#seaside inn

[rjfieldsofgold]

View from my deck @ Seaside Inn

[dyzzyah]

Hee! The Gamzee chapter of Learning Experiences is up!

http://archiveofourown.org/works/284423/chapters/456531

It's...almost safe for work? Sure, let's go with that. Anyway, I think I have to make a quiche for dinner tonight after sending this up.

[dyzzyah]

Groovy, so chapter 5 of Learning Experiences is up now, part of the Seaside Inn series. I think I'm enjoying this too much.

Totally NSFW.

Learning Experiences begins here:

http://archiveofourown.org/works/284423/chapters/453437

Chapter 5 is here:

http://archiveofourown.org/works/284423/chapters/455837

[dyzzyah]

Endings and Beginnings, Chapter 11

Sometimes, troll romance makes more sense to me than human romance.

Eridan would insist that his wanting Jade for a moirail was not because of her friendship with or her similarities to Feferi. He had been able to salvage, and indeed improve, his friendship with her. While he eventually came to terms with her disinterest in a red relationship, it would be a lie to say he did not think about what could have been, from time to time.

The truth was that Eridan did need a positive force in his life. He needed someone who could bring light and cheer to him when he was at his lowest. This time, however, he took his own moirail responsibilities seriously, and would offer Jade a listening ear whenever she seemed to need it, or would drag her out of the lab when she got too frustrated with a gadget she was working on.

Eridan would still talk for long hours with Feferi; even with romantic options scuppered, he still was close to her, and that was a thing he would never give up, even when she became Sollux’s matesprit, or one of them. Eridan still felt black for Sollux, but he asked Feferi and Jade to keep this to themselves.

He would often go with Nepeta when she went to volunteer with the cat rescue, or would groom the lusii, or let Kanaya dress him up in her latest creations to see how they looked on a moving body. Each spring, when the waters warmed and Tentamom returned from her migration, he and Feferi would search the sea every day with their lusii, looking for Goatdad, to bring him home to Gamzee.

Eridan was the one who finally convinced Equius to ask Aradia to senior prom. Aradia may have been Sollux’s matesprit--no one was terribly surprised that Sollux wanted two matesprits--but Equius had long hoped there would be room in Aradia’s bloodpusher for him. Equius’ gamble paid off, and after a gentlemanly courtship, Aradia gladly took Equius for her second matesprit. They would make each other very happy, for a very long time. That, however, has not yet happened.

Sollux, on the other hand, had himself begun to envy Eridan. Curt though the seatroll could be, he could also turn his charm on in a moment, and he could captivate an audience, whether he was recounting an anecdote in the cafeteria, or dancing with any of the classmates they would invite to their hive on dance party night. While Sollux had become completely comfortable with the other players and strangers alike, Sollux still felt lanky and awkward around everyone else. He had none of the physical prowess that some of the other trolls had, and spoke little to his schoolmates. He still felt ashamed of his lisp, as well, to the point where he would have his top canine teeth removed every few months.

The more eloquent and comfortable Eridan got around other people, the more Sollux envied him, and no amount of cuddles and assurances from Feferi and Aradia could budge him.

One day, Sollux was in the lab, working on his mainframes, while Eridan was whining to Jade. Yet another date had not worked out, and the seadweller gave the human sad puppy eyes until she put down the widget she was working on and administered much-needed shooshpaps. Sollux had been in a foul mood all day, and this had been his last straw.

“Jeguth! Lithten to you, bitch bitch bitch! It’th not ath if you don’t have line practically waiting outthide your door!” Sollux hissed. It had been four months since his last fang extraction, leaving him well over-due, in his opinion.

“You wouldn’ understand, Sol.”

“Fuck no, I don’t underthand. Oh, the poor pitiable popular printhe! Getting your feelingth all worked up becauthe you can get more play than you know what to do with. Admit it, it’th all jutht a ploy to be the dark, mythteriouth, brooding guy girlth love and guyth hate.”

