sleeping in that stuff comfortable"

"I swear dealing with this stuff every morning induces homicidal rage anyway" you joke

You both perform your morning ablutions, discussing little of note.

As you're getting dressed, you catch a glimpse of John's god-hood out of the corner of your eye, and suddenly you flash back to the end of your dream

"No! It's not what it looks like!" beta John shouts.

A humanoid figure stands silhouetted in the doorway, the Icy wind whistles past it, biting at your exposed skin. The figure moves further into the room, and raises its arm. Just as the snowball leaves it's hand, the light in the doorway dims and for the fraction of a second the icy projectile takes to fly through the air, you glimpse a blue robe, and a white symbol.

"It was you..." you breath

"Vriska, I..." he begins

"I can explain John, It wasn't anything like that, he was..."

"I'm sorry, Vriska"

His words leave you speechless for a moment, "Wait...you're sorry?"

"Yes, I'm sorry Vriska, I overreacted, I should have trusted you, I know you wouldn't do anything like that to me"

You find yourself smiling, and feel a warm sensation in your chest. "Awwww... Thanks John" You pull him into a close embrace.

"So, no hard feelings?" he whispers in your ear.

"No hard feelings" you return the whisper.

John's lips lightly brush against yours, you bury your hand in his short black hair, and hold him against you for a long moment. John reluctantly pulls away from you.

"I could stay here and kiss you all day" he says "but unfortunately I need to go talk to Rose about something"

"Anything I should worry about?" you ask

"No, i'm fine, you should come talk to the others, You've spent all your time with me so far, you need to talk to the others again"


You find Rose and Dave in one of the small side-rooms lined with bookcases, sipping coffee from that strange, old coffee machine that nobody remembers alchemising.

As you enter the room Dave remarks "Your Bucket-friend leave you did she? Decided to come back to your own species?"

"It's not like I'm the only one" you counter "We've all seen how you look at Terezi"

He's silent for a moment. "Ouch...Low blow man"

Rose interjects, "Aside from verbal sparring with our friend here, are you here for a reason?"

"Yes, actually... I had a dream..." you reply

"This should be good" Dave remarks "I've been itching for her to bust out her freudian bulshit again"

"Shut up, you" she hisses, Gesturing to a couch, she addresses you "Care to take a seat and tell me about it?"

"Could you be any more clichéd if you tried, Sis?" asks Dave.

Rose shuts him up by kicking him in the shin under the table.

Haltingly at first, but with increasing confidence, you recite the story of your dream last night, from the visit by future Aradia, to the devastating failure of the final battle. As you recount the tragic deaths of your friends, a solitary, silent tear slides down your cheek.

"Interesting..." Rose remarks "Me and Dave were just discussing the possibility of using the alternate timelines in the battle with the Condesce"

"But what do we do about it?" you ask

"I'm not the expert on weird time shit here, but without knowing the context leading up to these events, our actions to avert them, may inadvertently end up causing them to happen" she says "Any more to add Dave?"

"I didn't get through the stable time loop clusterfuck back in the medium by spending time agonising over predestination, I just trusted myself to make the right decisions when I had to make them" he answers

"It's for the best we don't tell anybody about this either" Rose adds

"I don't like keeping secrets Rose" you reply "Especially from Vriska"

"Anybody we tell about this may accidentally change the future and catapult us into an offshoot timeline, Do you want to see her killed in front of your eyes?"

You don't respond.

"Then for her own good, you'll keep it a secret"

You sigh deeply, "I just feel so hopeless, Seeing everyone die like that, and to know that there's nothing to do but wait and see if it comes true"

Rose's face softens, she moves over to place a comforting hand on your shoulder "I know it's hard John, but believe me when I say it really is for the best"

You look into her eyes for a long moment "Only a few days ago we were just kids, what happened to us Rose?"

"Sburb happened" she replies

"But why did the game choose us? I keep thinking, what was ever so special about me all this time?

"I theorised before that the Game specifically chooses it's players who are on the cusp of sexual maturity, but more accurately I think it chooses players who are on the edge of childhood, still with the naievity and wonder to accept the mythos of the game, but mature enough to rise to the challenge of the game"

"I miss when we used to just talk about Video Games" jokes Dave

All three of you chuckle at this.


Your name is Vriska Serket, you look around your hive at the piles of human movies and discarded RPG manuals, you quickly realise that none of this stuff interests you anymore, sighing you decide to take John's advice and head downstairs and hang out with the rest of the group.

As soon as you transportalize into the main room, you realise this was a bad idea. As soon as you enter the room, your eyes lock with Terezi's across the room, and instantly the confusing whirlwind of emotions from the previous night return. You take a deep breath, unclench your fists and force yourself to walk calmly across the room to an unattended computer console.

