Rocky Road ~ House of Brisa, Dave, Koa, and Owen

[Dragonfree]

"Yeah. At least people appreciate you over here."

She'd be happier here, wouldn't she? Like Mia, probably. "Wonder if Diyem could let you stick around. Not like people haven't worldhopped permanently before. All the omen heroes. Your dad. Even Soda." The parasite. Check on the... "Guess the body in your world would just... drop dead. Maybe people'd finally realize what they lost once you weren't around anymore to save their asses from bandits."

Dave paused. "I need to go home, though. Jean's still there, and the others. Going to just fucking forget about all this. Like it never happened." He took a breath through his nose. "It's fucking weird. Soda spent a lifetime with his partner, held on to that as why he was doing all this, and then when I talked to him at Spirits' Edge, poof, he can't even remember that." His voice was starting to shake again.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa made a mental note to talk to him more about Jean and the others later. Not now. Salt and sand...

"Y'ain't the first person t'be unsettled by memory loss an' what it could mean fer our motivations," she said, drumming her claws on the couch. "We wanna believe that what's important to us will stay important, right? That why we think we're doin' things is really why we're doin' 'em."

She bit the inside of her cheek. This wasn't helpful, and she didn't know what she was doing, sky and stars...

"What you heard from Soda is eatin' at ya, ain't it, Dad? You... You don't have to hold that in yer head all alone, y'know that, right?"

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave shook his head, not exactly in response to anything she said. "He's just... fucking unrecognizable. Just doing whatever the thing tells him, without even realizing that's why. Kept calling it just random whims he had. And he was still... He kept asking me to join him, in changing the world, and... holding his hand out, I don't know what the fuck would have happened if I'd taken it."

He took a breath that trembled, then another to steady himself. Fuck. He should just stop talking and... go take care of the parasite.

"I was just with Green earlier," he said finally. "And he was just, you'll probably have to kill him. He's a usurper god, and he's made his own pocket universe, and it'll be some kind of horrorshow of illusions to fuck with our heads, and there's no power of friendship bullshit powering it like Cibus. And I just... I don't even know if there's anything fucking left of him by now. I just..."

He trailed off. Wanted another drink. Who was he kidding about interrogating the parasite after this, anyway? He could barely fucking stand.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa frowned, and shifted in her seat, leaning towards Dave.

"Dad, you're not okay. Y'hear me? Y'need some goddamn rest. Look, lemme fix ya up another of those coffees."

She moved to head over to the kitchenette again, snagging his mug with one paw.

Fuck. Okay. She needed to make sure he didn't go charging off anywhere. Maybe press the therapy thing. Gods.

 

[Dragonfree]

"I'm fine, I just..."

Deep breath. Fuck. Why was she running around making him coffee? Twice? Didn't she have shit to do?

He was going to tell her she shouldn't, and then didn't. He closed his eyes, took another breath, felt himself melting into the sofa. Okay. Okay. He could use some rest. The parasite... He could go there later. Tomorrow. Sometime when he could think half a coherent fucking thought.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa got to work making a new coffee. It occurred to her to make it with particular effort, maybe add a slice of nomel or something, to give Dave something to be pleased about but the best thing was probably familiarity and straightforward rapidity.

"Y'ain't fine, an' I don't wanna hear a word t'the contrary while I'm lookin' after ya. Now, what needs doin'? Can any of it be delegated? Is any of it so urgent y'can't afford a break?"

 

[Dragonfree]

"You don't have to..." Dave began, but realized it was a lost cause. "I'm... I'm going to check on the parasite at Chip's lab," he mumbled. "Just. Tomorrow. Talk to Flesh about finding the last Soda Substitute. Maybe. I don't... Fuck."

His ears swiveled at the sound of the front door opening. He considered opening his eyes to see who it was. Before he could, he heard Mia's voice. "You look very drunk. Are you going to make any sense if I talk to you?"

"Hey, Mia," he said, raising a paw before letting it drop again. "I'm... probably not."

"You should stop that. It's annoying and bad for your liver."

"I'll take it under advisement."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Sounds like important work as can wait 'til tomorrow," said Brisa, firmly.

She returned with the coffee and a smile. "Howdy, Mia. He's not his best, but would y'mind stickin' around t'give a better chance of him takin' any of my goddamn advice?"

Her tail flicked and she tipped her chin at Dave. "Fer instance, bookin' a fuckin' therapy appointment."

 

[Dragonfree]

"I'm... what? I'm not going to fucking therapy." Dave opened his eyes, struggled to push himself upright again.

Mia looked at Brisa, frowning. "How does therapy work?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Depends on which kind yer talkin' about," said Brisa, wondering if she was going to have to restrain the idiot fella she'd taken to calling 'Dad' just so he wouldn't do himself a nuisance.

"Fer instance, a common form of therapy fer emotional wellbein' is just to talk about yer problems. A professional therapist can hear a person out and offer advice without bein' emotionally involved themself. Knowin' the person yer talkin' to is guaranteed to be non-judgmental and is obliged to keep anythin' y'say confidential can help folks cut past all the shit that clouds their thinkin' by the day."

She sniffed, wondering if Mia would intuit the value in that.