Eridan looked affronted. “That ain’t the truth an’ you fuckin’ know it, Sol! You don’t get it, you got two great girls who swap pale and flushed for you. Hell, you even got that blackrom flirtation goin’ on with Kar--don’t even try denyin’ it, everyone knows about it--but you don’t even get how hard it is for anybody else. It’s not about gettin’ tail or rackin’ up bedpost notches; I want someone I who really loves me or really hates me, you know? I want a fuckin’ spiritual connection like that. You got that already, an’ if you realized how lucky you was, you’d cut me some fuckin’ slack.”

“Oh, cry me a river and go thwim downthtream. It’th tho haaaaaard, weh weh weh.”

Jade started to auspisticize, but Eridan stopped her.

“Fuck you, Sol, fuck you right in the wastechute” he said, turning to leave.

“You want a pieth of thith, fishboy? You, me, right here, right now. We’re doing thith.” Red and blue light crackled from Sollux’s eyes.

Eridan panicked, he had no intention of fighting again; he had vowed not to lose control like he did before. “I’m not going to fight you, Sol…” he muttered, backing away.

Sollux snapped, and clocked Eridan in the jaw, as red and blue hands kept Jade from intervening. “You looking DOWN on me, finhead? You think you’re too GOOD to take me on??”

“No, no, I--!”

Eridan never got to finish, because Sollux had grabbed him by a horn and kissed him. Eridan was shocked for a brief moment, before responding in kind, pushing Sollux back against the worktable. Hands and teeth and lips were everywhere; all was grunts and swears and ripping cloth. Sollux, properly distracted, released his psychic hold on Jade, who ran out of the lab, shutting the door behind her. The doorknob flashed red, locking from the inside.

They emerged an hour later, each one with a bloodied and tattered shirt, a contented look, several wounds, and a new kismesis.

Eridan did not complain so much after that, except for around Sollux, and at those times he took care to whine about particularly inane things.

[dyzzyah]

Endings and Beginnings, Chapter 9

Guess what I ship. Go on, guess.

No one was surprised when Kanaya took Rose as her girlfriend in the winter of junior year. Neither was anyone surprised when Rose began taking advanced courses to get college credit towards a psychology degree, when Kanaya decided to pursue fashion as her career, when Sollux took advanced programming courses, or when Nepeta declared her intention to become a veterinarian. Nepeta had already begun volunteering twice a month for a local cat rescue.

Karkat was, however, surprised when, while watching the ending credits City of Angels with John for what must have been the umpteenth time, the teary-eyed human placed a soft, chaste kiss on his cheek.

“What the fuck…?”

“Should…I not have done that?”

“No, fuck no, do that more. That’s an order from your creator and your god. I just thought you weren’t into guys. Not a homosexual, right?”

John looked embarrassed, “Well, I’m still kind of not. Not into just guys, that is. I like girls. I like boobs. I like Vriska, too, and I think I’d like Vriska’s boobs if I ever get to know them…but I think I like guys too, and I’m pretty certain I like you. Even if you aren’t a girl and don’t have boobs. And I think I’d like it if you liked me too…I don’t think I could hate you, though, if that’s still a thing you want…but I think I could like competing with you, but I think I’d like it most of all if you like-liked me. And even if I like Vriska too, and even though I’m pretty sure you and Terezi like each other too…Is that a thing that could happen?”

“John, without a doubt, you are the most fucking idiotic doltfruit to fall out of the stupid tree.” John’s face fell, but Karkat continued, “Stop that. Your being an idiot is an immutable fact, that doesn’t mean that rejection is what is happening here.” Karkat settled in and wrapped an arm around John. “But your stupidity seems bafflingly nonlethal, so I guess I can live with it. You’re shit at taking orders, though. Didn’t I just tell you, as your god and creator, to—mph!” Karkat was cut off by a clumsy, but obliging smooch, which he then returned. It wasn’t a sloppy make-out, by any stretch of the imagination; it was awkward, and it was timid, but it was nice all the same, and they would get better with practice.

