Colorblind

by cinnamonfaygo

Gamzee is a mechanic hired by Her Condescension to keep up the repairs of her airship, the Cuttlefish, on its maiden voyage. As far as everyone but his moirail, Karkat knows, he's just Gamzee Opphee, a lowly maroonblood. His true blood color would condemn him to death under the harsh rules of Earth in 1853. What happens when a young Cavalreaper is determined to discover his secret?

1. Chapter 1

Gamzee Makara grinned happily, adjusting his brazen goggles slightly before hitching his bag up a bit higher on his shoulder with a laugh as he admired the airship waiting for everyone to board. The Cuttlefish was one of the newer designs, a sleek zeppelin with steam powered propellers that could bring the dark grey and gleaming copper vessel up to speeds around 70 MPH, exceptionally fast for the times. The year was 1853, nearly sixty years after her Imperial Condescension had come across the beautiful blue planet.

Looking over at his shorter moirail, Gamzee grinned, ruffling Karkat's hair. "Motherfucking miracle, ain't she?" Gamzee laughed, looking back to the gleaming sight with wide eyes, ignoring the stares they got from others for their rather odd attire. Most trolls made a point of displaying their blood color in any way possible, including showing off skin, the ashen color tinted faintly with their color. In stark contrast, the sigils on the pair's long sleeved button down shirt were a pale grey, revealing nothing whatsoever. While Karkat stayed simple, with just the shirt and a sturdy black pair of pants, Gamzee went to much farther measures to hide his blood color. A dark grey shirt under a pitch black button down vest and fingerless gloves, a soot stained white scarf around his slender neck, and the face paint of a member of the cult of the Mirthful Messiahs, all pulled together by welder's goggles over his bright indigo eyes.

"Whatever. It's just a fucking ship, Gamzee." the older of the two said dismissively, crossing his arms as he looked suspiciously at the Cuttlefish. "Well, this motherfucking miracle is going to be taking off without us, brother!" Gamzee laughed happily, hitching his bag of tools up higher on his shoulder before taking Karkat's hand and starting to pull the fiery Cancer towards the entrance, ignoring the stream of profanities coming from his moirail.

Once they'd made their way onto the ship, the pair began looking for room 3-219, obviously on the third class level. They weren't exactly having the easiest time, though. "Where the hell is it?" Karkat groused, pushing through the crowds. Her Imperial Condescension had designed the hallways almost like a labyrinth, the numbers not in any particular order at all. "We'll find it, brother, don't you worry." the skinny Capricorn assured him, looking around curiously and not really paying any attention to where he was going at all as he adjusted his scarf slightly to better conceal his indigo tinted skin. Due to the murderous nature of many indigobloods, humans had strictly banned them from stepping foot on Earth, not even to be swayed by Her Condescension's numerous threats and bribes. Her power was weak so far from Alternia, and they knew it. Any indigoblood found on Earth was to be culled on sight, which in Gamzee's opinion was a great reason to go to such pains to conceal his blood color and give a fake last name whenever he was asked.

Mulling over that for a second, Gamzee continued walking without looking where he was going, head turned to look at the door numbers when he accidentally collided with another troll, a surprised squeak escaping the Capricorn as he fell back onto the carpet, completely off balance. The tools in his bag jingling when he hit the floor, he blinked up at the other troll, a sturdily built brownblood, a sheepish smile breaking across his painted face. "Sorry about that, brother!" he chirped brightly, taking the offered hand with a smile as the other helped him up. "Nothing to, uh, be sorry about. I should have been looking where I was, uh, going." the slightly shorter of the two smiled pleasantly, holding Gamzee's cooler hand for maybe a moment longer than necessary before pulling back and picking up the slender troll's bag and handing it to him. "Thank you! Oh, do you have any idea where we could find motherfucking room 3-219?" he asked, slinging it back over his shoulder. The other's eyes lit up at the prospect of being able to help someone, nodding. "Yeah, it's right across from my room actually!" the bull-horned troll smiled, turning. "Follow, uh, me!" Gamzee grinned brightly, pulling Karkat back towards him from where he'd been checking across the hall and briskly beginning to follow the other male. "What are your names, by the way?" the other called back curiously, running a hand through his mohawk. "I'm Gamzee Opphee, and this cute little motherfucker's Karkat." the Capricorn informed him willingly, giving his own last name as that of a relatively well known group of maroonbloods instead of his own condemning surname Makara. "And you?" The other smiled, stopping at a door marked 3-219 after several confusing turns. "Nitram. Tavros Nitram."