"My therapist is Samurott Fugu. She, ah, duels me. And gets me to answer questions 'bout my feelings in the heat of battle, when I ain't overthinkin' the answers and my nerves are firmer."

And then she hits me with my own emotions using the power of a lesser god to force me to confront what I really ought to think of myself.

"An' she has a couple other tricks she's picked up involvin' aura manipulation."

 

[Dragonfree]

Mia frowned intensely as Brisa explained. This didn't sound like any kind of science-based medical intervention. Was just talking to people supposed to fix problems with the brain? But aura manipulation... That wasn't real in their world, but it was on Cibus. Maybe that was how it worked? At least the dueling part sounded fun, even if it didn't work.

Dave managed to successfully push himself upright and grab the coffee cup. "Look, how's talking about my problems to some shithead going to help us not kill Soda?" he snapped.

Mia squinted at him. "That's not what it's for. You're being stupid."

"Mia, I don't need fucking therapy."

"Does it work?" Dave didn't actually answer, just squeezed the cup in his paw, rubbing at his face with the other. Mia looked at Brisa instead.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded.

"It can do. Fugu's help has done me plenty of good. Got me to take better care of myself. Lotta kinds of therapy ain't so dissimilar to persuasion, though. You'll well know that our Dave ain't easily persuaded of shit."

Humour to cope with concern. And gods, she was concerned.

"Dave, if there's a way t'save Soda, you'll have no fuckin' chance of findin' it while off yer face on drink an' tearin' yerself t'pieces over it."

 

[Dragonfree]

That was true. Dave often conceded points but he didn't often change his mind, not really. But you could talk to him, most of the time. He'd have reasons for things. He wasn't stupid, usually.

"If it sometimes works, there is no reason not to try it. Even if it doesn't work it's just some talking. You talk to people all the time."

Dave shook his head and sipped his coffee, clutching the cup. Goddamn it.

"Dave, if there's a way t'save Soda, you'll have no fuckin' chance of findin' it while off yer face on drink an' tearin' yerself t'pieces over it."

Brisa was right, wasn't she. He was a fucking mess and he couldn't fucking think. He was drawing a blank on even figuring out how to answer Mia. Even if he did, it'd just make her more annoyed with him. Brisa too. (Why was she making him coffee, after everything?)

"Look, fine, I'll go to a fucking therapist." How bad could it even be? Lying on a couch telling some crank about his fucking childhood? Not like he didn't have pointless bullshit conversations every week. He wanted to add, Happy?, and then didn't, because he actually hoped to God they were happy with that. "I just... need some fucking sleep."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Thanks, Dad," said Brisa, her voice soaked with relief.

Better drop the topic for now. He'd agreed, she'd got what she wanted. Dave usually followed through if he said he'd do something. And hey, Mia had taken her side after all. Good. Brisa still wasn't sure how to interact with her outside of training, but she was starting to figure it out.

"Now's as good a time as any to catch some shuteye," she remarked, settling back into her couch. "Might get some myself in a minute."

She looked up at Dave and gave him a tired smile. "Willya lemme know if there's anythin' I can do fer ya?" she asked.

 

[Dragonfree]

"Yeah. Thanks." She sounded so relieved. God.

Dave sank back into the couch. "Thanks for the coffee," he muttered. "You're good."

Mia started saying something to Brisa about fighting, but he was drifting off before he could start to process it properly.

<><><><><>​

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa headed home in an easy lope, her breaths less strained, her shoulders less stiff, her jaw less tense. She felt rested, and yet all she wanted to do was laze around, savour the feeling, and appreciate some company. She had work to do, but it could wait.

She entered her home – and it really was starting to feel like home – and looked around for her housemates. Nobody around. Or, well—

She toggled her vision, and spotted Owen's pokéball.

"Hey, pal, y'wanna step outta there?" she called, wandering over to it to release him if he didn't do it himself.

 

[Namohysip]

The ball wobbled a few times before clicking open, a flood of light solidifying into the Charizard that could now barely squeeze through the front door. He instead curled around his bed, as was tradition, and peered up at Brisa while his head rested on the cushions like a mother protecting her nest.

"Hey," Owen greeted. "You look like you had a good day."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

She grinned, only a little sheepishly. Owen could probably tell better than anyone, huh? Well, that was alright.

"Yep," she replied, strolling to the kitchenette. "Y'want anythin', partner? Thinkin' of orderin' takeout, though."

Goddamn, but if takeout wasn't one of the best things about this planet. She didn't mind cooking, but it was fucking great not to have to.

 

[Namohysip]

"Oh! Yes!" Owen said, rolling a little until he could kick his feet in the air, splaying his arms forward. "Do you have the number for that one place we had those skewers during the spring street market? They had an actual place down in the southern district--wait, I wrote it down, hang on." Wishkeeper flew from his shoulders and into the storage room to find a few notes.

"77-3066," Wishkeeper reported.

"I want their titan honey-spice skewers. I think it's number three on the menu."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa flicked her badge from her neckerchief to the air in front of her and tapped out an order, getting herself the same skewers at a smaller portion. Owen had good taste. Honey-spice, mmm...

"I take it you're in good spirits yerself, with that fuckin' thing outta ya?" she asked, as she added sides and drinks and desserts, not caring that she was getting carried away.