***

Jade had been doing a lot of thinking about her own feelings, since John told her his big news about Karkat. She thought even more after John had told her that he and Vriska were an item, too. They had been in this largely polyamorous world long enough to not be disturbed by her human ectobrother having two flushed relationships, but it gave her cause to think.

“Hey, guys, can I talk to you?” Jade asked, sitting at the small table where Tavros and Dave were discussing fiduspawn strategy.

“What’s on your mind, little lady?” Dave pulled out a chair for her and Tavros got her a juice box.

She fiddled with the straw, “What do you guys think about John and his boyfriend/girlfriend thing?”

“He seems really happy, right? And Vriska isn’t as scary when he’s around, so, if they’re happy, then, I guess, we should be happy,” answered Tavros.

“Yeah, I don’t know if that’s strictly flushed, though. Might be a moirails-with-benefits deal going on, if you ask me,” said Dave.

“You don’t think they’re matesprits?” asked Tavros.

“Nah, if he’s keeping her out of trouble, then I’m more of the mind that they’re apt to be diamonds with dueling dicks.” Dave replied, as Jade made a face.

“Eeeeew.”

“Homophobe.”

“Jerk. No, I don’t mean like that; he’s my brother! Ectobrother. Thing. Bluh.” Jade sipped her juice. “What I wanted to know was, what do you think of him having a thing with two people at once?”

“If he’s happy, and Vriska’s happy, and Karkat’s happy, then I don’t think it should be a problem, because they’re all happy, right?” stated Tavros, simply.

Dave cocked an eyebrow. “I’m getting a funny little notion you’re not really asking about Egbert, there, chica. You want to try saying what’s really on your mind?”

Jade fidgeted more and blushed, “I guess I was kind of wondering what you thought, because I’ve got a few people I think I like, too…”

Tavros gulped and blushed as well, “I, think it’s not really a bad thing, but I like a couple people too…so, I guess I would be biased, if I had to be honest…but even if that weren’t the case, I guess I would still think it’s okay, right?” 

“I think so, too! I mean, if everyone is okay and happy and nobody feels hurt or anything, right? And it maybe could happen that that could work out really well! Don’t you think?” 

“Can’t say that I know, babe. Ask Karkat, he’s the romance guru.”

Jade cleared her throat. “I might talk to him later, um, I sort of like him, too. But it’s okay, John says he doesn’t mind! So…” 

“Oh…I, um, I see…I…hope it works out...he's a good guy, I hope you'll be happy…” Tavros said, utterly failing to not look crushed.

“Oh, no, Tav…I’m doing this all wrong.” Jade sighed and collected her thoughts. “I wanted to talk to you two about this, specifically, because I like both of you. I like you, Tavros, and I also like you, Dave, but I don’t want to hurt anyone and I don’t want to ever lose either of you as friends.”

Tavros beamed. “R-really??” 

Jade giggled and reached across the table to hold his hand. “Really.”

“I’m swooning from cuteness here,” Dave interrupted, smirking, “but I’m sure we can make this thing happen, if my man Tav here can cope with my having already plucked the first kiss from your tender lips, Lady Jadey.”

“I’m not sure a revival kiss, really counts, Dave…” scowled Tavros.

“Oh, no?”

Before she could react, Dave had drawn Jade to him and kissed her gently. She made no effort to draw back, but returned the kiss.

“Mine now.” Dave said simply as he drew away.

“Hey!” yelped Tavros.

Before he could react, Dave had grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into a similar kiss. Tavros was as surprised as Jade had been, and while he made muffled exclamation at first, he didn’t try to break off, either, and slowly began to reciprocate until Dave pulled away.

“Also mine.”

Jade snickered and Tavros threw an empty juice box at the cocky coolkid. 

[dyzzyah]

Endings and Beginnings, Chapter 8

Cool, finally, getting to relationships and people and stuff.

