Your name is Dave Strider, and you have class. In two senses of the word. You're walking through the campus and ultimately the expressive arts building, and noticing a definite excitement mingling with the tension in the air. Exams are almost over, and people are registering things for their next year, a limbo between the end of one year and the start of the next. You can understand the excitement, and you expect your friends to start talking of celebration plans very soon.
After John's joy and cuddles (even during the harry Potter marathon!) after you gave him his signed Nick Cage poster (which is above his bed now, he wants to buy a frame for it at some point) has left you in a state of contentment today, a state of calm where you don't find yourself thinking about psychic bullshit or evil hypno-hoes or whatever tomfuckery there is in the universe.
Instead, you focus on your class work, baton down the hatches on your powers, and pick up some gushers on the way home.
When you get home, Jade is there. Upon asking after Rose, you find out she still has class. When asking about Jade's sudden appearance, she grins and waves a flyer in your face. John grins in the background, but makes no move to save you from the paper-grip of the glossy flyer on your face.
"Um. Okay." You move the flyer back, and see your thoughts from earlier come true. It's a poster advertising an end-of-year dance. With a theme simply called "Four Seasons" and dates (about a month from now, the second last night of the school-year), times (10 until 2) and location (a large expanse of grass near the gyms, which will also be used, apparently.). You know for a fact the small "no alcohol!" on the poster will go unheeded, and every drink will be spiked, and many will find themselves swimming in the ambrosia of alcoholic endeavours.
"I had a genius idea Dave! So no reading my thoughts as I tell you!" oh yeah, your powers. You had allowed them to roam free on your way home, so found little trouble in shutting them up again.
"The theme is four seasons, and there is four of us! So I figured we could dress as embodiments of the seasons!" wow that is a good idea. Yes. Hell fucking yes.
"Sign me the fuck up." You say, and find your two dark-haired companions celebrating getting you on board. Jade clutches her arms and fist to herself and practically vibrates in excitement, and John finds himself grinning at you with two thumbs up, which you gladly return. Though with slightly less enthusiasm. And only one thumb.
"I and John have been making some plans! We thought you would make a good autumn," she tells you, and you find yourself agreeing, even though you thought you could also make a stunning winter, apparently John dibbed that season anyway. This left Rose with summer as Jade had taken spring, but you doubt she'll have a problem with it.
You give John his gushers, he thanks you and Jade immediately steals some once they've been opened. The pair share the gushers as the three of you discuss what you're going for with your "embodiment of season" thing, how much it would cost and if you have the skills or resources to pull it off. Jade mentions that Rose could help, as she does knitting and could dabble in the sewing arts, and has mentioned Kanaya's passion for fashion design. If you could get her to agree, it would make things 10000% more possible.
You allow your power to buzz in the background, and you sense the flow and shift of thoughts in the back of your mind. You try not to read the minds of your two friends, though you feel that almost always irresistible part of you eager to be nosy and listen in anyway.
You allow them to chatter, with them both writing things down and googling things and asking you things now and again, to which you reply as if in a daze. You spend most of your time on your phone, even moving to your laptop on your bed, away from their chatter, out of sync between body and thought, and they would yell to you for your opinion on a colour scheme or a fabric choice, to which you would dazedly reply. Should you have head pieces? You think so, and said so. Actual leaves? Deal lord no, think of the bugs.
When Jade leaves, you're sure it's to Rose and Kanaya and the nearest fabric shop, with the endless possibilities of your costumes on her heels and in her mind.
Once again it's just you and John, and once again, John has a movie for the both of you.
You've both settled into the pattern of being aware of your attraction to one another (mostly his attraction to you, you hope you're as subtle as you think you are) and are more aware of it sometimes then others, and when it rises to the forefront neither of you have the guts to do anything about it, and it sinks to the depths again, ignored and brushed over. It annoys you, but you fear what would happen if it were to change just as much as you wish something would change. You dangle yourself in indecision, and you think you might be going mad with it.
You watch the movie, settled on the couch, comfortable in pyjamas despite the time of day, but you have no idea what happened in the movie, because you weren't paying attention. You follow on, half aware, with John's banter and sip absently at the hot chocolate he made you. You feel as if it should be night time, but John's started microwaving the cheap meals you bought. The clock reminds you its only five, but your lack of obligations until tomorrow throws your inner clock off.
You remain half awake and mostly in thought on your powers and your feelings that night, John's voice and thoughts attempt to prod and rouse you from your self-induced trance, but you assure him you're fine. He says he thinks you need some sleep. Sure, Jan. you tell him in return.
When you do go to bed, you say the most alert sentence of the evening.
"I want to start my power training tomorrow," is all you say, and all John supplies in reply is surprise and the promise of calling Rose and Jade over the next day, you don't have class, but John and Jade do, so it'll be you and Rose for a while.
You'll be fine.
Probably.
You're not fine.
Rose is probing you about John. Of course she knows you're in love with the guy, but does she have to be so blatantly nosy about it?
