Before Us

One day ago-

Your name is KURLOZ MAKARA. You are the prince to the throne of the GRAND HIGHBLOOD, the highest position among terrestrial trolls... Or so it WAS, until your ANCESTOR besmirched the name forever. You are a fierce adherent to the JUGGALO TRADITION, a mirthful and solemn order of PURPLE-BLOODED CLOWNS, and, as such you do not agree with many of your PLANET'S TRADITIONS. Instead of culling the weak, you live with lowbloods on a nice little communal farm: Raising crops, harvesting slime, and sleeping in canvas tents. It's the only life you've ever known and you wouldn't trade it for anything.

Your typing style is RATHER talkative and enthusiastic... IF a bit monotone at times, and your online handle is thunderousCaterwaul.

What will you do?

Examine respiteblock. ==>

Haha. You can't examine your respiteblock. After all, this brother doesn't possess anything worldly except love in his heart and a scream on his lips! You can, however, examine your surroundings.

Examine surroundings. ==>

God damn. Another beautiful, miraculous day under Beforus's stars on the farm. You watch purplebloods and rustbloods alike watering crops and carrying nature's bounty back to one of the sheds to store. You sigh and smile, the expression deepened by your traditional mime's makeup you wear, black and white. Your leather unitard squeaks as you raise a hand to wave at one of your commune-mates. She waves back with a half-lucid smile.

The world is so fucking special and great for an alien clown living on a commune.

Even more magical- Your beloved matesprit is coming over to visit today! You sigh. It's been so long since you've seen her. But first... You have business to attend to.

Visit The Highblood. ==>

As the Highblood's descendant, you have been tasked with his care. The guy is still alive, in spite of being ancient, and in his old age, he's...

He's pretty much insane.

Centuries of sopor slime does that to a guy. You grab a bottle of the stuff and take it to the Highblood's tent.

As you enter, as usual, you're struck by the smell. God, it smells bad in here. You're pretty sure the Highblood never bathes- You sure as shit don't do it for him. As usual, he's sitting on his throne, reclining peacefully, his low, gravelly voice emanating from the dark tent. The only light source is a dim candle on his throne-side table.

HIGHBLOOD: AhAhA wHaT tHe FuCk Is WhAt My LiTtLe MoThErFuCkEr?

You hand him the sopor, which he reaches for with his shaky, pudgy mitts. Elderly trolls are rare on the planet, as most die off before they can become so decrepit. His skin is a dark shade of black, and his milky eyes are nearly completely red. He's obese and absolutely immense, nearly double your height. He's less like a person and more like a gelatinous, smelly mass. You're... A little intimidated talking to the big fella.

KURLOZ: HELLO, my fine highblood.

HIGHBLOOD: LaNgUaGe, Li'L mAn.

KURLOZ: OH, right.

KURLOZ: WHAT the fuck is up, my fuckin' highblood?

The highblood laughs his raspy laugh as he parts his lips, dumping the sopor past his gnarled teeth. It dribbles down his chin.

HIGHBLOOD: I'vE gOt BiG nEwS, mY lItTlE mOtHeRfUcKeR. i CaN fEeL tHe RiGhTeOuS sIzZlInG iN mY bOnEs WoRsE tHaN eVeR bEfOrE. tOdAy'S mY lAsT dAy UpOn ThIs PlAnEt Of OuRs.

You pause.

KURLOZ: DONT say that, my guy. YOU'VE got days to spare.

HIGHBLOOD: YoU'rE aLl HeLlS oF sWeEt, My LaNkY cOmPaDrE, bUt ThIs Is It FoR mE.

HIGHBLOOD: I hAd A vIsIoN lAsT nIgHt In My DrEaMs. A vIsIoN oF wHaT wIlL cOmE tO pAsS tHiS eVeR sO rIgHtEoUs DaY.

The highblood beckons you closer, placing a hand on your head. You try not to recoil. He seriously smells rank.

