Five Stages of Healing

by sunshinewithstardust

Summary:

Jisoo’s life has come to a screeching halt. After being attacked at work, she feels like a shadow of herself. Her usual comforts have fallen to the wayside. Even playing Love and Deepspace, an otome game that used to bring her joy, only causes harm. Jisoo knows better than most that healing takes forward motion. She knows rotting on her couch isn’t the answer, but the exhaustion that has taken root in her soul makes it feel like all she’s capable of these days.

But, when characters that shouldn’t exist begin popping into her life, Jisoo is forced into action. Somehow the task of getting the guys from Love and Deepspace back home has fallen into her hands. An impossible feat made even more difficult with trauma weighing her down and a mysterious sixth character haunting the narrative.

A collision of two realities has occurred.
Who will survive the aftermath?

[updates every thursday and sometimes on sunday]

Notes:

I've been dying to play in the LaDS sandbox with a fic. I'm so excited!! my plan is to have a new chapter out every thursday for the time being. obviously that might change if life gets too hectic but i've already got a good bit written so we should be safe for a while. today i'll post two chapters though to really set the stage 💁🏻‍♀️✨

as for the sixth love interest thing? I think you'll see where i'm going with it pretty quickly, but he won't be an actual love interest in this story. I also still havent decided if this is just gonna be a reverse harem thing or if I make individual endings with each guy or if they all just end up in a poly relationship lolol. we'll see where it goes.

Chapter 1: Flash Forward

---

---

“You have at least 12 alternate realities existing simultaneously to this one. Those dreams where you’re living a different life? That’s fragmented consciousness bleeding over.” —Unknown

---

 

The therapy office was a cliche.

Shelves lined with self help books, a white noise machine casting out the whispered sound of crashing waves, candles—yes, multiple—filling the room with lavender and a scent claiming to be sunlight, boxes of tissues scattered about for impending breakdowns, and all decorated with art in shades of white and beige. The only thing missing was a kitty poster telling me to ‘hang in there’.

“It’s so nice to see you again.” The work appointed counselor, an elderly woman named Susan, hummed. Her wire rimmed glasses magnified her blue eyes to an intimidating degree, and the clunky necklace of glass beads and abstract shapes was large enough to make her a drowning hazard near any body of water. “You seem happier.”

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “Life’s been good.”

“How so?”

I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms. “Uh, I’ve gotten back to exercising. I’m sleeping much, much better.” Susan motioned for me to continue and I blew out a breath. “My diet has been good. I haven’t had takeout in like a week.”

“That is incredible, Jess. I am so proud.”

It was almost unusual to hear my English name. These days, I was more used to answering to my birth given, Korean name.

Susan laced her fingers together and allowed them to rest on her knee. “What do you think brought on this sudden change?”

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. The goal was to finish my mandated therapy with a glowing evaluation that convinced my co-workers I wasn’t a risk to myself or others. Something told me the response, ‘Popular characters from an otome app game escaped their universe to crash in my house’ was only going to add time to my sentence.

“You know,” I drawled, “It’s hard to say.”