Blah blah blah boring sappy chapter
Trigger warnings; strong language.
This is (really) unedited, please review.


(This chapter takes place a during the first few weeks of returning to earth. I don't know how to explain this, all you need to know is this happened months ago in the timeline of this story.)

"Bro," You look up from your computer when Dave stalks into the living room. You set it on the ground when he comes and sits next to you on the futon.

"Hey kid, what's up?" He has this look in his eye and you're not sure what it means. You're thinking this isn't going to be a pretty talk.

"Do you ever get annoyed with me?" He's not looking at you anymore, he's staring at a burn on the ground.

"No… What do you mean?" A large frown falls onto his features, "Why do you ask?"

"It's just…" He sighs and grips his fabric of his pants. "You're at the time of your life when you should be out partying and going out with your friends and having all sorts of dudes fawning over you." He takes a deep breath and continues, "But instead you're sitting at home trying to make sure your fucked up little brother doesn't do a pirouette off the handle and plummet headfirst into the deep end of the kiddy pool. You shouldn't have to take care of me anymore, you already sacrificed years of your life raising me as a child and now you have to deal with all this whiny bullshit."

It's your turn to frown, you don't like where this conversation is headed. Does he really think he's a burden to you? His voice breaks when he starts talking again, "You must get annoyed that I keep crawling into bed with you like a frightened child, and me freaking out every single time you go to work must be getting really old, right? You don't have to stay here all the time if you don't want to. I mean, it's probably boring as hell staying up all night watching stupid shows and movies with me. It's not like I'm very good at conversation so I can't even provide you with witty banter."

"No, Dave, no… I don't feel like that at all." You're so concerned for him, you wish he could trust you.

"I just don't get it!" His tone is suddenly filled with desperation. "Why are you being so nice to me? You were never like this before the game. You never showed any emotion or affection, at all, ever. You were calculating and unreadable. And suddenly it's like you're completely the opposite. Now you care, and you're really fucking nice, and you don't make me strife or fuck with me or scare me. You don't do any of that anymore and I don't know why! Is it because you feel bad for me? Do you find me pathetic and pitiful? I don't understand!"

You are going to stop this train of thought before it derails and becomes a mess. You never really put much thought into why you suddenly care for Dave. It's like once you came back to the real world your mind was clear. When you think back to before the game all you remember is cal. It's like you were being controlled by him. You know a few times you took a step back and realized what you were doing was wrong. That you were basically abusing your kid. But those thoughts were quickly overrun by commands to prepare him for the game. You didn't even know what the game was, you were just listening to cal. But now it's like you're free of his influence and you care for your brother.

"Lil man, I can't explain why things are so different now. I think it's got something to do with cal being gone. I'm sorry for how I acted before, and nobody's influence, especially a puppet's, can excuse the shitty things I did to you." He glances at you and you smile, "I'm not annoyed with you or the situation I find myself in. I love my new life. I love that I get to spend so much time with you, I love that I no longer find myself in random locations when I wake up. But most of all I love you. I love you so, so much. I don't pity you, I don't feel bad for you, I just want you to be happy."

By now he is staring at you with tears running down his face. You take off his shades and wipe them away.

"Bro, can I tell you something?" You nod, "I'm still god tier."

You have no idea what that means, "Sorry kid, I'm not too up to date on game terms."

"If you die on this thing called a quest bed you come back with powers based on your class and aspect. I'm the knight of time so I have all these fancy time powers." He sighs and pulls these red turntables out of nowhere, "with a quick spin of these I could change the timeline. I could go back and fuck everything up." The turntables disappear as quickly as they came.

"But that's no big deal, I would never do anything like that. The thing is that all of my friends attained god tier but none of them have it anymore. I'm the only one with powers still. I think it's because I didn't die during the final battle."

"When you ascend to god tier I'm pretty sure you become immortal. I know you can't be killed unless it's a heroic or just death, but I don't know if you stop aging at some point. I'm scared that I'm going to stop aging and become immortal. I'm scared that I'll never die because how does someone die a just or heroic death in a normal world? I've seen people die defending someone but still that was against things that were dooming the timeline. I don't want all of you to get old while I stay young and watch you die. Then I'll be alone forever." He covers his face as his cries worsen, "That doesn't sound like winning at all."