Inspired by your ancestor, you decide to try and write your own journal to record your story, but you get stuck after a few pages and abandon it. You spend most of the day lost in thought, Idly watching everyone else go about daily life on the asteroid. A few times people attempt to talk to you, but you ignore them and after a while everybody leaves you alone. You find yourself spending the majority of your time watching Terezi, black emotions rumbling in the back of your mind like a distant thunderhead. On examination of your situation, you quickly realise that Terezi is the only person that you hate enough for it to be anything more than platonic hate. You decide to try and fill your caliginous quadrant with Terezi. Your black emotions quickly turn to frustration as you realise Terezi isn't aware of how black your emotions run, and you mentally go through about a hundred different plans to reveal your feelings to her. Without really noticing the intervening time, you suddenly find that Everybody else has gone to their hives, leaving you alone in the darkened computer room, lit only by the light from your computer screen. You sigh in frustration, several hours have passed and you're still no closer to sorting out your quadrants. Looking at your computer screen, you see that only one other person is online, you hoped it wouldn't have to come to this, but with any luck with his help you might get into your cocoon sometime before morning.

arachnidsGrip [AG] began trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG]

AG: Hey, Karkat?

AG: Hello?

AG: Kaaaaaaaarkaaaaaaaat?

CG: OH VRISKA, IT'S YOU.

AG: And good evening to you too, Mr Vantas

CG: SHOULDN'T YOU BE DOING UNSPEAKABLE THINGS WITH YOUR MATESPRIT RIGHT NOW?

CG: SORRY,

CG: "m8sprit"

AG: oh gog... I knew this was a terri8le idea...

AG: I wanted to ask for your advice

AG: you know, with... quadrant stuff

CG: HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN, THE ALL-POWERFUL BLUE-BLOOD BITCH ASKING A DISGUSTING MUTANT BLOOD FOR RELATIONSHIP ADVICE, IT MAKES ME SICK JUST THINKING ABOUT IT

AG: Are you going to be helpful or not?

CG: FINE, QUADRANT?

AG: What?

CG: WHICH QUADRANT IS YOUR PROBLEM WITH?

AG: Errrrrrrr... caliginous, I guess...

CG: AND WHO'S INVOLVED?

AG: ...

CG: COME ON, SPIT IT OUT, THE SOONER YOU TELL ME, THE SOONER WE CAN BOTH BE DONE WITH THIS TORTURE

AG: This is kinda awkward actually...she's...

CG: "SHE'S", WE'RE FINALLY GETTING SOMEWHERE HERE

CG: THAT GIVES US THE CHOICE OF KANAYA, TEREZI OR ROSE

CG: KANAYA AND ROSE ARE TOO BUSY HUGGING, GIGGLING AND BEING GENERALLY FUCKING INTOLERABLE TOGETHER TO CULTIVATE A BLACK FEUD WITH ANYBODY

CG: WHICH LEAVES US WITH TEREZI

CG: MY FUCKING MASTERFUL DEDUCTION SKILLS TELL ME THAT AFTER TEREZI STABBED YOU THROUGH THE HEART - THE BEST THING SHE'S EVER DONE IN MY OPINION - YOU DEVELOPED A MASSIVE BLACK CRUSH ON HER THE SIZE OF MY FUCKING BONE BULGE

AG: I h8 you sometimes Karkat

AG: No, not in THAT way

AG: There's a reason you want this girl in all the quadrants, aaaaaaaall of them, no8ody else can stand you long enough to fill a 8ucket!

CG: ARE YOU SURE SHE'S YOUR KISMESIS? BECAUSE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A PRETTY STRONG BLACK SOLICITATION TO ME

AG: Go to hell Karkat, are you going to help me or not?

CG: FINE

CG: ONE MOMENT

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling arachnidsGrip [AG]

AG: Karkat?

AG: Where did you go?

AG: What are you doing?

CURRENT carcinoGeneticist [CCG] RIGHT NOW opened memo on board FRUITY RUMPUS ASSHOLE FACTORY, BORING ROAD TRIP THROUGH THE FUCKING AFTERLIFE EDITION.

CCG: OKAY THEN, TEREZI I NEED YOU TO RESPOND TO THIS MEMO

CURRENT gallowsCalibrator [CGC] RIGHT NOW responded to memo

CGC: 1TS TH3 M1DDL3 OF TH3 N1GHT K4RK4T W1LL YOU T3LL M3 WH4TS GO1NG ON NOW?

CCG: WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE

CURRENT arachnidsGrip [CAG] RIGHT NOW responded to memo

CAG: What the hell are you doing Karkat?

CGC: VR1SK4? WH4T TH3 H3LLS GO1NG ON H3R3?

CCG: VRISKA HAS SOMETHING TO TELL YOU

CGC: T3LL M3 WH4T?

CAG: You 8astard Karkat!

CCG: WHAT'S THE MATTER? YOU WANTED TO TELL HER DIDN'T YOU?

CAG: Yeah... 8ut not like this!

CGC: W1LL SOM3ON3 PL34S3 T3LL M3 WH4T TH3 H3LL 1S GO1NG ON H3R3?