HIGHBLOOD: ToDaY, yOu WiLl ShRiEk ThE lAsT hOnK, aNd FrOm ThE nOiSe Of ThAt RiGhTeOuS cAtErWaUl, I wIlL fUcKiN eXpIrE. lIkE aN oLd ChEeSe OuT iN tHe FuCkIn SuN.

KURLOZ: WHAT?

KURLOZ: THAT cant be true, no offense to your miraculous visions, brother.

KURLOZ: TODAY is when my mates coming over.

HIGHBLOOD: ShIiIiT bRoThEr I mIgHt Be WrOnG aGaIn. ThE gOoD mEsSiAh DiDn'T mAkE nObOdY pErFeCt.

HIGHBLOOD: JuSt TaKe My WoRdS tO hEaRt AnD... iF sHiT dOeS sHaKe OuT lIkE i FoRe-SeEn... DoN't Go BlAmIn YoUr DaMn SeLf Li'L dUdE.

You frown. You're not sure how to take this. The Highblood's visions have never been wrong, but he's... Unreliable when it comes to things like this.

HIGHBLOOD: YoU'rE a MaStEr Of ThE cHuCkLeVoOdOoS yOuR dAmN sElF lI'l MaN. dOn'T yOu FrEt. If I'm GoNe, YoU'rE mOrE rEaDy ThAn I eVeR wAs To AcCePt ThE mEsSiAhS iNtO tHe WoRlD.

You can't let doubt show. You nod, meeting the Highblood's gaze. You're not sure if he can see you in the dim light or with his bad vision, but he shuts his eyes peacefully in response.

HIGHBLOOD: KuRlOz. My MoThErFuCkIn KiN. hAvE i EvEr ToLd YoU mY nAmE?

KURLOZ: EASY, hb. ITS makara, like mine.

HIGHBLOOD: ShArP aS a FuCkIn DiCk On A bUzZbEaSt. BuT i AiN't TaLkIn AbOuT tHaT nAmE tHaT wE sHaRe. I'm TaLkIn AbOuT mY nAmE. tHe NaMe My LuSuS gRoWlEd To Me WhEn I wAs A bItCh WiGgLeR eOnS aGo.

You shake your head. No one knows the Highblood's name. People assumed he just forgot it along the lines.

HIGHBLOOD: A nAmE tHaT wAs FeArEd By ThE eMpReSs AnD tHe PiNk DeMoN aLiKe. A nAmE tHaT sTrUcK fEaR iNtO pEoPlE. i WeNt AnD qUiT uSiNg It BeCaUsE i UsEd To Be OnE sCaRy MoThErFuCkEr BaCk In ThE dAy. AlL kIlLiNg PeOpLe AnD rIpPiNg ThEm To ShReDs AnD sHiT. nOwAdAyS i JuSt EnJoY mY sOpOr AnD cHiLl.

HIGHBLOOD: BuT iT's ImPoRtAnT yOu KnOw My NaMe. BeCaUsE mY nAmE iS sHaReD bY oNe Of ThE mIrThFuL mEsSiAhS, aNd OnE dAy... MiLlEnNiA fRoM nOw, WhEn YoU'rE oLd As ShIt LiKe Me... YoU'lL mEeT hIm.

You don't speak. Your jaw goes slack.

HIGHBLOOD: ThE mOtHeRfUcKeR yOu MeEt... WiLl Be Me. AnOtHeR iNcArNaTiOn, BuT nO lEsS rIgHtEoUs AnD fUlL oF pReCiOuS dEvOtIoN tO hIs LoRd. ThE lOrD wE dOn'T sPeAk ThE nAmE oF. tHe DeMoN oF dOuBlE dEaTh.

HIGHBLOOD: My LiTtLe MaN. mY cHiLd. My AcOlYtE. mY pRoGeNy. WhEn YoU hEaR tHe NaMe. YoU kNeEl FoR hIm.

HIGHBLOOD: GaMzEe MaKaRa.

Gamzee. It takes you a minute to respond.

KURLOZ: CONSIDER it committed to memory.

KURLOZ: AND...

KURLOZ: THANK you.

KURLOZ: GAMZEE.