Every time you learn something new about that game you marvel in it's complexities. It's so unnecessary. But, if you're understanding what the kid is saying then he might be immortal? You have no idea what to do with that information. It offers too many questions and not enough answers. Again you find yourself unsure of what you should do.

"Uh… Dave I don't really know what to say. I'll be here even if you become an immortal young adult. Don't worry, everything is going to be okay." You pull him into a hug and let him cry, silently cursing yourself. You don't know how to help him and it hurts.


TG: hey karkles
CG: WHAT.
TG: oh man
TG: how I missed the capslock
CG: FUCK OFF STRIDER.
TG: ok fine i was just going to ask you something
TG: because of your infinitely superior troll intellect
CG: I UNDERSTAND THE HUMAN SARCASM NOW.
CG: SO ALL I'M GOING TO SAY IS A BIG, "FUCK YOU."
TG: right anyways
TG: its about quadrants
CG: HOLD THE PHONE.
CG: YOU, DAVE STRIDER, ARE ASKING ME ABOUT *QUADRANTS*?
TG: yeah whatever shut up
TG: i was just thinking
TG: do trolls like cheat on eachother
TG: i mean obviously its a thing but is it common
TG: because from what i saw in those god awful romcoms you made me watch the relationships are pretty rock solid
CG: WHAT DO YOU MEAN.
TG: uh
TG: ok hypothetical situation here
TG: one troll is in a pale ass relationship with another one and then said troll goes off and finds someone really fucking pitiful
TG: like the most pitiful motherfucker out there
TG: so they shoosh pap the shit out of them
TG: does that happen
CG: WHO ARE YOU PALE FOR?
TG: what no
TG: i dont like anyone what the fuck
CG: IS IT ROSE? I'VE ALWAYS SUSPECTED SOME UNDERLYING PALE FEELINGS BETWEEN YOU TWO.
TG: fuck no
TG: step away from the shipping chart
CG: IS IT JOHN? I CAN'T IMAGINE IT BEING JADE BECAUSE OF YOUR PRIOR RELATIONSHIP.
TG: karkat you of all people should know that john is quote "not a homosexual"
TG: im not interested in anyone we already discussed this
TG: on earth quadrants wont work
TG: while i agree that the system could be applied to human relationships our society just cant process that
TG: most people wouldnt find moirails romantic and kismesis would come off as somewhat abusive
TG: not to mention the fact that we are still pretty limited to the one man and one woman formula
TG: besides i dont interact with people enough to want any sort of relationship with them
CG: RIGHT.
CG: YOU'RE JUST ASKING ME IF TROLLS CHEAT ON EACHOTHER IN PALE RELATIONSHIPS FOR NO OTHER REASON BUT YOUR INANE CURIOSITY.
CG: THIS CONVERSATION IS IN NO WAY YOU TRYING TO FIGURE OUT YOUR STUPID FEELINGS.
TG: exactly
TG: im glad we are on the same page
CG: UGH.
CG: WHY CAN'T YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU HAVE FEELINGS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PATHETIC HUMAN.
TG: god damn it just drop it and answer my question
CG: FINE.
CG: OF FUCKING COURSE SOME TROLLS ARE UNFAITHFUL. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN THOUGH.
CG: WHEN SOMEONE ENTERS OUR QUADRANTS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A STRONG BOND, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MORAILSHIPS.
CG: SO IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THEY WOULD GO OFF AND FIND SOMEONE ELSE EASILY.
CG: IF IT DID HAPPEN I WOULD EXPECT THE RELATIONSHIP WASN'T STABLE FROM THE START AND WAS BOUND TO FAIL EVENTUALLY
CG: WHY.
TG: to be honest I started thinking about how humans are all really fucking pale to one another
TG: like kids on the street outside my apartment comfort and pap each other all the time with no reservations
TG: and then I asked myself how would a troll react to seeing all this shoosh out in the open
TG: would they find it promiscuous
TG: so I decided to ask the quadrant master himself
CG: I GUESS IT DEPENDS
CG: WHAT ARE THE PINK FLESH MONKEYS DOING
TG: i cant get over your description of children
TG: are you sure youre ready for this
TG: you wont get all flustered at the thought of these human shenanigans
CG: STOP BEING AN ASS BEFORE I BLOCK YOU.
TG: wait
TG: no
TG: please dont
CG: WHAT THE FUCK.
TG: karkat please dont
TG: what if something really fucked up happens and we won't be able to talk again
TG: i wont say shit like that anymore i promise
CG: DAVE I WAS JOKING.
CG: WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM.
TG: i have to go
CG: DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE.
CG: YOU CAN'T JUST GET ALL WEIRD OUT OF NOWHERE AND EXPECT ME TO NOT WANT AN EXPLANATION.
TG: im sorry
TG: i really have to go
TG: my brother is home
TG: if you really need some sort of explanation talk to rose
CG: GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE AND TALK TO ME.
CG: FUCK.


