She was only thirteen.

          ❝probably not since what i did was sort of a last ditch effort to keep the main timeline from becoming a doomed one. i can help gather info for you too since i have a feeling that whoever we meet might not exactly be from the same time line or even the same point in one.❞  Which actually sounds like it would complicate things, but it’d be best to take what you’re able to get. 

Great, more different timeline stuff. Rose wasn't really surprised, a lot of things could go wrong in the grand scheme of things. "I'd appreciate the help at least. Even if everyone's timeline is different, we could probably put together the main timeline through what they experienced before their timeline made its way off of the beaten path of the alpha timeline."

    You visibly CRINGE at the mention of that fiasco. You are the epitome, if not the embodiment, of pure awkward conversation. But you smile all the same, as required by your all-haste promise. The past is the past– and you haven’t seen the GODHEAD in this city, not even once. You should be fine… right?

Rose was somehow surprised that there were so many trolls in the city, then she realized that so far most of her friends were actually already there. She also felt more than a little bad hwen Tavros cringed at the mention of their only conversation before this, because even though it was a little awkward, she had much worse conversations with the trolls. She flashes a Rose Lalonde™ smile at him for the trouble.

 you off guard so much as you don’t really have an answer for it, so you shrug. You’ve been gone from Earth for three years and even then, you didn’t particularly come from some place normal. An entirely empty neighborhood isn’t commonplace as you originally thought; actually, it’s kind of weird. ❝maybe get a job or something, i don’t know really but i don’t want to sit around all day and do nothing.❞ 

The idea of John getting a job was weird, but keeping busy in the city was a lot harder than it seemed. It was nice that he was willing to help Rose with the timeline though. "I'd really appreciate it if you would help me, because right now the think I'm mostly banking on is a book that apparently future me wrote. Let me tell you though, alternate mes wrote a lot of books. And I doubt that any of those books cover the changes you made."

     ❝jack shit,❞ is youranswer.  ❝i can fly for like 20 minutes a day but nothing else. it fucking sucks. im basically useless but at least i got all my limbs right?❞ You laugh.

Rose shifted uncomfortably at that statement. "Well, instead of living in a shack, I'm living in Sector 3. Which if you've been to, is honestly bad news. I've managed to be okay there so far, and I've lived there for over a month, so I think that I'll keep living there if you don't mind.

     ❝Not long,❞ he replies, shifting his weight and moving unconsciously to step between the girl and a few more staggering passers-by.  ❝I only got here about a few weeks ago. It’s been…an adjustment.❞ Understatement.

Rose may have thought the handshake was weird, but she went for it anyway. He was the one that offered it. "I'm Rose Lalonde, likewise." After the introduction, she let go of Jason's hand.

She who reaches toward the heavens and finds the stars

Rose knew she shouldn't be reading a grimoire after what happened, but she was still fascinated by the entire world of Horrorterrors. It was one of those many things that were cool in theory, but awful in practice. The library however, was an excellent way to spend the day. Especially because books meant she wasn't at home. Rose could hear someone approaching though, and she looked up from her book to see who it was. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't one of the approximately ten people that she knew in the city. 

You’re pretty sure this isn’t the Rose you knew considering she wasn’t head to toe in her usual orange and, well she simply looked considerably younger. Not that you were discriminating of course. You hadn’t gotten much time to talk to the version of Rose you knew since her and Kanaya had simultaneously decided to live in each other’s wastechutes, but you had to wonder if she would recognize you and more importantly what kind of impressions this version had of you. 

Rose really wished that she actually recognized the people that came up and talked to her, especially when they recognized her first. Though she did know OF a Karkat, she had never spoken to him, he was Jade's patron troll. She tried not to frown when he started talking, but that's just because she was tired of being called short.

     ❝Yeah, I…sorry. That was probably a reflex. I didn’t mean to make you feel like you can’t take care of yourself.❞ 

“It’s okay, it’s good to know that your reflexes are good enough that you can pull a thirteen year old out of the way of a small horde of drunk women without really thinking. Which I do agree is irresponsible, but the authorities in this city are usually more concerned about everything else.” 

          ❝ah at least you can do that! i’ll be caught up with you in no time.❞  Your face lights up, excited about the thought of pestering everyone again. It seems so long since you’ve actually done it, not that you have problems actually speaking to them face to face. Virtual communication is just so much more convenient at times, especial when distances were concerned. 

The idea of someone who is both her mom, and her daughter really, really did confuse Rose. She yet again pushed another question to the back of her mind, and, at this point there were a lot of questions back there. She was so going to have a Q&A with Dave and John later.

          Seeing Rose this small makes you realize how much you’ve all grown in the past three years. You remember first meeting her, how she was around your own height and granted she was speaking in that garbled speech, it was still nice to see her. Now you’ve got more than a few inches on her and you’re starting to feel old. Or maybe you’re just starting to get ridiculous with this train of thought, so it’s time to stop it. 

   ❝man it wasnt so much that i was callin you adorable. just the situation. like. you gotta recognize how fucking cute it is that youre here and three years younger than me and lookin like a mini rose by my estimation. ive never been a big bro before. please let me enjoy the experience.❞

"I'll let you have the big brother experience, so long as you don't make a habit out of calling me Mini Rose. Though yeah, I am probably around three years younger than you. Since I was kind of pulled out of the timeline during the game."

          ❝rose?❞ Her name falls off your lips with a heavily questioning tone, like you aren’t sure that the girl you stumbled upon is the Lalonde in question. It is though, because you could never ever mistake Rose for anyone or anyone for Rose. The one in front of you is so tiny, smaller than you remember when you last saw the Seer, not to mention lacking that Seer garb of hers. But she’s small in a familiar way, more like looking back into the past to when you all first started the game. It’s a bittersweet thought and you give her a smile regardless of what you’re thinking. 

Rose turned when she heard her name, and she really, really didn't expect to see John Egbert. She definitely didn't expect to see him at the age of sixteen, but that was because a month ago to her, he was thirteen as well. Dealing with all of the timelines is the oddest thing, though it seemed like the other people she knew that she met were from the same place. Pushing that entire can of worms to the back of her mind though, she smiled back at John, because she really was glad to see John again, especially after her last encounter with him.

[ seerofblight ]

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” 

    You have seen enough FAMILIAR FACES for it to be a custom around here. You and your friends have already been pulled out of PARADOX SPACE into your own little world, so it isn’t that surprising to meet someone you’ve met before. It also isn’t surprising for that person to never have seen you. You smile with all your TOOTHPICK WHITES. It’s not hard, no, to get a grasp on your situation.

“Well, luckily for you I am for sure, the girl that you had a conversation about Dave with. I seem to remember you accidentally blocking and unblocking me, which is more than what most people bother doing. They’d just sort of run with their mistake.” 

{ LITTLE SISTER. }

Oh boy, does her brow wrinkle. She just kind of squints at Dave. She definitely hasn’t been called adorable in a very, very long time.