(==>)
JADE: i think you do but bleh whatever as long as we don't have a repeat of last time we can still position you as the good guy
JADE: or at least less of a bad guy
JADE: though playing stupid and cajoling her into slapping me around for catharsis wont work anymore
JADE: well have to think of something else...
ROSE: Jade, I've been compliant with these clumsy machinations partially because they weren't all that consequential at the time, but you need to cut your losses.
ROSE: It's time to start looking beyond the end of your own nose, and accept that these methods aren't going to work.
ROSE: This is not a situation you can win.
JADE: im not trying to "win" anything!
JADE: im trying to be an adult and not run away from this
ROSE: Look, I know better than anyone the satisfaction of gaming people's reactions and getting into their heads.
JADE: (oh my god are you even listening to me)
ROSE: But it's a losing game.
ROSE: You're going to push too hard, or misconstrue something critical, or cross another line.
ROSE: And you'll regret it.
ROSE: That's not conjecture, it's a guarantee.
JADE: youre so frustrating to talk to these days!
JADE: "ohhhh bluh bluh blah i can see the fruitlessness of all our clumsy insignificant thrashing in fates cosmic current"
JADE: dont forget im more than a little versed in future sight myself ok
JADE: i dont care how credible it seems, you cant depend on that information!
ROSE: I know it's hard to hear, but you need to take a second to think about what I'm saying.
ROSE: Don't you feel the least bit relieved?
ROSE: You've spent so many years wrangling this dirty little secret.
JADE: that "dirty little secret" is my fucking daughter
ROSE: Well, now she's not a secret anymore.
ROSE: You don't have to shoulder the burden of keeping her tucked away from everyone in the entire world for fear of the consequences, because the consequences have happened.
ROSE: You're free to invest all that energy elsewhere.
ROSE: Maybe work on yourself a little bit.
ROSE: We could even unpack the hamster guy.
JADE: oh we are not talking about the fucking hamster guy
JADE: i don't want to talk about any of it really!
JADE: ever again!
JADE: thinking back to that whole conversation makes my skin crawl!!!
JADE: "abloo hoo hoo, my life is a monkey paw, everything i want hurts me in the end"
ROSE: It was a little pathetic.
JADE: I KNOW!
JADE: it had nothing to do with what we were trying to DO
JADE: it just derailed everything...
JADE: and worst of all, yiffy heard it!
JADE: ugh!!!!
ROSE: You can't keep trying to control the narrative forever, Jade.
ROSE: If Kanaya wants to hate me, or punish me, she has every right to.
ROSE: She asked for the truth.
JADE: oh come off it!!!
JADE: the truth is whatever people WANT to believe
JADE: you can either try forcing them to understand your side
JADE: leave it completely in their hands and take no responsibility
JADE: or you work with their wants and perspectives
JADE: and make some informed compromises
ROSE: Over the state of reality?
JADE: rose i am begging you can you please cut it out with all the cryptic cosmic crap and come back down to earth???
ROSE: Things aren't like they used to be, Jade.
ROSE: There are no right or wrong routes, anymore.
ROSE: Just a tangle of meandering side-paths.
JADE: so what, that gives you a free pass to self-destruct?
JADE: the best choice was to "double down and say a bunch of horrible insane shit to your wife" ?
ROSE: Jade, over the course of 15 years, when have any of your efforts done a grain of good?
ROSE: For yourself or Dave?
JADE: woooooooow i know what youre doing ok?
JADE: go ahead push every button i have i dont give a fuck
JADE: youre the one that has everything to lose here
JADE: and no matter what awful things you say it wont change the fact im worried about you
ROSE: Don't be.
ROSE: I've done fairly well for myself this past decade and a half.
ROSE: I've been happy.
JADE: thats whats scaring me!
JADE: youre not prepared for how bad it can get
JADE: you have no idea at all!!!!!!!!!!!
ROSE: If you say so.
JADE: ... between you and dave and john i dont know whos worse
JADE: is it really that hard for any of you to care?
JADE: if you dont get your head on straight and begin trying shell leave you
JADE: all youve had together and everything you could have had
JADE: gone!
JADE: and since youre so cool with talking about your mom now
JADE: you shouldve learned that lesson from her a long time ago!
ROSE: Excuse me-
JADE: look it takes a lot of concentration to hold this perimeter
JADE: i think itd be best if you looked after the kids
ROSE: ...
JADE: inside.
ROSE: Fine.