The Highblood sighs, shifting his weight, eyes still shut.

HIGHBLOOD: ThAt'S aLl I gOt FoR yOu. lEaVe Me In MoThErFuCkIn PeAcE. gO sEe YoUr BiTcH.

You exit the tent, as usual, just a bit different than when you entered.

Go see your bitch. ==>

Good timing. It seems Meulin has just arrived. As you emerge from the tent, you look towards the road leading to the commune, and sure enough, in the distance, you see her. Riding on the back of her horse-sized cat lusus. You can't contain yourself. You grin from ear to ear and rush down the road.

KURLOZ: MEU!

When she hears you, she leaps off her kitty and rushes to you, giving you a tight hug.

You kiss her without thinking.

KURLOZ: OOPS, babe, i got makeup on those pretty fuckin lips of yours.

MEULIN: (=^ェ^=) < i dont care, kurloz!!! i missed you SO MUCH!!!!!! it's so good to hear your voice...

KURLOZ: SHIT, kittytits, wed better get inside. SUNS about to rise. I dont want your pretty face to fry, plus youve probably been traveling for ages.

You hold hands, walking the rest of the way towards the farm, inviting her into your tent to sleep.

===

Kurloz then falls asleep for the events of Chapter 13.

You and Meenah make short work of the guards. You've been on Derse long enough to know that people don't really mess with you. They're a little intimidated by non-carapacians, the people they call "dreamers."

MEENAH: this is it. this is the throne room door. ready?

Meenah, knives in hand, grin on her sharp lips, nods. You nod back, grinning yourself. You make a decent team.

MEENAH: YEEEEEE HAW!

Meenah kicks in the door and rushes in. You follow after her, heart pounding. It's exciting, even if it is a dream, but the feeling is cut short when Meenah skids to a halt.

MEENAH: auntie?"

You follow her gaze, and, standing next to your target, the Sword Sorcerer is...

The Pink Demon.

Your blood runs cold. You've never seen her in person, you never knew she was real. But here she is. On Derse. In your dream. What is she doing here? The Sword Sorcerer doesn't matter any more.

Something overtakes you, overwhelms you. You feel rage burning in your veins as you rush towards the demon. You can hear yourself howling, screaming, shouting in anger, and you watch as the carapacians and Meenah recoil from the sound alone. You have to do it. It's your only chance. Something you didn't even know you were capable of:

The Last Honk.

Your body contorts, your jaw unhinges, your mouth opens, and you feel air rushing past your vocal flaps, too fast, too hoarse, destroying you from the inside, but you can't stop, you'll kill everyone here.

You see the Demon raise her hand just before you unleash your scream, and...

Snap.

KURLOZ: 

...

You blink. This isn't Derse. This is... This is your tent. On Beforus... Home.

You raise your hands to your face, panting with relief. Just a dream. You're shaking. You clutch your throat. It's impossibly hoarse, and it looks like your scream tore holes in the tent flaps.

KURLOZ: ghk...

You can't speak, words hurt. You hope everyone on the commune is okay. Then, you remember.

The Highblood. Fuck. You look down at your hands, still quivering from the sight of the Pink Demon. The Highblood was right. He's probably dead in his tent, now... You gasp, coughing blood from your wound. You leap out of your recupacoon, peeking out the window-flap, hissing in pain as the bright Beforan sun shines in. It's not safe to go out, but you're not getting any sleep. You have to talk to someone. Someone you trust, even if it's...

--- thunderousCaterwaul began trolling tragicAeons ---

TC: TUNA.

TC: TUNA. FUCK.

TC: PLEASE be online. FUCK i know its late just. FUCK. IM freaking out.

TC: TUNA.

TA: >

TC: THANK fuck. I fucked up. REALLY bad.

TA: >calm the fuck down, idiot.

TA: >i'm sure it's nothing.

TA: >still. you must be upset for waking me up at this hour.

TC: IM sorry about that. I just dont know what the fuck else to do, tuna.

TA: >don't call me tuna. it's weird.

TA: >we're supposed to be kismesises. i think.