CCG: OUR BLUE-BLOOD FRIEND HERE WANTED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING, BUT NOW SHE'S TOO EMBARRASSED, LET ME SEND YOU THE CHAT LOG

CURRENT carcinoGeneticist [CCG] RIGHT NOW sent file

CAG: !

CGC: WOW VR1SK4... 1 D1DNT KNOW YOU F3LT TH4T W4Y 4BOUT M3

You can almost hear the ghost of a certain shipper troll squealing "I told you so!". You silently curse Karkat, and remind yourself that once this sBurb/sGrub business to stab him through the chest... repeatedly

CAG: Yes, I h8 you Pyrope. You're the only person I can't control, and the only person to ever, EVER 8eat me at a game.

CAG: I had all the levels, AAAAAAAALL OF THEM, and I was 8eaten by a stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid trick!

CAG: Do you have any idea how much being stabbed through the chest hurts?

CGC: 1 H4D NO CHO1C3! YOU K1LL3D T4VROS 4ND W3R3 4BOUT TO R3V34L US TO J4CK NO1R!

CAG: I was trying to protect you! I could have 8eaten Jack! You killed your most powerful player, How could you hope to defeat Jack without me? I would 8e worth ten of that pathetic 8oy Skylark in the final 8attle

CGC: 1 H4T3 HOW YOUR3 4LW4YS SO S3LF-C3NT3R3D 4ND 1 H4T3 HOW YOU N3V3R C4R3 4BOUT 4NYBODY 3LS3

CGC: 1 H4T3 YOU VR1SK4!

CAG: I didn't know you felt that way about me, Pyrope ::::P

CGC: 1... DONT KNOW WH3N 1 TH1NK 4BOUT YOU 1 JUST F33L SO 4NGRY 4ND CONFUS3D...

CGC: ...4ND 1 GU3SS 1V3 4LW4YS THOUGHT YOU W3R3 K1ND4 HOT :P

CAG: Coming from anyone else, That would be a compliment ::::P

CAG: And I guess you are sort-of sexy too ... In an incredi8ly disgusting way

CCG: OH MY GOD, THIS CONVERSATION IS SO HORRIBLE!

CCG: GREAT, YOU'VE BOTH DECIDED THAT YOU HATE/LOVE EACHOTHER, BRILLIANT, NOW CAN WE PLEASE LEAVE IT AT THAT?

CCG: IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT YOU TWO FILLING A BUCKET, READING THIS DISGUSTING HATE-FLIRTING IS ENOUGH TO MAKE MY EYES MELT OUT OF THEIR FUCKING SOCKETS!

CAG: Shut Up Karkat!

CGC: SHUT UP K4RK4T!

CGC: GOG D4MN 1T! YOU B34T M3 TO 1T! 1 H4T3 YOU

CAG: I h8 you too Pyrope

CAG: Now why don't we follow our angry friend's advice and continue this tomorrow?

CGC: 4GR33D :]

CAG: I hope you drown in your cocoon... My Kismesis

CGC: YOU TOO

CURRENT carcinoGeneticist [CCG] RIGHT NOW closed memo.

You lean back in your computer chair and sigh with ... you think it's relief? The matrix of different troll emotions is still confusing as fuck to you. You remind yourself to thank whatever gods exist for how easily you "fell into" your matespritship with John. You already find yourself anticpating tomorrow and "having some fun" with Terezi. Yawning, you power down your computer, and head back up to your hive. Later that night you would masturbate again to the mental image of Terezi from the previous night.


End Of Chapter 7

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So, there we go, Vriska finally revealed her feelings for Terezi, although probably not in the way she expected, eh? Next chapter should hopefully contain the VriskaxTerezi Lemon you've all been waiting for (Someone has to have been waiting for it, right?) Although, it's been awhile since I last wrote one, so as usual, we'll see how it turns out.

Sorry for the delay in updating again guys this chapter was kinda difficult to write and I procrastinated on it for a while. I can't help feeling that the quality of my writing in this has gone downhill somewhat in this chapter. I think that I need a break from this fic, so once I finish the TerezixVriska sex scene, I think I might put this fic on Hiatus for a bit, and work on something else, maybe some original fiction, who knows?

For those of you who may be wondering, My original plan for the snowball cliffhanger from the last chapter was for John and Vriska to have an argument about it and "Fall out" for most of this chapter, but I couldn't really get it to work without one of them acting massively out-of-character, if John screwing Vriska isn't already OOC ::::P So I decided to write that scene at the start and sidestep that plot thread and instead focus on the VriskaxTerezi (which is what you're all here for anyway)

With that all said, there's just the usual thing to say: Thank you for reading, and Please review, even if you've reviewed this story before, review this chapter anyway! While I appreciate everyone who just comments "I Loved it!" (I really do, I wish I could thank you all personally) It would be more helpful if you were to critique my work in more detail, say what you liked and what you didn't like, and what I could do to improve it.

~Superbun

Die-hard homestuck fan