a/n: this is a story that is just gonna build as i go i guess. includes the following pairings: equius/gamzee, horrus/ruphio, dave/karkat (broship), mituna/kurloz (moirail),karkat/equius (moirail), chronus/kankri (kissmesis), terezi/karkat (matesprit), sollux/eridan (kissmesis), aradia/terezi (moirail), and other ships may pop up as well. warning for fluff, language, and gore.
CHAPTER ONE
Its too early for this, you think. You wonder why you ever even thought this was a good idea. Damnit. You tuck your sword back into the worn cow-hide sleeve and back off of the door step. You may as well give it up. Your blood is much lower than hers. She would never accept your hand- never would you even be able to take her to any kind of ball. A shiver runs through you as you sigh, you pull your sleeves over your gloves and turn leaving the doorstep of the two story cottage, your eyes directed towards the dirt. You dont notice the door of the cottage opening and short blind girl poking her head out calling out rage at who ever the hell knocked her door and ran away this time. You felt sorry for her. You felt so-.. red... for her.
It was just now becoming high noon. You needed help- you needed romantic advice from some one with more romantic experience than you. But there is no one in this whole village who would pay attention to a love lost knight, who isnt worthy of bearing the title of a hero of blood. There is one person who will listen to you and one person only, your moirail. Not like he doesnt have romantic troubles himself.. but he's higher on the hemospectrum. And may have something useful to tell you.
You give a heavy sigh and pat the dust off of your cape, before heading down the cobblestone road, past the many assorted cottages and shops towards the cabin suited for that of a blacksmith with a STRONG and ORDERLY apprentice such as your moirail.
As you head down the street you forget to pay attention to where your going and you run right into another girl, you help her up holding your forehead. "I AM SO FUCKING SORRY ABOUT THAT.." you sigh. The girl just grins at you. You realize that she is a teal-blood.. like Terezi. You swallow as she seems vaguely familiar. She wore the same dress as Terezi and the same color glasses, but her hair was longer and her glasses were more square and less angled. " 1t's 4lr1ght m4n! " She laughs adding a toothy smile. " 1m L4tul4, wh3r3 you h34d3d blood kn1ght?" She winks.
You slump your shoulders feeling somewhat at ease now knowing she isnt judging you based on blood color or at all angry that you ran into her knocking her to the ground. " OH I UH- I'M KARKAT. IM HEADED TO THE BLACKSMITH'S." " oh ok! th4t's pr3tty r4d but th3 guys who work th3r3 4r3 tot4l douch3 b4gs." She laughs with a smile. Your lip twitches before taking into consideration that Equius is a total douche to every lowblood but you. So you smile. " YEAH, HORRUS IS PRETTY NICE THOUGH." "h3 1s pr3tty r4d, 1 d1g h1m." She nods.
"w3ll 1 gott4 go! 1 n33d to p1ck up my d3sc3nd4nt 4nd h34d to the s34mstr3ss. c4tch y4 l4t3r nubby horns!" She pats your head and darts off. You frown at being called nubby horns. You fucking hate that. But when she said descendant was she talking about terezi? The seamstress? Why would she be going to a seamstress? Was some one else already taking her to the ball at the highblood's palace? Were you too late? You bite your lip your sharp teeth tearing skin and looking at the dirt. No. You think. Dont think too hard like that right now. She's probably having a dress made so she'll be ready for WHEN some one asks her. Yeah. That has to be it. You conlude.
You get to the far end of town where the blacksmith's is, you slowly walk in the door giving a creek and the your shoes making soft thuds on the floor. A skinny long legged troll in a brown uniform and goggles looks up at you before pulling a toothy smile. " 8=D why hello karkat!" He smiles. You smile a little back at him, Horrus was so innocent and nice. You didnt know how he could possibly be the dancestor of equius. He seemed more like the descenDANT. " HEY HORRUS. WHERE'S EQUIUS? IT'S UH- KINDA FUCKING IMPORTANT." "8=D try not to use such language Karkat- it really whips me. But he's in the back stables, your welcome to come neigh at him any time- so you dun't need to bother asking me about it?"
