You Mean I Have To Do It Again?
It's very disorienting to be awake when the sun is up, and to feel it not burn your face off. Even more disorienting is how half of the sky is dotted with clouds across cheerful blue-- much like the people of Prospit --and then the other half is dark, dusky plum, showing off the brilliant light of thousands of visible stars. It's strange, but beautiful. You honestly never thought you'd get to see the sky of another planet. If it had not been for Feferi, for your friends, anyone at all really, none of you would have been here to see the marvels of the galaxy. At the very least, to marvel at the world of Skaia.
You have to pull away from the window, or else you'd sit there all day at the sill, struck with how breathtaking it is and just stare. If even Gamzee can focus, so can you, and you're not about to be outdone by your personal-- favorite --slime-trip on legs.
Now that you think about it, you haven't had a lot of time to pile with him, you feel that particular endeavor is quite overdue. Maybe the two of you can hide yourselves away for a while, you can't possibly be needed that much to keep things in order, it's not like you're the empress here.
Sneaking out of the room given to you in the border palace is no easy feat. Undetected, anyway. The corridors have the few working people bustling about, going about their usual routine, much more diligently and happily than you've seen any servant be wont to do. While it does strike you as a little strange, you suppose that these people have yet to know the harsh rule of a bloodthirsty dictator-empress, and you hope they never have to.
They give you respectfully brief bows, and then return to their own busy schedule, paying no further mind to you. You're free to explore.
After a few turns and some mild confusion, you happen upon the library. It's a great, round room that spirals up several floors, leading up to an observatory on the highest level. Light orbs litter the room, providing illumination in the otherwise dim room. You'd pass it by, but now your interest has raised after spying Nepeta and Equius resting at a table a little further in, Equius attempting to read one of the many books stacked next to him, and Nepeta not really paying attention to anything in particular, save the lock of her moirail's hair that she's braiding.
You walk towards their table, thankful for the carpeted floor to cover your footsteps, even though you're sure Nepeta's already heard you. Her ears flick, and then she's stretching, curling all her muscles back and then releasing, like a seasoned predator. She finally addresses you, "Having a tour, Karkitten?" She eyes you with mild interest and then loses it altogether, her attention more focused on plaiting Equius's locks, her own a wild, intimidating mess. (The number of times Equius has probably taken a grooming tool to it and succeeded are probably outweighed by how many times he's given up on detangling the mass completely. You wonder how Aradia and Feferi do it? Then again, your own hair is quite long by now, maybe you are due for a cut as well?)
"Didn't really plan for it, but I guess that's what it is now. Can you even read that?" You wave a hand towards Equius, indicating the foreign book in his hand.
Equius clears his throat, "Eventually, though I suppose that inquiring one of their scholars to scribe out a brief reference has lessened the headache I would have had to endure otherwise. But, I presume that yes, I can read this, albeit very carefully and slowly, lest I misunderstand the passage."
"Fascinating. I'll leave you to it, then." You think he deliberately throws in some extra words to sound even more like a fancy fuckwit (to fuck with you, specifically), not even Eridan would be able to withstand it. You turn on your heel into a random section of the library, Nepeta lazily purrs, "Bye~" and refocuses on her task.
With what little you know of the Skaian's written language, you can sort of navigate yourself towards their romance section, which while it is abundant with a lot of flush and some squinty pale reads, is severely lacking in much of anything else. If you keep going you can see that the subject evolves into the more...raunchy types, and you may or may not remember where this particular aisle is for future reference. You head upwards some, curious at the observatory. On the way, you happen to see Sollux lounging in an alcove, a thin book spread over his face and some slight buzzing snores as an obvious tell that he's asleep.
The thought to flip the book off his face does cross your mind, but then so does the repercussion of him waking up and not being completely all there-- a downside to being a removable helmsman and so possibly maybe end up psionically throwing you down the stairs....yeah, no.
So you just scowl and continue towards the next flight, at the very least this venture will keep you in shape with all these goddamn stairs.
Finally reaching the top point, the observatory is a wonder in and of itself; the total concept of gravity is lost to the vastness of the ceiling, the Skaian record of the stars and planets floating in full plain view. You have to hold yourself down by one of the shelves, hopeful that it's been bolted to stability, and let your oculars take it all in. It is mind-blowingly beautiful. You wonder if somewhere among those stars if home is visible; could you even pick out what it looked like from here?
