The chests scattered about the facility they were lodged in were both plentiful and odd. Kanaya had never before interacted with things of their nature, and found herself strolling lazily around the lab, opening up whatever stray chests she could find as she went around scouting for things that could prove useful in their quest for survival.
As of yet, nothing of any real value had been found, and had alternately proved their usefulness by being a bit of a hassle. As she continued her rounds, rather than have her curiosity settled, she found that it rose with each of the chests she opened. What random order dictated the items that should be placed inside them? Was it really just random order that decided what went in and didn't, or was there some sort of relevant pattern connecting all these seemingly miscellaneous items?
"Curiouser and curiouser." She found herself pondering in mumbles. She continued to pry the chests open, but left in the items that had no significant value to her for some other wayward adventurer to pick up and add to their collection.
She hummed as she went, letting the polite tune follow her around as she strolled through the various empty corridors. As much as she liked her other troll friends, this solitude she sought in exploring was nice. It gave her a chance to unwind and relax from all her companions' silly shenanigans, and allowed her time to herself.
Kanaya's eye caught another chest nestled into a deep corner, and like a moth to a flame, she was drawn to it.
Lifting the lid of the chest, it clicked open in approval as it stood upright, allowing her access. Another odd thing about the chests was that they appeared not to pertain to any security code of order, allowing themselves to be opened up by anyone regardless of whoever's possessions should be found inside. Kanaya peered inside the trunk and reached inside, grabbing whatever it was that was stored in the bottom of the trunk.
To her surprise, it was a book (everything else she'd found that day had been more along the lines of terrycloth drying utensils and ceramic pottery). As she examined the cover of the small, hard book, she recognized it immediately as one of her favourite wriggler books her Lusus had read to her frequently when she had been young.
"Goodnight Dune." She mused with a fond smile, opening the hard flat cover to flit her eyes over the first page in uxorious reminiscence.
As caught up in the book as she was, she failed to hear the sound of another's approaching footsteps. Gamzee, often prone to wandering, noticed her sitting crouched before the opened chest and leaned down low to peer over her shoulder.
"Whatcha got there, motherfucker?"
Kanaya jumped.
"Ah, Gamzee." Kanaya said, turning up to him with a smile as her nerves jolted and simultaneously calmed. He was gazing at the book curiously with a mildly confused expression. Utilizing her politesse, she handed the book up to him and he took it, peering at it oddly as he turned it to examine it from every angle. "It is an old book my Lusus used to read to me when I was in the developing stages of grubhood. I had no idea these chests could contain such things."
Gamzee cocked his head, seemingly unable to register what the book was. He handed it back to Kanaya who took it once more and felt the cardboard stiffness beneath her fingers as she stroked the spine fondly.
"Looks kind of stupid to me." He said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants with a quirked brow. "And I thought you were the motherfucking smart one, but here I find you motherfucking messing around with grubs books."
Kanaya chuckled and shook her head, letting the insult wash over her.
"That is because it is not meant for a troll your age, but rather for one who is still just a wriggler. I would have thought you to have been rather fond of these; they employ the use of rhyming quite heavily throughout the duration of the book. Did your Lusus not have them available for you to look through?"
It was then that Gamzee displayed the first sign of insecurity. He looked uncomfortable, exhibiting the trademark signs of discomfort when addressed with her question. He averted his eye from hers and shifted his weight from one supporting leg to the other, frowning just a bit. The reaction to her inquiry spurned another drive of curiosity within her as she waited for Gamzee to speak.
"Guess not." When he did finally speak up, his voice was subdued and downcast; a high contrast in comparison to his usual upbeat, quirky nature. The change in his personality made her smile dwindle as she offered the book to him once more.
"Would you like to see it?"
He gave the book another one of his odd looks before turning away and shaking his shaggy head. He looked saddened. Kanaya couldn't help but feel empathetic toward him. The sadness she saw in his face began to draw out the maternal instincts within her, causing her to offer him another soft, small, smile.
Even though she knew nothing about the circumstances surrounding his upbringing, the little hints she'd been given through his comments and actions made it easy for her to ascertain that he was not as close to his Lusus as he would have liked to have been. Though it was hard for her to imagine having gone through life without being attached to something so thoroughly, she found she was overly sympathetic toward him. It was in her nature to care for others, and Gamzee was proving to be a special case. She felt it was a part of her duty to at least try and mend whatever errors his lusus could have committed against him while he was maturing, and let her smile grow. "Would... you care for me to read it to you?"
Gamzee's attention was brought back around to focus on her, and a slew of conflicting emotions ran across his face. She couldn't quite tell what they were, as even though she was quite empathetic (more so than any other troll she'd met thus far), her ability to feel another's emotions only went so deep.
"I'm not motherfucking stupid." He said with a frown. "I understand shit. I don't need to be fucking treated like a dumbfuck wriggler."
"It is not a book meant to downplay the caliber of your thinkpan, Gamzee." Kanaya found herself explaining gently, flipping open the book once more to gaze at the pages. "Rather, it was made with one purpose in mind: to be able to allow all audiences to enjoy it's simple nature, no matter how young or old. It is a book that appeals to all generations, and you most certainly do not have to be 'stupid' to enjoy it. I am finding great pleasure in looking through it now, even in my advanced age."
She offered him another supportive smile though Gamzee still looked unsure of himself; unable to tell if Kanaya was downplaying his intelligence or not. She shut the little book and came to a stand, offering her hand to the juggalo. After a few moments hesitation during which he considered just walking away, he took her hand and allowed her to lead him to a better location in which they could sit and read the book together in peace.
Upon finding a prime spot, Kanaya put her back to the wall and slid down along the length until she sat comfortably, and gestured for Gamzee to do the same. Once he was sitting beside her, she gave him another supportive smile and opened to the first page of the book.
"Goodnight Dune," she began, making sure to hold the book at an angle so as Gamzee could see the illustrations clearly. Even with her help he still had to tilt his head to get a proper look at it. "'In the great no-room, there was a floating baron, and a view of two moons-' See, it rhymes?"
She nudged Gamzee's arm and earned herself a slight smile in return from the other troll as he gazed on curiously, his eyes scanning the vivid pages enthusiastically.
"'And a picture of-" Kanaya continued, smiling as she turned the page. "'Shai-Hulud bursting out of the dune.'"
They continued to sit in a secluded portion of the hall for a little while longer, each of them enjoying the other's company.
It was a chance for Kanaya to show the sort of parental guidance her Lusus had taught her to bestow upon others, and likewise it was an opportunity for Gamzee to live a moment of his wrigglerhood that had somehow been denied to him before. It is perhaps for this reason that the chests were made and placed the way they are.
As the book drifted to a close, Kanaya realized that Gamzee had his head lax and resting against her shoulder; his whole body leaning a bit haphazardly onto her own. She smiled fondly as she brought the story to its end.
"'Goodnight two moons," she recited softly, "'Goodnight Sha-Hulud bursting out of the dune. Goodnight glowglobe, and the floating baron; goodnight recruits, goodnight stillsuits. Goodnight spiceflows everywhere.'"
She shut the book and sat there silently for a moment, allowing time enough for the books impact to settle and resolve. She looked to Gamzee as he continued to stare down at the cover of the now closed book, and watched as he asked if she could maybe read it to him
'one more motherfucking time.'
Kanaya nodded and obliged, her green tinted lips twinging upward as she began the story over once more for his enjoyment.
"'In the great no-room, there was a floating baron, and a view of two moons...'"