"THANKS HORRUS."
You dash into the back room and see your moirail in there sharpening a sword. His hair was pulled back by a red ribbon into a pony tail. Sweat dabbled his temples and he wore goggles on his eyes as he hammered a sword under the hot iron. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his shoulders, the shirt probably used to be white, but now it was soaked with faint blue. The muscles on his arms tensed when he stopped hammering to look up at you. A smile crossing his lips. " D- Hello Karkat-.. What brings you here?" " I NEED TO TALK ITS REALLY GOD DAMN IMPORTANT OK, SHIT STAIN?" You sigh, he was never threatened when i called him nicknames or cussed around him. It was this moirail understanding we had that made us one of the palest.
" D- yes absol00tely. Let's have a seat." He points to the two chairs he has out. You sit in one, you two sit back here and talk alot. Hardly ever at his house or yours because their blood colors are so different, they could get introuble for being quadrantmates. Especially under the current rule of sea dwellers.. they were the worst. Equius sits across from you wiping the sweat from his face with a fresh towel that you'd handed him. He sighs taking off his broken spectacles and meeting your eyes dead on. " D- So what is it that is the problem?"
" YOU KNOW THAT BALL THE HIGHBLOODS ARE THROWING ON THE NEXT GOLD MOON?" "D- yes.. I do know very well about that. Were you planning on asking some one?" He cocks his head to the side bobbing his pony tail. " YES ACTUALLY I WAS. BUT SHE'S HIGHER ON THE HEMOSPECTRUM THAN ME AND SHE'D BE EMBARRASSED TO BE COURTED BY A FUCKING MUTANT LIKE ME." " D- Well.." Equius sweat a bit before swallowing. " D- Who is she? And precisely how many levels apart are you on the spectrum?"
You fumble with your hands and look down at your feet. " IT'S TEREZI. SHE'S LIKE FUCKING 6 LEVELS ABOVE ME. EVERYONE IS BECAUSE GUESS WHAT IM A FUCKING MUTANT INCASE YOU DIDNT NOTICE YOU WORTHLESS HOBBLE OF HOOF BEAST SHIT." You see Equius wince a little and you frown. "I UH IM SORRY I DIDNT MEAN IT LIKE THAT." You run your fingers through your hair, scooting closer and papping him. Equius smiles. "D- thank you..but I do not believe the teal-blood is one who frets herself over what b100d color she is seen publicly with. I actually 100% STRONGLY believe she is waiting for you to ask her to the ball."
You feel a smile cross your face. "IF YOUR KIDDING I'LL FUCKING TEAR OUT YOUR THROAT SWEATBARN." "D- I am not joking about this. I w00ld never joke about such subject, karkat." You grin wider. "GOOD. THANKS FOR TALKING THIS OUT WITH ME EQUIUS. YOUR THE BEST."
- equius pov -
You wave as your moirail walks out and you sling a towel over your shoulder. It was decently cold outside today, but you swear right now it felt hotter in here than the irons in the fire beside you. Talking to your moirail about the ball made you think.. you swallow slightly. You'd had a secret lover for a while. One who you feel you never deserved the attention of. Some one with blood so perfect- so equisitely indigo you blush just thinking of the troll.
Every night the past month he'd been coming to your hive and making love to you. Dominating you and ordering you every way you like. You love him but you only feel like a device that satisfies his pleasure during his nighly sober activities, as his sopor supply has apparently been running rather low. You want to be his princess. You think. But a princess is something in a dumb alien culture you dont understand.. but it means something of importance to you. The human books you have stashed under your pod. That you read in the dead of night when you have none but your own company.