The beginning of a new school year brought sixteen teenagers to the local high school. Although the sixteen were divided into different classrooms and lunch hours, it was hard to miss that there was a strange bond between them. For one thing, they always arrived and departed by means of a privately-owned bus driven either by a fedora-wearing man, or an impeccably dressed woman. It soon became common knowledge that the twelve trolls were orphans, absorbed into this conglomerate family, and homeschooled with the four human children. Although the sixteen youths were different from one another, even the most polar-opposite of them seemed to have an unspoken connection that was hard to define, though one could easily explain this by having been raised together.

The teens were notably quirky, though on Homeworld, idiosyncrasies were fairly expected, whether in trolls, humans, or halfwaze. Gamzee’s makeup caught the attention of some other Mirthful Minstrelists, several unpainted, who reached out to their foulmouthed brother. Terezi, by the grace of high-prescription lenses, was able to read using her eyes rather than her nose. Both she and Vriska joined the student debate team, preferring to take opposite sides of any given issue. Gamzee excelled in gymnastics, Rose joined a poetry group, and Equius got a little too excited one day and broke the basketball hoop with a free-throw. Dave was asked to join the track team, but declined, and instead joined Jade’s garden club, possibly for ironic reasons, possibly because of Jade. Nepeta abandoned her shipping sketchbook in favor of a large annotated directory, filled with her classmates and their possible pairings, and she would happily explain why she thought so-and-so would be perfect for whats-his-face, or the possible likelihood of her-over-there and that-chick of having a lasting and fulfilling relationship. Rose and Kanaya, unsurprisingly, could always be found side by side, as could Karkat and John. At some point, Nepeta got the first of what would be several kittens, until Karkat placed a limit of no more than eight cats in the hive, and declared that Nepeta’s cat lusus and Nepeta herself counted in that number. After a brief communion with Tavros, each non-Leijon cat was not only box-trained, but was able to use and flush a toilet.

***

One day in sophomore year, Jade was looking for Tavros. He was in the gym with Gamzee, both walking on their hands, brownblood chasing indigo and both chatting away.

“…gotta do it, Tavbro, this miracle ain’t gonna appearify itself. You gotta up and make this miracle become flesh.”

“I…I know, Gamzee, I just…I don’t know. You know?”

Tavros had left his button-down overshirt on his walker, and was wearing his usual style of tee shirt. Large-horned trolls often preferred this style: from the front, it looked like a typical tee, but the back was open, with a three-button closure at the waist and a single button closure at the back of the neck, leaving most of the back completely exposed. On a troll built like Tavros, it was easy to see the muscles shifting and moving beneath the skin. Tavros had gotten in the habit of removing his overshirt when working out, especially since he regained enough muscle control and balance to walk on his hands, his latest favorite hobby.

“Hi guys, how’s it going?”

Tavros, who had been staring at the floor to keep his horns out of the way, instinctively wrenched his head towards Jade and swept his arms out from under himself. He thudded onto the gym mat, and both of his friends came to check on him. Tavros blushed and smiled up at Jade. Gamzee grinned and excused himself, saying simply “Let me know how the shit goes down, bro,” and left.

Jade knelt next to the horizontal troll, “Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“No, uh, no problem. It wouldn’t, be the first time I, you know, fell for you.” Tavros blushed cinnamon, and tried his best to exude swag.

“Oh gog! Sooo cheesy!” Jade giggled, “But very sweet. Just like you. Sweet and kinda cheesy.” She kissed his cheek and helped him sit up.

“Th-thank you…As long as you’re here, could you, um, maybe stay here with me while I use the, the stationary bike? I was hoping to, well, do some more training.”

“Sure! Is there any way I can help?”

“Just, you know, stay and maybe talk with me. I’d like the company…”

Jade helped him to the stationary bike, set for low resistance, and he began cycling. They chatted a while, about a number of things, from classmates to upcoming tests to what Jade wanted to do with the greenhouse to the D&D campaign Aradia had been putting together. Before they knew it, an hour had passed, and Tavros was still pedaling.

“You aren’t overdoing it, are you?” Jade asked, worried.

