Fanfic / Sometimes All You Can Do Is Keep Breathing

Sometimes all you can do is keep breathing is a Homestuck fanfic series by EzzyAlpha. It is an AU in which Rose and Roxy Lalonde are sisters, living in a city in New York with their mother. It is currently composed of two fics:

• Don't Be Sorry: The first fic. Complete. In which Rose Lalonde has feelings for her older sister, who is favored by their mother. After Roxy taking her out to lunch, Rose ends up kissing her and finding out she returns her feelings. They start a sort of relationship. However, once their mother finds out about it, they run away to Houston, where Roxy's friend Dirk lives.
• You're Not Sorry: An AU to the first fic, in which Roxy doesn't return Rose's feelings. Ongoing.

It can be read here.

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This fic provides examples of:

• Alternate Universe Fic
• Bittersweet Ending: In the ending of Don't Be Sorry, Rose is happy with the Striders but she's separated from Roxy and apparently isn't even talking to her in the epilogue.
• Break Her Heart to Save Her: In the ending to Don't Be Sorry, Roxy leaves Rose so she can be happier.
• Completed Fic: Don't Be Sorry.
• Flash Back: There is a flashback to when Rose moved in with her mother and Roxy in chapter 2.
• Forbidden Romance
• For Want Of A Nail: You're Not Sorry diverges from the original fic at the car scene when Roxy pushes Rose away.
  • Referenced in the author's tumblr.
• Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: All the chapter titles in Don't Be Sorry are picked from the dialogue except for the Prologue and Epilogue.
  • In You're Not Sorry, all the titles start with You're not...
• Love Confession: In the first chapter of Don't Be Sorry and opening of You're Not Sorry
  • What Rose appeared to be trying in the prologue.
• Love Hurts
• A Minor Kidroduction: The prologue to Don't Be Sorry starts with 13 year old Rose standing outside her sister's room in lingerie and a robe, and jumps to 17 year old Rose getting ready for school.
• Oh, Crap!: Rose realizing they didn't lock the door.
  • Their mother showing up at the end of chapter 7
  • And earlier (chronologically) Roxy finding out Dirk called her.
• Schedule Slip: Don't Be Sorry didn't have a set schedule, but had a noticeable break between chapters 6 and 7 due to the author breaking her arm.
• Sequel Hook: The epilogue of Don't Be Sorry with the mentions of going off to college as a new start
• Sister-Sister incest: Rose and Roxy are full genetic siblings, despite spending their early years apart.
• The Unfavorite: Rose.
• You Can't Go Home Again: Their mother kicks them out.