You've read romeo and juliet.. it was Karkat's suggestion. And it feels so beautiful to you, how familiar a story from human culture can be to some one of a totally alien one. The ways of royalty and the ways of violence are much similar... but instead of hatred between two families. It's hatred between two blood colors. Your dancestor cant stand Kurloz or Gamzee. And Kurloz and Gamzee cant stand Horrus. It's a suprise he actually gets to keep his hive and his shop when they could just take it away from him. Maybe it's because the seadweller Fefferi has a soft spot for him. She does for every one really.
Horrus also didnt approve of quadrant mating with higher bloods.. he supported going with lowbloods. Considering his current matespritship was going so well- it made you jealous. You wanted what he had, some one who generally loved you for everything you did and everything you are. Not your body or your inability to reject a command. You want to blame your blood color for how you act around highbloods.. but you really dont have any one to blame but yourself for that.
You pull a sword out of the irons and lay it on the table, putting your spectacles on to hide the blue welling up in your eyes, raising the hammer above your head letting out all your emotion in a single swing, slamming down on the tip of the red hot metal shaping it into the most perfectly straight peice of metal Alternia has ever witnessed. But there was a loud clang of hammer and metal and Horrus walked in looking concerned. " 8=D Equius?" You barely looked up at him. " D- Horrus."
" 8=D Equius is something tugging your reins?" He takes off his goggles and halter/helmet setting them on the table. His slick black bangs fell in his face, he had such wide innocent blue eyes,soft bags underneath them. You stare at him for a moment. He was nothing like you at all. You think. He was scrawny, he wouldnt hurt a fly, he was obsessed with being happy as his moirail had always told him to be. He loved helping others when he could, building helpful gadgets for them. He was loved through out the village. But he had gained a bad reputation from the highbloods because he built a prostetic limb for a lowblood who the highblood's had punished specifically. You wished you were as great as him. All you were was his apprentice making robot legs for paraplegics and heating swords in an iron.
" D- No." You lie, looking back at the sword. " D- Just a little frustrated is all."
Horrus nods a little bit and grins. "8=D G00d! I w00ld neighver want my descendant to be depressed about anything! I was scared you had gotten in a fight with Karkat but I guess my conherds werent very neighcessary." He smiles. You dip your head in a nod, dismissing him unverbally as your dancestor left the room without another word.
Hours dragged on and there was no sound throughout the shop but the sound of your hammer slamming down on the metal of the sword with a violent CLAAANG.
CLAANG.
...
CLANG.
...
CLANG.
...
CLANG.
...
for hours on end until the light slowly faded from the room and the irons grew cold. You wiped the sweat from your forehead with a towel, letting your hair down from the ribbon as it cascaded down your shoulders and around your face. You adjust your glasses unintentionally cracking the lenses a bit more. You huff in frusteration as the room slowly starts to get filled with the chilly night air. You grab your coat and slip it on, pulling the hood up and poking your horns through the holes in it then buttoning them. You walk out into the main 'stables' as Horrus called it seeing Ruphio standing there helping Horrus get his things together.
" D- Hello Mudb100d- my apologies... I meant Ruphio." You swallow nervously. You didnt like Ruphio all that much- he was a mutant. But Horrus loved him with all his heart so you had to respect him atleast a little bit. Ruphio doesnt wince, he just smiled, his orange butterfly wings taking up half the room and pressing aganst the ceiling. " Wassup Equ1us? He smiles. " Almost ready doll?" he questions Horrus looking down at him. "8=D just a moment here.." Horrus sighs placing his latest gadget on the table and pulling his coat on.
" 8=D Equius-" He calls out to you as he sees you trying to walk out. You slowly turn to look at your dancestor, "D- yes?" You question crossing your arms slightly. " 8=D I'm spending my night in stables with Ruphio this evening, are you sure you'll be alright out mare in our hive by yourself?" He looks concerned, you swallow. He doesnt know about Gamzee. But you sort of wish he did. Then he wouldn't leave you alone like this. But you decide you arent ready to introduce the topic to him just yet. " D- yes Horrus, I should be just fine. But thank you for concerning yourself."