"I am quite fascinated by the Psychology of love. And your Psychology. You are a telepath after all. It's two birds with one stone, as it were." You scowl at her from your place on your bed. Rose is on John's bed. John is in class and thankfully cannot hear this cluster-fuck of emotion and tom-fuckery. You don't bother to read her mind. You feel as if she would grin even more if you did.
You decide two can play this game.
"So, how are things between you and Kanaya? Last I heard she was hells-a into you and you were at the stance of "she could sit on my face at any time"" she raises an eyebrow towards you, clearly catching on to your subject change. She doesn't comment on it, however. You're grateful. You're also glad she doesn't bring up her apparent bet with Jade. You still can't believe that. Seriously. What the fuck.
Rose tells you about the few dates with Kanaya that have transpired, including a not-date date wherein Kanaya was very hesitant to call it such a thing. She also lets you in on her plan to knit Kanaya a gift, and ask to be her girlfriend on the tag of the jumper. Very subtle, but undoubtedly sweet. She tells you that Kanaya has asked Rose if she would accompany her to the Four Seasons end of year dance. You remind her that your group will need summer in your small seasonal costume party, and not to leave you all behind, she assures you she will give up some of her time to pose as summer in some photos and witness you, Jade and possibly John get slightly drunk.
Someone's going to spike the punch.
You know it.
Because if someone else doesn't, you will.
(Gotta tell John you love him somehow you guess.)
Sigh.
"Away in thought, Dave? Do tell."
You are about to open your mouth to tell her to mind her own business, which undoubtedly would've earned a mark about how nosy you are, possibly even bringing in your own hypocrisy into it, but the door opens, and it seems John and Jade have met up and are ready for action. Power training time, you guess.
"Hey Dave, Rose! You guys ready to start? We gotta set out a schedule, and give ourselves jobs to help Dave!" John seems excited about this, a dip into his thoughts confirms this. He seems endlessly excited about this new venture.
"What do you propose, John?" that's Rose, smiling at him in her usual way, both the thorn and the petal on her name. "Well, me and Jade started talking about it, so we'll run past you what we said." This seems fair enough, so John begins while Jade takes a seat between you and Rose.
"So, I said that since I'm around Dave the most, because we live together, duh, I can keep an eye on him, make sure he does what you girls tell him and make sur ehe keeps himself healthy and whatnot, and keep up with his progress! As well as that, it was agreed between me and Jade that I could be a psychic guinea pig of sorts, so Dave can blow off some steam and practise on someone safely, plus ill accompany him to the gym, I did kinda promise him, heh" nods of approval, and Jade seems rather pleased with herself beside you.
"And Jade could handle the physical stuff! She gave me loads of ideas for what she'd do, but she would tell you more when she has the time…" John seems to run out of steam, then. Jade takes over.
"I can give you a full briefing when its my turn, but we need something for Rose! She mentioned to me she had an idea in mind…" the cue was obvious, and Rose took it. You are left listening, subject to their words, though you have the strangest sensation of being back in high-school, someone telling you where you're going to be when in a manner more constrictive than college. Though that might only be first impressions. Perhaps this training will still be relatively flexible. You hope so.
"I figured focusing on your psychic and mental development would be the ideal role for me. I could also work co-operatively with John in ensuring you are prepared for the eventuality of a psychic based attack on anyone, namely John as he seemed to be the previous target." You still wonder about that. Why him? Will they try again? You don't know. A seemingly forgotten feeling of frustration surfaces upon reflecting on the topic again. You shut it down.
"that sounds fine," is all you reply, and both Rose and Jade wonder if that really is all you have to say, and if you really do like their ideas so quickly within their thoughts, John seems unfazed, and assumes if something doesn't work out how you like, you can talk to the three of them. You exit their thoughts after that and return your power to background work, nothing coherent, just background noise with a further range. You hear Karkat, distantly, you think, but don't bother attempting to read any thought more specific than that.
Besides, the four of you have the task of dividing your time between leisure, practise with John, school/work/adult life commitments, and training from Rose or Jade. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday are the days you have classes. You thankfully don't need to work, but you wonder if you should soon. Monday is quickly given to Rose, Saturdays to Rose and John, on a rota to switch to Jade and John, Sundays are your days off. Tuesday evenings you have the gym with Jade, and every morning she seemed to want you at a stupidly absurd hour, you dread it but accept. Wednesday is John Day, so any solo practise is saved then, you can also goof off with him. Maybe even sort out the messy feelings/sexual attraction/held back by fears and uncertainties situation. Who knows? Rose also claims you after class for a few hours on a Wednesday, but you also made sure to mention any social events, homework or the like could be reason to cancel with one training partner or another. This is classed as acceptable, and suddenly your weekly schedule is hectic. A couple of hours is also mutually decided upon to work on your incredible Four Seasons costumes, you do have a time frame for those, but Rose assures that Kanaya is in on the plan, and willing to help.
You take that as a great relief, and stick a table on your wall, covered in highlighted sections and a key. It's your week, and it's hanging by a pin on your wall, waiting to face the cycles of time.
Sorry for the wait! Here it is! I was swept away by school responsibilities and had a bit of writers block anyway. Thank you for your patience and support and I hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you think! See you next time.