Rose Lalonde never knew everything. Her fiasco with Doc Scratch and brief journey with the Horroterrors only proved to aggravate the notion. Despite that, however, she still knew things, and she prided herself in her ability to know things and people.

She was also a big fucking nerd when it came to psychology.

Hovering over the sick bay’s office, she briefly wondered if Nepeta would be alright with her, but upon remembering the brief interactions they had over pesterchum, she steeled her nerves and allowed herself to come inside.

ROSE: Hello, Nepeta.

From the pile of bedding and blankets, Nepeta slowly looked up and smiled at her guest. Dave was off with Karkat, so Rose doubted that she was expecting anyone except Kanaya to visit.

NEPETA: :33< hi rose! whats up?

ROSE: I just wanted to ask how you were feeling. Is it alright in here?

NEPETA: :33< hmmm… im f33ling better but i wanna do things!

NEPETA: :33< its furry boring to have no prongs anymeower

NEPETA: :33< well i do have prongs but its not like i can use them…

As if to emphasize that fact, she raises up her hands, and shows that she still needs the bandages tightly wrapped around her hands.

ROSE: How long will you need them for? Trolls are a very durable species, from what I can tell.

Nepeta’s smile falters for a second, a spasm in her eyebrows showing a hidden anger. Clearly, a sore spot.

NEPETA: :33< it depends

NEPETA: :33< my prongs were- they were fucked up by gamz33! hes a purpleblood and that means that hes SO FUCKING STRONG-

NEPETA: :33< …so STRONG.

At that, she crumpled over, and Rose tentatively places a hand on her. Softly, like she used to with Jaspers, and her mother did to her, she places her hand on her and keeps it there to ground the crying girl in front of her. It felt strangely intimate, and slowly, she could feel Nepeta’s breath regulate.

NEPETA: i wish i died with him… if i did then id be able to s33 him!!! but hes dead and im not beclaws I RAN AWAY AS SOON AS I COULD-

ROSE: Wanting to die, even idly, is not a good way to grieve. Although there is no specific way that the loss of a loved one is supposed to affect you, the fact still is that you survived.

ROSE: I can tell that you are in some sort of depressive state right now, and I know that you try to hide it from people under a forced veneer of optimism.

Rose lifts up her head and looks at the thin sheen of green that has begun to tint her eyes, and smiles upon seeing how the girl has obviously begun to cheer up, despite how sombre the room is now.

ROSE: I have dealt with someone… with someone close to me dying. I believe that she would be called a lusus by Alternian standards. I know how easy it is to wish that you died in their stead, or were able to join them. But please. I want you to talk to people about this.

Well, this seemed to be a good conversat-

GLOMP!!!!

NEPETA: :33< *hic*- thank you- *hic*

NEPETA: :33< its a bit weird to talk at all about this but- oh gosh it f33ls like a f33lings jam! im not into you that way, but i… like talking to mew!

Suddenly, Rose has a catgirl hugging her and laughing like the end of world, and she can’t help but smile as well.

ROSE: I’m glad that you like talking to me, even if you aren’t into me.

KANAYA: Id Hope That She Does Not Feel Attraction Towards You I Am Admittedly A Little Jealous Of The Sudden Attention That You Have Given Her These Past Few Days

Oh shit how did she do that

ROSE: Hello, Kanaya. What brings you here?

KANAYA: I Am Here To Play Medic And Help Nepeta I Hope That Is Okay With Both Of You

NEPETA: :33< its all good here, h33h33!

ROSE: Well, if you are going to check up on her, I’ll take that as my cue to leave.

ROSE: Doctor-patient confidentiality, and all.

KANAYA: Oh Alright Bye Then

NEPETA: :33< bye bye!

As Rose makes her way across the winding corridors, she briefly sees Dave, who is, apparently, locked in a debate against the alchemeiter.

DAVE: i swear to god fuck i want some aj

DAVE: is that really too fucking hard to ask for?

DAVE: what did the fucking skaia lords decree that apple juice is the most forbidden of the forbidden substances

DAVE: as a specific fuck you to me? is that what happened? fucking bet it was god DAMN

ROSE: Hello, Dave. Are you alright? I hope you aren’t attempting to gain any contraband.

DAVE: oh you fucking know it man im all up in this illegal-ness its fucking insane like hello someone call the fucking irs or whoever the fuck

DAVE: fucking apple juice crime ring is getting off the charts hell yeah

The two of them laugh between themselves, and they allow a soft quietness to lay over them for a few minutes as the apple juice debacle rages on.

Finally- there. The liquid gold, the beauty itself. The aj.

DAVE: fucking finally!

Now with the apple juice in hand, they walked over to the common room, and managed to get the shitty computers to play a shitty drama that they were both equally obsessed with shit on.

ROSE: You know, Nepeta’s really cool.

She means it. Honestly, it’s crazy.