"It is as much a map as it is a study guide."
You startle at the voice of another, one of the Dersian royals, that same fairy platinum hair but solemn lavender eyes keep you transfixed to the bookcase (you'd heard of a strange birthing phenomenon with these sentient mammalians, something completely unheard of back home, a double-hatching-- 'twins'. How do two grubs share the same egg without wanting to eat the other to prove dominance? You can hardly wrap your pan around the mere concept. If it wasn't for some obvious differences though, you'd have actually thought she was the lord prince). She looks amused at your unaware reaction, and continues,"Long ago, we descended from another place entirely. Before then, we had the blood of gods in our veins," Her arm comes palms up and a tendril of-- power, magic, because there isn't any other word for it --curls and crackles about her fingers, then she giggles, "Of course, it doesn't run as strongly now."
She floats upward along with the flow of...whatever it is that does that, in the room, rises up into the miniature model of space. The Dersian princess runs a hand over the star models, causing them to glitter as she turns back to you, "Do your people study astra lore? Or is it considered a lost subject only fool scholars dream after?"
Somehow you find the sense to answer, clearing your throat, "Not so much lore as simple astrology; our precedent empress thought our homeworld completely hers, and sought to conquer other worlds. Our astrologists were more or less mapmakers for imperial forces, but no more. I believe if they wanted, they could dig up old, forgotten stories. Since the Church is no longer under the old imperial control, they might even be willing to share what knowledge they have." Now you're very interested in having that talk with Gamzee.
She hums, her fingers skimming along an orb and it spins out to expand, bursting in numerous, various strands of constellations, "Ah, I suppose that would have been the case. Deducing from what I know, if it wasn't practical in the greater conquest, it was discarded completely. An entire...caste, was it? Entirely desiccated from being? A terrible thing, to lose a part of history and civilization. Even worse is to be the cause of it," her expression darkens, and she mumbles something you can't make out.
This subject's getting a bit touchy.
"...I'm flattered you remembered something of our people's history, however dark. When were you able to hear of that particular excerpt, my lady?"
She brightens immediately, "Ah, I was able to catch it from Lady Palatium. We were having a most enjoyable chat over a lovely brew of tea, and it happened to be the turn of the topic. Speaking of," she descends and approaches, holding out her metal-wrapped hand, "if you would remove your gage, please?"
Wary, you undo the buckle and slide off the glove-piece, placing your greyscale hand in her cold, peachy-pale grip. She turns it palm side up and drags the pointed tips of her talon rings over old healing calluses and newly sensitive skin. It tingles, and not because of the metal claws, or your hatchling sensitivity; It's like the time Sollux and Gamzee wanted to test a joke toy on you-- you fell for it right on the dot like a sap --and the moment you touched the false foil-wrapped sweet, those fuckers shot you straight up with a little psionic shock, you remember being jump-twitchy the whole fucking night.
This is not like that time. This was something more amplified, as if currents of energy had been hot-wired directly to your nervous system. You have no doubt that Sollux could fry you to a crisp if he wanted, and hell, Aradia's own abilities weren't anything one should mess with. But this...this feeling, it's like this isn't all of it, and if you were ever hit with all of it, you'd be gone before you even experienced the full extent of what all of it was.
(If you think too hard, it's more like that time you went to rescue Gamzee, but then...everything...it was dark, a-and you felt so lost and so, so much fear...and then the taunting...)
"Oh, forgive me, I wasn't thinking for a moment," and a good majority of it-- that energy --ebbs away, only just lingering in a peripheral sense, "Now...oh..."
"What-- My lady, is there something wrong?" You're worried about the sudden light in her expression, watching warily.
Her face turns up, and you're locked in place by an analyzing lavender gaze,"Please, don't worry. It's just that it seems to be time for you to wake up," her grip however hardens, the claw tips digging into your skin, pricking blood to the surface.
"W-what, what do you mean? --!!"
Her eyes turn bright and piercing, patterns dancing over the iris. It feels like everything is starting to disappear from around you.
"Awaken, Knight of Blood."
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✮☆★♋★☆✮
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"So, you failed. It's not like you were given a particularly difficult task, so all I want to know is why?"