“No, I tend to, try to go as long as I can, and, it’s easier if you’re here…”

“I don’t want you to get hurt, though! You shouldn’t push yourself so hard!”

“I’d really, kind of, rather, keep going…it’s really important to me that I get my legs working again, as soon as I can.”

“Why? You’re going to walk again, we know that, but why overdo it?”

“Because, I, well…I…” Tavros blushed brightly and braced himself. “I’m going to ask you to dance with me at the senior prom. If…if that’s okay with you.”

Jade blinked. Then she smiled. "I'd like that."

***

Tavros had miscalculated. They would dance at junior prom, though that has not yet happened.

[dyzzyah]

Endings and Beginnings, Chapter 7

Okay, I think this is maybe the last of the exposition. Possibly.

The first year at the Seaside Inn was understandably eventful. For the first six weeks, once a week, Dave would go back to that first night, to let himself get smacked about by Gamzee, leaving enough time between to nurse his injuries

Some weeks after taking up residence, it was happily discovered that, rather like the human guardians, lusii had survived, but had appeared at odd points in the timeline for reasons unknown. This discovery came when a richly decorated white seahorse was found outside the inn, grunting for his charge.

Future Aradia, when questioned, explained that lusii were present even in this world, where trolls and humans birthed their own young. Virgin Mother Grubs was no longer responsible for birthing wigglers, but she was responsible for laying lusii eggs and raising the lusus larvae. Meanwhile, lusii generally were given to babies, wigglers, and children who were orphaned or given up for adoption. Even after adoption, the youth-lusus bond was maintained, and the lusus would live with the foster family as one of their own. However, this universe had seen fit to limit the lusii; lusii were now rarely larger than a rhinoceros, never larger than a bus, and even the largest tentacle-bus lusus was no longer capable of genocide by glub. Lusii no longer ate trolls or other lusii, although a very large one could eat a woolbeast in a single meal.

Over the next few months, each of the lusii returned, confused and unharmed and alive, although often a fair deal smaller than they once had been. Aradia’s, Eridan’s, Tavros’, Nepeta’s, and Equius’ lusii were all roughly the same size as before; while Spidermom was about the size of a housecat, Crabdad was barely larger than that, and Terezi’s dragon could curl up around her shoulders. When Goatdad arrived, he was little larger than a bathtub, and Gamzee enlisted Equius to help carry him into a large plastic pool the indigoblood had ordered for this purpose.

Apparently, chlorinated water is not a healthy environment for a saltwater lusus.

Six days later, Gamzee had to clean up what Karkat described as “a metric fuckton of goat vomit,” while Equius carried Goatdad out to sea and leashed him.

Shortly after all of the lusii arrived, a lusus vet was called in to inject Goatdad  and Gl’bgolyb with tracking chips, so they could swim freely, and so Gamzee and Feferi could be able to predict their return. 

Grandpa Harley and Future Aradia homeschooled the youths, intending to have them all enter high school the following year. All weapons had been collected and put away in storage. Sollux made peace with himself and no longer suffered from intrusive voices, and was often in the company of either Aradia or Feferi or both. Tavros began physical therapy, and Jade assisted him through most of his sessions. Madame Lalonde and Mr. Egbert began courting openly, and Bro would DJ a dance party now and then on Saturday nights, while Madame Lalonde taught the kids to make virgin cocktails.

Grandpa Harley focused his lessons on matters of literature, math, and scientific theory, with occasional lessons in fisticuffs, while Future Aradia’s domain was to educate the teens in all matters considered common knowledge on this world. Homeworld had many commonalities with the culture of Earth, although the geography and some history seemed more Alternian. There was still a China, but it was now a large island nation in the southern hemisphere, and Holland was immense, and the British royal family had been mostly green- and blue-blooded halfwaze for eight hundred years. Despite being part of a global culture and government, countries were semi-autonomous, and regions had their own cultures. Grandpa also took special care with English lessons, and gave Gamzee special one-on-one lessons on the appropriateness of the phrase “motherfuckin’ bitchtits” in an academic setting.

