The REAL Homestuck Epilogues

Meat (7)

    > John: Wait for Dave to return.

you linger your eyes on the place in the sky where dave disappeared before heading back inside the house. casey has returned to the living room, her bunny in hand. she notices your return and glubs in excitement. 

JOHN: hey again!
JOHN: are you hungry? i can make us lunch. 
JOHN: darn it, i forgot to bring you with me to the picnic, didn't i??
JOHN: i'm sorry, casey!

your salamander daughter doesn't seem to mind at all. in fact, you're not really sure that she can comprehend the idea of being left behind. so, leaving her dancing on the couch, you enter your kitchen and pull out a box of smuppet-shaped macaroni and cheese. the product was questionable at first, introduced into the food industry by dirk, but soon it was a big hit and even accomplished at being the food staple of the consort kingdom. 

JOHN: that must explain why all of the salamanders around here have such cheesy breath-

    > John: Make the food.

(Is that good?)

(a little mediocre, but fine)

you turn on the stove, fill up a pot, and begin cooking the pasta when you get a call on your phone. using one hand to stir the noodles and one hand to hold the phone, you take the call.

JOHN: hello?
ROSE: Hello John, a pleasure to hear your voice again.
JOHN: rose! hello! how are you doing? dave told me you were sick!
ROSE: That's the unfortunate case. I can't seem to have a moment of peace these days, and with Kanaya working on the brooding caverns, I'm afraid that I've grown a tad lonely as well.
JOHN: you and me both, rose
JOHN: i'm actually really happy you called!
ROSE: Are you?
JOHN: yep!
JOHN: i've been meaning to go and visit you but i can never seem to find the time.
ROSE: It's been a while since I've seen you as well John, and I hope you are able to come sometime soon. I actually have something I've been meaning to talk to you about...

rose sighs on her end. you don't question it, you can already hear the exhaustion in her voice, and you doesn't want to push her. she sounds tired.

ROSE: Do you remember when we first entered the door?
JOHN: oh, of course i do
JOHN: that was the most important moment in all of our lives.
ROSE: Of course it was. It was also an imperative moment for Jade, seeing as how she lost her First Guardian powers. 
JOHN: i've actually been wondering about that.
JOHN: why is it that i can still jump into canon, that dave can still time travel, and that you can still foresee things, but jade has lost her abilities?
ROSE: Not all of them, John, but the most important ones. The reasoning behind that is because the Green Sun was destroyed to engulf Lord English, and the Green Sun was also the source of the First Guardian's powers. However...

rose shifts in her seat, taking a moment to breathe.

ROSE: You and I both know the exploits Lord English is capable of.
JOHN: well, yeah,
JOHN: caliborn was so obsessed with being almighty that he literally began to control the universe by cheating his way into it.
ROSE: Exactly. And that is why I fear that Lord English may not be out of our sights yet.
JOHN: what?
JOHN: what are you saying?
ROSE: If Lord English is capable of escaping the wrath of an entire black hole, then he is capable of finding his way to Earth C.
JOHN: rose, you don't really mean that...
ROSE: I do.
ROSE: I have never been more serious, John. 
JOHN: rose...
JOHN: please tell me what you're trying to say, here.
JOHN: you don't really...
JOHN: you don't really think we have to fight him again, do you?
JOHN: after all this time?
ROSE: I'm sorry John, but I do. 
JOHN: but rose-
ROSE: Please don't interrupt. This is important, and I'll need all the energy I can spare to sustain even a heavily monologic transmission of the relevant facts.
ROSE: I can barely move my hand across the couch to reach a bottle of pills. Dave is busy with Karkat, and Jade is currently incapable of accomplishing the task I'm asking you to carry out.
JOHN: rose-
ROSE: Bear with me, John-
JOHN: rose, no. i can't. you know i can't.
ROSE: John, you're the only one who can. 
ROSE: You can't deny the truth.
ROSE: You have to go back to kill Lord English.
JOHN: ...
JOHN: i have to go. casey's hungry.
ROSE: John-
JOHN: we'll talk about this later, okay?
ROSE: ... Very well, then. Say hello to your newt for me.
JOHN: salamander, actually. bye rose.
ROSE: I expect your arrival soon. In the meantime, take care, John.