You watch as he drops into a full-on deferential bow, implicating forgiveness. From your unseen perch high above, you barely hear the Dignitary's words, aside from his smooth, calm tone. Not as projected as the Black Queen, but cool and collected speaks where volume cannot reach. Tch, speak up dammit...
They plop right next to you, surprisingly making little noise, "What'd I miss? Anything good?"
"Mmnope, can't even hear them. He is in some trouble though."
"For what?"
"...Were you not with me that night, or--...nevermind."
You refocus on the Dark World court, keeping an eye on your enemies is a lot easier than you thought. It's allies you need to watch out for, they're so much harder to find. To put it in understandable terms, there's a whole lot of sidequest shit to do before you'll be able to really find anyone, not including the characters you have in play, or in queue to play...to put it understandably.
"...to allow me to redeem myself..."
"Ooh, here we go~ What is it this time?"
The two of you listen in more intently, not daring to miss whatever information you can scavenge.
As long as you both stay in the shadows, they'll keep talking for you. You have an advantage.
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✮☆★♋★☆✮
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"Look buddy, it's been a week, would you quit following me around!? I don't want your stalker surveillance, and I can't keep Nepeta from catching you forever. There are literally tons of things for you to better waste your time on than trailing me at school, I promise you."
In case it wasn't obvious, you are Karkat Vantas, seven-point-six or probably sixteen to be simple, high school student and part-time Sailor Soldier, you guess...at least according to John, the magic cat who talks to you...(that's totally a perfect introduction, no insanity here, no sir.)
You glare with a practiced grimace at the source of your irritation. John just shrugs and pit-pats behind you, not really paying any attention to you. Typical shitty cat.
It's been several days since your 'incident'-slash-'dream', but there hasn't been any kind of 'suspicious' activity. And it's not really helping that John won't talk to anybody else, further proving your 'I've gone shithive' theory.
"You never know~ Sometimes they just pop up when you least expect it, and then BAM! Dying people, dying people everywhere. If they aren't dying, they're dead, and that's eeeven worse!" John scales up to walk on the wall beside you, pacing just a little bit further ahead, "'Sides, would you even do the job I gave you if I wasn't there? You'd probably bail at the first sign of trouble," he says with his nose up in the air like he's some higher life form than you on the echeladder of life.
(Like, okay, maybe, you mean, he is a talking cat after all, he may be some bigshot deity in disguise, you don't know.).
You snort, even though that one part of your brain says 'yeah, okay, that's not entirely wrong, I'd totally make a run for it', but you try really hard to ignore that part.
"Yeah, right. You made this big fuss over something that ended up being a one-time thing. What if there isn't anymore supposed 'horrible, bad things' coming out to hurt people? What if that thing you set me up against was just it, what now?"
"Pff, don't count on it. The highest probability of these goddamn shenanigans happening is now higher than it was a month ago, by myself at least," he leaps off his ledge, landing in front of you, "It may seem peaceful now, of course. Even so, more reason not to let your guard down."
"Ha, yeah, sure. Because whatever bigbad guy that's out there is just waiting for me to be at my most vulnerable, right?" You make sure to be dramatic, you even do the highest quality of feinted faints.
John spits and growls, "Exactly....y'know, I wasn't expecting you to continue being this dim. You're taking all the fun out of this."
"OH well excuse me for not wanting this thing, whatever it is you're having me do, where it just so happens you want me to risk my neck to get rid of-of things that have it on high priority to kill me first, ask questions later. Sorry for the lack of hilarity on my end," you snark at him.
There's a bit of hustle and bustle as a small crowd gathers at a street stall, a fortune specialist. What you know of fortune-telling is that they use things like crystal balls and cards and whatever and can look at your palm and tell you things you probably already know about yourself, or tell you vague-y future-y things in general that could happen to anybody. Nowadays there are things like electronic horoscopes, online almanacs and other things to beat the outdated ways (even if the entire practice itself is a load of crockshit)
(....Maybe it could be worth a try? Couldn't hurt to see if there might actually be something they could tell you...)
"Ooh~ lookit that. Not every day you see someone with at least a little bit of natural talent for magic...," John peers at the commotion, or probably just at the person in charge, does it for some time and then jumps for your head, giving you a little bit of panic.
"FFFF- hey, watch it!!"