Horrus nods at you and ducks out holding Ruphio's arm as you slowly trail out heading in the opposite direction your arms crossed and your eyes on the ground. Your spectacles fogging up from the steam of your warm breathe.
-kurloz pov-
Being a highblood is the worst motherfucking thing that you swear has ever happened to you since you were a wriggler. It means being in charge of a bunch of worthless loons who lay around all day and complain or bitch. You dislike all of them, except for the bubbly seadweller girl. She's the only one you like, she's the only decent one who actually has a properly functioning think pan that isnt full of worthless trash. You sigh and rub your temples as the servants made a horrible ass attempt to brush out your rats nest of hair for the meeting with the highbloods from the village across the border.
You wish your moirail was here. He was the only one who could keep you sane. But he was a lowblood and unwelcome in the motherfucking highblood caste. You only got to see him during the day when ever the others were either hung over or sleeping. At night all the high bloods were active. You were nocturnal. You were hungover and tired during the day and you worked your sorry gog for saken ass off all night bickering and eating pie until you've gathered up the courage to cull your motherfucking SELF rather than any other fucking lowblood.
You shooed the servants away, you looked fine enough. You decided. You didnt care what the other highbloods thought anyway. Their opinion never mattered to you. The looked down on you because you sewed your lips shut out of pity for a lowblood. They already disrespected you regardless of how 'well brushed' your mane was. You headed out to the main lobby of the castle where the other 5 where. They were dressed in formal attire that matched mine, with robes that addressed their blood color and the highness of them, of us and our caste.
"wwhen are wwe meetin the other highbloods?" Eridan sighs at you, his hair slicked back with too much oil. Kurloz blamed Cronus for that. 'Cronus your not allowed to style anyone's hair for any motherfucking reason.' you sign to him and Cronus just throws his arms up in denial but says nothing. Kurloz ignored him and Meenah answered Eridan for Kurloz. " t)-(ey s)-(ould glubbing be here soon codsucker be patient." She snorts sassily as Fefferi looks down sadly, Kurloz wondered what was up with her- but didnt ask.
Soon enough the other highbloods from the neighboring village entered the castle smirks on their lips looking us over, muttering the words 'disgrace' and 'worthless'. 'Have a seat, motherfucking all of you." You signed your other hand behind your back in formal leading posture as everyone did just that, you standing at the head of the table opposite as the other high blood leader from the opposite village who stared you down with hate. A violet scar across his face and a face that made you think of a dragon.
" Our village is expanding at a rapid rate." The dragon faced troll said his caste of highbloods nodding in agreement. " Your petty weak little hoblle SICK excuse of a villlage is in the way of our empire, and we request, that you move your people to a different location before we do so ourselves." He hissed as Meenah immediately stood up before you could even think to raise your hand.
" aw)-( S)-(ELL NO!" She shrieked. " we aint goin glUBBIN NOW)-(ERE CAUSE OF YOU GLUBBIN ANEMOMEMPIRE." " Meena)( st-op!" Fefferi requests quietly but Meenah ignores her. " WE'RE STAYING RIG)-(T COD DAMN )-(ERE AND YOU LANDWELLING DRAGON S)-(IT SNIFFERS CANT C)-(ANGE T)-(AT!" Kurloz glared at Meenah as the dragon troll got a wry smirk on his lips and snickered.
the whole lot of the other highblood caste began to snicker like demons, causing even Gamzee to go wide-eyed in shock and confusion. " Well, We respect your decision." The dragon troll stated and you were taken aback before nodding and signing. 'Good, because our minds are set.' " and so are ours." The dragon troll adds. " Just dont come crying for mercy when we're finished with you." The dragon troll growls before he and his caste of highbloods left the castle room as a chilling stillness fell over you.
" you s)(ouldnt have d-one that." Fefferi mutters standing up and leaving the room.