TA: >does long distance kismessitude even work??

TC: I dont care what the fuck we are right now. FUCK.

TC: YOURE the only person i can trust with this.

TC: I dont think you can like.

TC: BE a guys kismesis if he trusts you like i do.

TC: CAN we please just. FUCKING drop this? I dont care if you think my religion is bs any more just.

TA: >oh.

TA: >wow. yeah. okay, kurloz. just... calm down, i guess.

TC: ITS fine.

TC: IM sorry.

TC: I think i just accidentally killed the highblood.

TA: >fuck.

TC: IT wasnt on purpose. SEE I was having this dream. ABOUT the pink demon.

TA: >oh shit.

TC: AND in the dream, to beat her, i was going to use the last honk.

TA: >whoa

TA: >like the honest to god last honk?

TC: NO! I mean. I dont know?

TC: I mean if it was the real last honk im pretty sure youd know because...

TC: BEFORE i could use it in the dream, i woke up and...

TC: I screamed in real life.

TA: >shit

TA: >are you okay? what even happens when you do that?

TC: I dont know... MY voice is gone and i keep coughing up blood...

TC: WILL i be able to speak again?

TC: IS the highblood okay?

TA: >kurloz...

TA: >i know i hassle you a shitload.

TA: >but i know the highblood means a lot to you. if you killed him... it's not your fault. there's nothing you could have done to keep yourself from screaming. you can't control your dreams.

TA: >he couldn't have blamed you.

TC: HE... HE did say that... YOURE right, mituna. FUCK.

TC: HE said if i ended his life by accident... NOT to beat myself up.

TA: >weird prediction but.

TA: >exactly.

TC: PHEW...

TC: FUCK. I just hope everyone in the camp is ok.

TC: IM pretty far from their tents so theyre probably fine.

TC: IF theyd been closeby they would have probably gone deaf.

TA: >good thing meulin wasnt with you

TA: >she's visiting right?

TA: >...

TA: >uh.

TA: >buddy?

--- thunderousCaterwaul ceased trolling tragicAeons ---

Your eyes fix on the screen, on one word.

Meulin.

You're frozen. You can't move, you can only shake. She was sleeping right beside you in the recupacoon, she was next to you when you screamed. You can't look into the recupacoon. You can't do it. Your knees shake, you sweat, your phone clatters to the ground.

It's like you're in a trance, lightheaded and blank, eyes wide as dinner plates as you take one step, then two, then three, each plodding pace worth a hundred deafening heartbeats.

You reach the recupacoon. You look inside.

Meulin is sleeping soundly. Her breathing steady, her face peaceful. But that offers you little consolation.

Because mixing with the sopor slime inside the cocoon, oozing from Meulin's ears, swirling together with the neon green of the slime...

Is blood.

You force your voice to obey you, no matter how much it hurts, you hoarsely croak two syllables.

KURLOZ: meu....lin...

Meulin doesn't stir.

You swallow blood, and using the last ounce of your voice, you call out again, louder, bile and purple hemoglobin churning in your throat.

KURLOZ: MEU- LIN!!!!!

Nothing.

You strike the side of the recupacoon, tears stinging your eyes.

KURLOZ: MEU- LIN?!!?!

Your voice is anguished, and you don't care if you ever speak again. Meulin stirs and your eyes go wide again. She makes a sleepy groan, rubbing sopor from her eyes.

MEULIN: (=•́ܫ•̀=) < hi, kurl-

She blinks.

MEULIN: (=•́ܫ•̀=) < kurloz, why are you crying?

You put your face into your hands. You can't look at her.

MEULIN: (≧☉_☉≦) < kurloz, it's okay! i'm here!

MEULIN: (≧>_<≦) < KUUUUURLOOOOOOOZ?

MEULIN: (ﾐ⚈ᆽ◕ﾐ) < DID SOPOR GET INTO MY EARS?

Her voice is so... Earnest. She puts a hand between your horns.

MEULIN: (๑꒡ᆽ꒡๑) < KURLOZ? WHY CAN'T I HEAR MYSELF?