At some point, some interesting notes about the general Homeworld culture were brought to light. Once upon a time, trolls had their four-quadrant romances and humans had their quadrantless theoretical monogamy. Mixing of the cultures brought humans into troll cultures; trolls began to take humans for their matesprits and kismeses, which brought halfwaze into the picture. Over time, halfwaze, feeling entitled to the multi-partnered romances, but not restricted to the basic quadrants, gave rise to a sort of open relationship system, where one might have two red partners if one wished, or only fill three of the quadrants. Considering this was now a world where the species’s survival did not rest on each member having one red and one black partner, the millennia had brought about a society that saw the quadrants as an ideal, not a standard. Here was a world where one could find redsexuals and polymoraillegiances and monogamists and asexuals, across the troll-human spectrum. Moreover, in a blended global culture, it was well understood that, as there were different kinds of love and hate, there were also different kinds of matespritship and kismessitude. Some had matespritships based on the traditional lines of pity, while others had defined it more in terms of love; likewise, the term “kismessitude” could mean anything from wanting to reduce one’s partner to a quivering shell of a being, to something as simple as sexy rivalry mixed with begrudging support, to a popular middle-ground of “you annoy the hell out of me and I can’t get you out of my mind.” Consensus held that the members of each relationship could define their bond as they saw fit.

Future Aradia took great care to teach the youths about the halfwaze, as well, since they were so common. Halfwaze were what happened when a troll bred with a human, or two halfwaze bred together. If a halfwaze were to breed with a troll (a common enough occurance) then the child would be troll; likewise a human and a halfwaze would produce a human. Halfwaze had an even chance to receive the blood color of either parent, meaning roughly half of the halfwaze had human red blood, and half were elsewhere on the hemospectrum. Halfwaze were born with vestigial legs, like trolls, and both trolls and halfwaze were born toothless and with red-yellow disks where their horns would later grow. Even the longest halfwaze horns, however, rarely grew longer than a few inches, while it was not unusual for the horn-disks to not grow at all. There was a range of halfwaze skin colors, like those found on humans, but tinted, as if seen through a gray filter; halfwaze always had blunted fangs. More often than not, halfwaze had what trolls would call a proper set of genitals, receptive and donative, although it was not unheard of to find halfwaze with only half of a set, like humans have.

***

When winter came, Goatdad and Gl’bgolyb (who had, by this time, been popularly renamed “Tentamom”) migrated to warmer waters, while Seahorsedad and the landdwelling lusii roamed the inn, sleeping in their charges’ rooms or in an attatched lusus barn.

Not long after New Years, Future Aradia’s insistence that a whole floor separate the penthouse and the teens’ rooms became obvious.

Bro Strider was a screamer.

On the afternoon of this discovery, Mr. Egbert, Madame Lalonde, and Bro stumbled out of a main-floor storage room, their blissful expressions falling under the stares and giggles of a herd of teenagers who had decided not to go out shopping, after all. That night, Nanna served oysters and pinched Mom’s and Bro’s cheeks, while her son wished he could hide under the table.

“Take care of my boy, you two,” Nanna beamed, “and I’m sure he’ll make both you both very happy.”

“I’ll make Rob the happiest girl in the world,” smirked Bro.

Chocolate torte and figs in a ginger-honey sauce were served for dessert (“Good for stamina, dear!”) and Rob Egbert turned red enough for Terezi to salivate, while Nepeta basked in the glow of a most decadent ship.

***

Spring came, and Jade’s greenhouse bloomed with sweet-smelling flowers. Outside the greenhouse, she and Nanna plotted out kitchen gardens. Tentamom returned when the waters warmed, but for weeks there was no sign of Goatdad. Gamzee was heartbroken, until Feferi asked Tentamom and Seahorsedad to fetch Goatdad, and even though Goatdad only arrived under protest, trapped in the writhing embrace of Tentamom, once Gamzee hugged him and wept into his broad fins, he did not leave.

