Arriving fashionably late, at 905pm rather 900pm, Dave parked the car. He eyed his sister cautiously as she threw her door open, swinging out with ease. He followed gingerly, surveying the way she sauntered to the front door. She knocked once, twice, three times before standing back.

"David," she prompted, her eyes on the door and person unmoving.

The male said nothing but turned his eyes to her, taking his position at her left as they waited patiently.

"Please, keep an eye on me."

Before he could respond, the door was yanked open to reveal John Egbert.

"Hey, guys!"

The interior of John's house was exactly what you would expect it to be; dorky. Rose had always admired the jester figurines, however. They always did make her giggle.

Turning a small clown in her hand, she examined the statue. This one had always been her favorite for reasons she didn't understand, its hair was red and floofy and it had a red nose, its face was painted sad but if you looked hard enough, the grooves in its plaster face indicated its melancholy. It was different than all the other jesters, striking her as a clown of the literal sense.

"Don't touch that, it'll give you cooties," John allowed, standing by Rose, relishing in her presence.

"Sorry." Rose carefully set it back on its designated surface.

"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to him!" The laughter that bellowed from John made Rose smirk. He was, indeed, a goofball.

"Rose, you've made it!"

The blond female turned, drinking in the sudden sight of Kanaya Maryam, bringing a smile to her front. She stepped forward, instantly reaching to cup the taller woman's tanned skin, caressing her jawline, and bringing their lips close. They kissed, Kanaya's arms finding their way around Rose's waist. Little was spoken as they drew back, pink eyes drowning in jade ones.

"Hello," Rose finally uttered.

"Good evening."

"It is now that I-"

"Get a roooooooom!" The interruption bursted through the room, its offender standing across the floor. The lesbian's eyes fell on Vriska, her blond hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Rose admired the blue that accented her bangs, but would never admit it to that 8itch. Thanking God as the spider-loving nerd turned back to Terezi, rather swaying over to them, Rose grinned up at Kanaya.

"Ignore that twat," a plastic red cup was suddenly entrusted to Rose, who stared at it with a dumbfounded look on her face. She wrapped her fingers around it, watching as the golden liquid splashed against its confides for sweet escape. It took her a minute to tear her eyes away to look at the presenter, who was no other than Karkat. He continued demandingly. "Rose, hold my drink, I'm going to go look for food," and he was gone.

Rose turned her eyes to Kanaya once more, who shrugged with the same placid smile on her painted black lips. She brought the mouth of the cup to her nose, inhaling the liquor. Underaged drinking seemed wrong, but it didn't feel forbidden, either. It was almost like it was supposed to be apart of her miserable life, and the very thought of suffocating her problems, albeit momentarily, in intoxication, made her grip the understanding and forgiveness she suddenly held towards her mother. Just one sip couldn't hurt, right? Just one sip, and Karkat would never know that someone had taken a mouthful.

Hesitantly, she moved the rim to her lips. She bit at it nervously, the moist plastic tasting lightly of alcohol and Karkat. Or, what she assumed to be Karkat.

Slowly, she tipped the cup, drops of beer hitting her tongue. It wasn't as bad as she had been previously made to believe, so she took in a mouthful, lowering the cup and swallowing hard. It traveled down, the feeling of the cold beverage splashing into her warm stomach sending a shudder down her spine.

"Rose," Kanaya finally began.

"Just one more sip," she promised.

Kanaya sighed, realizing that no matter her pleas, Rose would go for it. She also decided to withstand hypocrisy, as she herself had downed a few drinks.

One more sip fell into two more, three more, many more, until the cup was empty of content. She was feeling it drip into her system, but it was hardly affecting her. She smiled at Kanaya.

"I found some godawful tortilla chips in John's kitchen, but I don't kn-woah, what the fuck, did you drink all my fucking beer?" He had swiped back his cup, glaring angrily into the void. "I trusted you, Rose. And you betrayed me. And now I have to go obtain more goddamn alcohol to ease my pathetic, wretched mindset."

"Get me one," Rose called after him as he left, bag of chips in hand.

"If you puke, I will hold your hair back," Kanaya assured, bringing a distraught look onto Rose's face.

"Thank you," she replied questioningly. "Although your statement is a little strange, your attempt at a show off affection is...is super nice," the alcohol was starting to strangle her vocabulary.

"There it is," the grin that washed over her lover's face made Rose's head spin. Karkat was back abruptly, a cup of hand in her grasp.

"Here," he grumbled, taking a sip from his own beverage.

Before she knew it, Rose was on her fourth beverage, and the liquor was affecting her loudly. She wavered and spun, and arm around Kanaya's shoulder for support after the fifth beer. With a stomach full of Karkat's chips, she washed down the salty taste with a chug of a sixth. She was called to the kitchen by Eridan, who also had a few beers in his system, and the two spent what felt like hours talking about wizards, over which Rose consumed two more cups.

After her ninth cup, she clutched her stomach achingly.

"Kanaya," she cooed, leaning against her as they sat on the couch together. The party was dying, midnight had come around now, and the few patrons left were playing video games among other things. Karkat was on the other side of Rose, nonchalantly thumbing through a novel.

"Yes?"

"I think I need to take you up on your offhic-offer..."

"What offer would that be?"

"The one where yo-hic-you would hold my, nngh, my hair back," she choked back a few dry heaves.

Karkat jumped up, his eyes wide, followed by Kanaya, who struggled slightly as she tried to pull Rose from the comforting grip of the couch. The trio stumbled up the steps, pulling open the bathroom door and lumbering in.

"Ugh!" Rose threw herself down in front of the toilet, hunching over it as she tried to force up the beer-induced acid within her. Kanaya knelt beside her, rubbing her back and cooing sweet nothing-in-particulars as the female tried to compel out the offending stomach pains.

"Maybe you shouldn't have absorbed so much fucking redneck methanol, you lightweight," Karkat scolded, taking a seat on the edge of the tub. Although he spoke angrily, apprehension flooded his being. He wanted to contribute, but at the moment, he couldn't figure out what to even mutter.

Suddenly, Rose began to convulse violently, as if she were being tormented. She began to writhe as something climbed up her throat. It came out past a strangled groan, the vomit draining out.

"Oh, my God," Kanaya breathed. Karkat's eyes widened, but Rose continued to heave, attempting desperately to discharge the fluids inside of her. Tears began to elicit as the vomit clogged her throat, paining her to breathe through even her nose.

Black. Black goo stuck to the inside of the bowl, darkening the toilet water.

Through choked gasps, Rose managed two words that meant more to anyone than anything in the given moment, her voice loud and pleading. "Get Dave!"