The room was quiet as Kankri sat among the many chairs that littered the room his eyes looking down at his hands, giving a small sigh before looking to the book at his side bringing his finger to its cover tracing the symbol. Another sigh filled the room as he slumped forward, his arms rested on his knees, his hands clasping the book as he remembered Aranea warning him to only read it if he was ready. His mind cleared as he thought of the Signless his ideal image was to either be shattered or renewed as he opened the book the pages falling open to show a small spider-like bookmark the letters in the corner read out in an awful handwriting The Rise And Fall Of The Signless. A small sigh brought his attention from the book his eyes looking over Rose, who often shared the room with him when they wished to read as the room was hidden from others the only ones with knowledge of the room's existence now inhabited the space.
Kankri sat back reading neither one spoke a word to the other as they had both agreed the room was for reading. Their chosen seats carried the room's only noise creaking and moaning as they shifted Rose giving a slight sneeze leaning forward, Kankri looking over the journal eyeing the puncture marks on her neck a small bead of sweat forming on his. Rose looks back to her book only glancing up to give Kankri a small smile, his face tensed up as he returned to his book slowly thumbing over the passages skipping any mention of the Disciple. Closing the book giving a deep breath before feeling his neck a small hollow feeling coming from his gut as he sat the book down looking over the cover again, a thud drawing his eyes forward Rose pulling another book from her pile his eyes looking back to the journal a new look of determination rose up inside him as he picked the book up thumbing the pages open to a new chapter The Disciple leaning back in the chair his mind fighting to read the passages the awful handwriting adding to his frustration. The thud of another book filled the room, jarring Kankri from the passage readjusting to the words his fingers clenching the ends of his sleeves as he finished closing the book sitting it beside him, a look of embarrassment sat clearly on his face. Rose gave him a look of curiosity picking up a small sheet of paper "might I inquire as to what you are reading" she wrote folding it closed before handing it to him Kankri's face still flushed with embarrassment as he read the note taking the pen Rose offered.
"It has nothing to do with you, so please refrain yourself from worrying about anything to do with me" he wrote with a blank expression his ears still a sharp tint of red sealing the note again before handing it over to Rose a smirk forming across her lips as she grasped the pen from his hand. "Was it a romance" she wrote her smirk growing nearly ear to ear creasing the note, handing it over with a small laugh. "No" he wrote quickly looking up to see the journal already in her hands opened to the page he had left off on. "Ah looking to become more like your ancestor" she shouted Kankri staring in awe as she broke their one cardinal rule. "If I am correct in assuming the Disciple is Nepeta's ancestor" she worded garnering a confused look from Kankri as he had not spent much time near the Leijon's partly due to Kurloz. "Am I correct in assuming that you wish to have a matesprit" she spoke with a slight interest in giving him a beaming smile as his face regaining its previous red tint. "I assure you, I have no intention of acquiring a matesprit" he blushed deeply as he tucked his face into his sweater. "Why not, having someone to cuddle up to is nice" Rose proclaimed the pen twirling around her fingers Kankri searching for the distraction his mind rejecting the idea, his heart picking up the pace in his chest. Rose sat back waiting for his reply a new sense of duty rising up in her "what if I help" Kankri sat sure that this was another human joke that John and Dave loved to play. Time passed in the small room as Rose sat patiently waiting for his reply Kankri giving a solemn look before he nodded, looking around the room for the slightest hint of Dave or Karkat. "Here, write a list of potential advocates" she beamed placing the clipboard in his hand as Kankri finished surveying the room, his mind wandering off about the trolls and humans. The room was silent with Rose once again finishing her third stack of books, Kankri still sat thinking the paper still blank "How about someone who looks out for you" she shouted tossing her book into their collective finished pile. "Porrim is the only one who comes to mind" he answered honestly as the others tended to avoid him for the usual fear. "Kanaya's Dancestor" Rose asked, looking uncertain of his decision "are you positive" Kankri was silent, looking down to shoes Rose giving him a confused look as the young troll sat his legs crossed, with a blank stare his finger tapping his shoulder "I was under the impression, that she was like a mother to you" she asked, her hand resting on his shoulder a contested look of anger and happiness washed across his face as he waved her hand off. "I am quite sure" he answered, sitting back his legs crossed barely missing his tower of books. "Cronus has told me that she is fond of me" he admitted his fingers running gently along the cuff a small warm feeling resonating in his chest, his eyes looking at the small stretch of green Porrim left in as a small annoyance "so how should I go about it" Kankri asked his eyes still glued to the small stitch of fabric a small mental Image building in his head. "Well asking her is the direct approach" she began shutting her eyes to think as Kankri nodded hopping up from his chair silently walking toward the door his legs shaking at the prospect of gaining a matesprit. Rose sat listing off about human poetry and other ways he could win over his choice of love her voice trailing off as he shut the door. his eyes looking down the hall walking carefully giving each thought another run through with more and more of his thought fading as Porrim appeared more and more a painful feeling now taking place in his chest. Kankri stood looking toward Porrim's door looking at the light that reflected against the wall. "A fool never charges in without help, or maybe he does" Kankri turned to face Dave as he walked down the steps "Looking to make an honest woman out of Porrim" he asked slinging his arm around the troll. "So it was a trick" Kankri responded brushing his arm off as he turned on his heel. "Dude, Karkat left husktop in there I went to get it and then you two decide to have your little book club" Dave answered twisting the troll around "any way this isn't about me this is about you" he whispered, pulling Kankri down the stairs and to the doorway, his palms sweating as he was pushed into the doorway "Just repeat everything I say, and you'll sound totally cool" he finished sliding down the wall. Porrim sat looking down at the fabric working through the needles a gentle look on her face, her eyes watching the needles dance, Kankri walked over to sit in his usual chair looking over the new décor. "Ah Kankri are you going to come in to Dave" Porrim asked, her eyes still focused on her knitting hearing a quick shuffle as Dave took off back down the hall Porrim gave a small chuckle as she sat her needles down shifting her legs to stand. Kankri sat rolling his thumbs his eyes glancing up to watch her shut the door with a thud "did you need anything in particular" she asked her voice resonating in his head a small sweat forming on his neck. The room was silent with the chair squeaking as he shifted back and forth Porrim sat back down, picking her needles up once more the small clacking drowning the squeaking out Kankri staring at the ground in front of him his mind choking on what to say. "Porrim, I was speaking to that human Rose" he spoke rubbing his arm a small look of discomfort came over him as he pushed the lump down "I was thinking it would be nice to possibly find a" he stopped looking over to the older troll her hands still knitting calmly a small smirk formed on her lips away from Kankri's sight. The chair squeaked as he stood up his mind completely blank for the first time his legs moving on their own stopping just a few inches behind her with his usual blank stare on his face, he arms slinking down, wrapping around her head "I think it might be a great learning experience to have a matesprit" he finished. Porrim sat looking down surprised to see Kankri taking the lead right out from under her. "I guess it couldn't hurt" she whispered, falling back onto the bed giving a heartfelt sigh of relief