Jade took to her studies well, tutored John and some of the trolls in some of the trickier topics, and became fast friends with nearly all of the trolls. By this time, Equius had come to a breakthrough with his depression, but he remained a little distant, though he was always cordial to his moirail’s good friend. She could be found puttering in the lab with Sollux, or chatting with Aradia and Feferi, or lending an ear to Eridan, or watching movies with Karkat and her ectobrother.

Inseparable as the two palhonchos were, Jade enjoyed the rare times when she could speak with Karkat alone, together finding new and exciting blasphemies while talking about anything and nothing. For all his ranting and swearing, his loyalty, his sincerity, and his romanticism were obvious to anyone who would look.

Dave helped Jade sometimes in the greenhouse, and sometimes she would listen to him and Tavros rap. Given the option, Jade could sit for hours, entranced, as Dave mixed music and spun his referential word-journeys. He exuded coolness from every pore, and even at his young age, he had the stance and charisma of a prince.

As for Tavros, Jade helped him with his physical therapy, and would find herself talking with him for hours; over time, his stammer and second-guessing improved greatly. His cheeks would turn an adorable bronze when their hands touched by accident, and he was kind, and tender, and sweet. Beneath his uncertainty and his worry and his doubt, he had a determination and an enthusiasm that were captivating. Jade became his greatest cheerleader, alongside Gamzee, and Tavros became her greatest confidant.

***

By the time midsummer had come around, the gardens were bursting with fresh produce, Kanaya and Terezi had acquired wicked sunburns, Nepeta’s shipping diagram had been scrapped in favor of a large sketchbook filled with pairings, Gamzee had taken over cooking duties one night a week, and Bro had taken some of his savings and purchased a dance club in the city, where he would DJ three nights a week. Grandpa Harley got the old wanderlust back in his bones, and made plans to begin traveling again once the teens had entered high school. Jade had been heartbroken, until Grandpa had struck a deal with her: he would go abroad for a month, and return home for a month, and repeat. He could get out and see this new and semi-alien world, and perhaps some others as well, but he would never be more than four weeks away from his darling baby Jade.

In time, summer ended, as it tends to, and the players prepared for a new adventure. 

[dyzzyah]

Endings and Beginnings, Chapter 6

Someday, I will get the hang of the read more break.

Chapter 6.

Here, in flagrant disregard of privacy laws and patient confidentiality, are presented some snippets from the locked files of one Dr. Lalonde.

MAKARA, GAMZEE:

Pt has been in treatment for two months. Sopor withdrawl symptoms appear to have passed completely. Faygo still being used as a crutch, however.

Violent urges have subsided and have not recurred since initial consultation; several trolls have postulated that the pre-universe violent incidents were caused by a sort of indigoblood psychosis, and that the new universe’s hemospectrum carries none of these traits. Guilt remains and is being dealt with. Pt has made efforts to reach out to his previous victims, but is met with mixed success, as Mr. Zahhak seems obliging, but hard to connect with.

Art therapy has proven useful with pencils and inks, although pt seems squeamish about using paints, most likely due to guilt surrounding the incident. Pt has been made aware that blood and bodily fluids are not, nor have ever in this universe, been used as pigmenting agents. Pt seems only willing to use black or white pigments, most predominantly on face, as there are no known beings that have blood in either of those colors. Pt has also found baking to be very therapeutic, and has made it his mission to assist the Egberts as often as possible. Also of note, pt’s lusus washed ashore on Tuesday, confused but unharmed. Pt seems ecstatic, not only to have his lusus return, but also that he can fit him in a pool to keep him from escaping. Wisdom of this action is debatable.

Pt has been in treatment for five months; marked improvement. Has begun to juggle again, although he staunchly refuses to use weighted clubs at this time, and his capering has become quite endearing. Still quite terse with the younger Strider, although he has forgiven the aforementioned Strider for his pre-universe breakdown.