"Heyy~ Karkat~ don't get distracted by these kinds of things, okay~? Be a good little pupa and stay in school, become a responsible mature adult and all that goodness, right?"
"Oh my go-- stop being a fucking creep, get off of me!!!"
He loses interest as you round the front entry gate of your school and uses you as a springboard to reach higher ground. You duck into the gateway and John stays behind on the school wall.
★♋★
"Karkaaaat~!!--"
"I do not have the damn cat with me, do not inquire of it any further, for it shall do you no good," you state flatly as her excited posture droops, her request denied before she even had a chance, "Nepeta, please. It's not even allowed on school grounds, and I don't plan on sneaking it in here. It's not even mine."
She pouts, obviously displeased, "That's not what it seems to think...following you around like that...must be nice...they won't let me take the ones at the shelter, because of Pounce...must real be nice, having an itty bitty kitty follow you wherever you go...," and continues grumbling at you like that until Equius comes in with Sollux and Nepeta takes a running leap to reach her moirail's shoulders, "Equiuuussh~!!"
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until after school hours. Please try and keep a focus on your studies."
"Traitor!!"
Sollux snickers, slouching into the seat next to you with his gangly limbs all over the place, "NP, you gotta theduce him into it. Give him a good ol' pap into thubmithshh-- dammit, submission!"
"Oho! I bet you'd lick that, huh? Are ya edging for my pap-paws, Sollux~?
"Nah, licking ith TZ's thing."
"Captor, that is highly inappropriate for the current setting! And Nepeta! That's lewd!" Equius has her softly by the shoulder's, trying to whisper, "Y-you're not really...considering him, are you?" "Nyope~! You're stuck with me, silly!"
"Alright, thorry, sorry. Don't start an exhibitionary jam on my account, just blame it on my new repressant meds."
(Apparently, Sollux is supposed to be psionic, or have psychic capabilities that can manifest physically, supposedly a reason of why his eyes are the way they are, and not what he told you when you both were in elementary, you being a gullible little pupa and him being a deceptive piece of shit with his 'favorite color' bull.)
"Okay kiddos, SHADDUP AND SIT DOWN, I'm here."
Mr. Slick rushes in and bangs his briefcase open and pulls out a daunting stack of paper, "And what I've got for ya's is this months study guide, pay attention and read up, this will literally have all your test answers. Lookit me, I'm being a goddamn saint here for ya. Just fill it in and use the damn thing, this will be the easiest test you've ever had, easier than Ms. Paint's, even. Ain't none of you's is failing my class, you hearin' me!!?"
Sollux waves his in front of your face, already marked up, "Y'know, he wath right, it was easy."
"Okay, first of all, fuck you. Fuck you right up the chute with a rusty crowbar--"
"Kinky."
"Shut up! And second, how do I get you to let me borrow that?"
"Hmmm...how about, no, maybe? And we thee what happens, yeah?"
"Sollux you are a traitor to me and this friendship, I officially hate everything that you are and everything you stand for. You're a jerk."
"I know, aren't I just tho amazing?" He leans in and jiggles the guide in front of your face, "Maybe, I might be so inclined to lend you my copy if you were to possibly give me the lunch you packed for Gamzee, on account of the information I have that he will not be showing up today."
This asshat. Regardless of that fact being true, if he doesn't come today, there really will be no point in what you made. If he doesn't show up, that is. Still, it's frustrating, "...If he's not here by lunch break, then fine."
"Deal. I just need to take it home for today to load it through my home thystem. That cool with you, or nah?"
"Yeah, fine. Do what you need to. I thought you already had the year plan downloaded...?"
"Oh, yeah, thith ith just to fill in any mithhing spots that I didn't catch, is all."
Huh. So even Sollux isn't totally sure of himself sometimes. That's a bit of a relief to know. You turn back to the board to watch Mr. Slick scratch the day's lesson with a chalk piece into some form of sense. Maybe you should just fill the guide out yourself? You'd have no obligation to Sollux, but if you had all the information you needed now, it'd make for easier studying, better preparation; you could bring your grade up drastically.
You don't know what to do.
(Not to mention there's a talking cat stalking your ass to do stuff for him, but what does that matter to this?)
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✮☆★♋★☆✮
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You ring the doorbell, the familiar homey chimes comes to life and reminds you of the sweeter half of your childhood.