CG: DAVE JUST DID SOMETHING REALLY WEIRD.
TT: I see, care to elaborate?
CG: WELL HE MESSAGED ME OUT OF NOWHERE TO ASK ME ABOUT QUADRANTS? AT FIRST I ASKED WHO HE HAD FEELINGS FOR BUT HE REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANYTHING.
CG: I AM STILL HIGHLY SKEPTICAL.
TT: What exactly did he say?
CG: HE ASKED IN TROLLS WERE OFTEN UNFAITHFUL IN MORAILSHIPS.
TT: Oh goodness.
TT: I can assure you he wasn't asking you for relationship advice.
CG: HOW.
TT: He told me about this story he's going to write about a troll who goes around having pale relations with multiple trolls. He was really getting into it. I'll admit his ideas were pretty good.
TT: If I remember correctly it was called, 'Promiscuous Palemance'.
TT: He was going to send it to you once it was complete to see how you would react. I guess the plan is ruined now.
CG: WOW. THAT DOESN'T SOUND HALF BAD.
CG: SO HE WAS DOING RESEARCH?
TT: I would assume so, yes.
TT: Is that what you found odd?
CG: WELL IT WAS WEIRD. BUT THAT'S NOT IT, THEN HE ASKED IF TROLLS WOULD FIND THE AMOUNT PUBLIC OF "SHOOSH PAP" ON EARTH INDECENT. I ASKED WHAT THE PEOPLE WERE DOING AND HE REPLIED IN A SMART ASS WAY. SO I SAID SOMETHING ABOUT NOT BEING AN ASS OR I'D BLOCK HIM AND HE GOT ALL WEIRD. HE KEPT ASKING ME NOT TO BLOCK HIM AND THEN HE SAID HE HAD TO GO. I THINK HIS LUSUS WAS HOME.
TT: Oh.
CG: OH. THAT'S YOUR ANSWER?
TT: You're here because you want me to explain his reaction. Am I correct?
CG: HE TOLD ME IF I WANTED AN EXPLANATION TO GO TO YOU.
TT: Dave just doesn't want anybody to leave. He wants everyone to stay and be happy and not leave him. When you said you would block him he most likely associated that with you leaving so he tried to prevent that from happening.
CG: SO DAVE IS KINDA FUCKED UP NOW.
TT: He's no more fucked up than any of us.
CG: WHY'D HE LEAVE SUDDENLY.
TT: You said his brother was home, that's probably why.
CG: I DON'T UNDERSTAND. WHY WOULD HE HAVE TO LEAVE BECAUSE HIS LUSUS RETURNED.
CG: IS IT STILL BEING A DICK TO HIM?
TT: No it's the opposite. Bro is being extremely supportive to Dave.
CG: WASN'T IT LIKE...REALLY FUCKED UP TO HIM BEFORE?
TT: He was but he hasn't shown any violent or negligent behaviors. I choose not to think about the sudden change. He's not hurting Dave anymore, that's all that matters.
CG: OK WELL I GUESS THAT MAKES SENSE. TODAY I LEARNED DAVE "COOLKID" STRIDER HAS MORE EMOTIONS THAN I PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. IT'S A MIRACLE.
CG: OH GOG I JUST MENTIONED MIRACLES CULL ME NOW.
TT: I think Dave is the most empathetic person I know. He just doesn't know how to express himself properly.
CG: UH SURE. IF YOU SAY SO.
CG: THANKS ROSE.
TT: Don't mention it.