AMPORA, ERIDAN:

Pt has been in treatment one month, presenting primarily with loneliness, hopelessness, and anger issues. Anger management is slow going, but I believe some small measures of success have been made. Still seems to have a victim mentality, but has accepted his actions as wrong.

Pt has been in treatment seven months, and a breakthrough has been reached. Pt appears to have fully grasped that failure to fill quadrants is not a lethal transgression, and has become less clingy and desperate. Self-confidence seems more genuine, and pt has learned to deal with frustrating situations in a constructive manner.

NITRAM, TAVROS:

Pt has been in treatment for ten months, and has made marked physical improvement: pt is able to stand up with a walker and walk for short distances. Pt has expressed some flushed feelings towards Ms. Harley, who has been assisting with nearly all of pt’s physical therapy sessions. Similar feelings seem present for young Mr. Strider, who has been supportive in his own way. Pt has become far more confident, and stammering has greatly reduced. Two months ago, pt forgave Ms. Serket for various offenses; according to him, she had told him to forgive her many times, but only recently did she ask rather than demand. Only when she asked, did he forgive her. Pt has no plans to resume any romantic relationship with Ms. Serket, however.

Pt has been in treatment under my care eighteen months, though only once every two months for the last four sessions. Psychiatric care seems almost unnecessary, but pt prefers to retain a support network, so our appointments have become little more than check-ups. Thanks to his allergist, pt had no trouble adjusting to Ms. Leijon’s new kitten. Pt is walking with a cane, though limping, and has almost eliminated stammer. Although as a health care provider, I must remain unattached, I will admit, I am proud of him.

ZAHHAK, EQUIUS:

Pt has been in treatment three weeks. Pt is experiencing deep depression, initiated by the loss of the hemocaste system. If not for the actions of Ms. Leijon and the reassuring words of his own future self, I would place this pt under suicide watch. Have suggested a number of practices for well-being: meditation no less than three times a day, tai chi twice daily to learn to control his strength, and an herbal consult for hyperhidrosis. Pt has been compliant with all of these.

Pt has been in treatment for six weeks. Herbal medicine seems to have made a marked improvement in hyperhidrosis. No longer must coat the pt’s chair in towels before a session. Thank god for apple cider vinegar and sage. Depression still severe; not even the return of his lusus this week has noticeably improved his mood.

Pt has been in treatment nine months. Mood has improved dramatically after months of tai chi and strength-controlling exercises: pt was able to hug Ms. Leijon for the first time today, and she was completely unharmed. Furthermore, this week pt seems to have discovered that, since blood color no longer affects lifespan, he will not outlive his moirail by centuries. Rather, she has as long a life expectancy as he does. This appears to be the breakthrough we have been looking for. Recommend therapy every two weeks, instead of weekly.

SERKET, VRISKA:

Pt has been in treatment for eight months, and is coming to terms with her pre-game and in-game actions. She has apologized to Mr. Nitram for her various abuses in the past, although she does seem to churn out new ones, though purely of the verbal variety, and mostly directed at his hobbies, affections, or horns. She has taken responsibility for the slaughter of countless young trolls to feed her lusus, and her healing seems to be going well. The fact that her lusus now fits in a picnic basket, and only eats rodents now, may be a factor in her coming to terms with her former powerlessness before the game.

STRIDER, DAVID:

Pt has been in treatment six months, and has finally begun to open up. Pt has vivid memories of each of his deaths and afterlives. Upon creation of this new universe, every individual regained the memories of all of their incarnations, living, dreamselves, and alternate universe versions. Pt had so many alternate timeline versions of himself that their memories have flooded him and he cannot control his flashbacks, though these flashbacks have gradually become less frequent and severe. If not for the steadying forces of his friends, pt would probably crack. It is unknown why Ms. Megido, who endured even more overlapping selves re-merging was spared, but one theory holds that she had already been dead at the time, and had spent enough time incapable of feeling stress that she has found some means to cope. Recommend a joint session with pt and Ms. Megido; however, I feel that he has come around the bend, and is ready to heal.