Nanna Crocker's house is always a place of good feelings, good sweets, good memories and good times all around. If there was anybody who needed cheering up, you'd recommend them to the services of the Crocker-Egberts, fun-time extraordinaires and harbingers of joy. Ain't nothing a good ol' dose of Crocker-bert ain't never failed to fix in the history of ever (because they made you forget when it was just you, Dirk and your sister trying to rough it out on your own because Dirk said the system would have separated you and therefore the system sucked the most wrinkled of asscheeks).
The door opens up to the most wonderful face you've ever set eyes to.
"Oh, hello Davey! Don't just stand there, dear, we went through this last time, come on in. John just came in not too long ago, though I'm afraid you just missed Jane and Jake, they've gone off with Dirk to retrieve Miss Roxy. Oh! And I just baked a pie, fresh out the oven," Nanna Crocker is too good for you, a literal saint, the dream. Just think, if you and your ringpop proposal hadn't been as gently turned down as possible at the ripened age of seven then sweet baby jehovah, you'd have married this woman in a heartbeat (note that this was before you learned why such a marriage wouldn't have worked. Goodbye sweet dreams, hello cruel fate, so long true love, never to be founded in this life).
(Nanna is the only one EVER allowed to call you 'Davey', or 'David', for that matter. Rose bends that rule from time to time, but she never calls you 'Davey'. Just Nanna, and only Nanna, and it will be that way until forever.)
"Hi Nanna. I thought I smelled some of the strawberry heavens. Is John upstairs?"
"Yes he is, would you mind getting him to come down here? I'll go ahead and slice up some of that pie."
"Oh, you don't have to go through the trouble, Nanna. We're grown, we can do that ourselves."
"Hoohoohoo~! You're a sweetheart Dave. But I really don't mind none, just bring yourselves to the kitchen for me. All I want is for it to taste good, and that'll make me happy. Now get going, buster!"
Ah, yes, the sweetest of authoritative figures if there ever was one. All authoritative figures should aspire to be like Nanna. They'd probably end up with better henchmen. Heck, if Nanna Crocker was a mob boss, you'd volunteer to be one of her henchmen, no questions asked, man. You'd just be there. Payment? The only payment you need is whatever miracle confection that woman and her miracle hands can pull out from her miracle oven. Even the occasional grandmotherly kiss on the cheek is fine. Hell, a bedtime story? Fuck yes you'll take that.
You shake your head clear of rambling thoughts and climb the stairway, heading towards John's room. The last time you came, he'd been out, working on a 'project' of some kind, so you're glad you were able to catch him this time.
His room is open, one wall is lined with posters of really bad movies and he's halfway through his chest of tricks, "John?"
He bumps his head on the lid before pulling himself to his feet fully, gingerly rubbing at the sore spot he got just now, "--oww, hey Dave!"
John stands at just about the same height as you, massaging a mess of black hair and fixing his glasses to sit properly on his face, "Hah, sorry, but what were you up to?"
"Nothing too important, just sorting some things out, getting rid of some old tricks and preparing for new ones."
"New tricks? The old ones not up to par anymore?"
"Nah, just need something new once in a while, y'know? How've ya been? I heard you missed me last time you were here."
"It's been great to be back somewhere familiar, and I mean traveling and touring is great and all, but like you just gotta go home sometimes. OH, so you know those shades you gave me? These?" You flash the pair at him, "I freaking love them, okay? Like I'm not bombarded by a goddamn horde every time I walk outside, and it's great? Thank you so frigging much, I don't think I could top this."
"No problem, I'm just glad you like them."
"Still, seriously thank you," Out of the corner of your eye, you see something shift behind John, "Whoa, what was that?"
John turns to see where you're looking at, but maybe you were just seeing shadows move. He perplexedly scratches at his head and shrugs at you.
Huh, weird....Oh, right, "Hey, Nanna said to come down, she just finished with a pie."
"Oh sweetness! Betcha can't jump from the railing!"
"Bro, no. Please, I hold your Nanna in the highest regard, I do not wanna explain to her why one of her grandchildren is dead. The one time I tell you do not do the thing."
(But to be honest, it's more like you don't wanna hear that tick-tick-tock-tock noise that seems to be getting more frequent.)