Kanaya liked this part of the dancestor's dreambubble. It was a giant lake with very large lily pads. Only two trolls hung out here, but she couldn't see them at the moment. But that was okay.
She needed some alone time.
Finding a smaller pad, she sat down in the shadow of its large flower. Using the flower to conceal herself, she hugged her knees and pushed her face against them.
Tears ran down her face. She felt horrible, like a jerk.
So many things had happened to her since they had started that accursed game. And now, after this one little thing, it was all catching up to her. He lusus had died. She'd lost her moirail (though it had been a one-sided relationship) and the matriorb. Not to mention she just rejected the only person who had flushed feelings for her.
But she couldn't help it. She still had memories of another. Another who stole her heart.
She closed her eyes. She was just happy to be alone. It was the only thing she found herself happy about at the present time. Everybody thought she was a meddling, cold and self-righteous girl. But they didn't know.
They didn't know how she used to, and still does, lock herself in her room and go over the last couple days. How she regretted, fretted and mentally beat herself over what she did or said. And because they didn't know this, they constantly dumped their problems on her slender shoulders. After all, she was nothing more than the local ashen-girl who filled everyone's club-quadrant and obviously didn't deserve to have any of her other quadrants filled.
The pad shook a little. Someone was here.
She jerked her head up, jade tears still running down her face. It was Gamzee's dancestor. The creepy, tally guy who wore nothing but some weird purple pants and had his mouth stitched shut. The rest of his body was tattooed to appear like he was either see-through or that he had an exoskeleton.
"So unfashionable," as her dancestor had commented so many times.
"I-I'm sorry if I-I'm bothering you." She hiccupped as he drew near. "I just wanted to be alone. B-but if I'm bothering you with my glow, I-I can go…I'd hate to bother s-someone else. I just needed to escape and this place is so peaceful and pretty and…Oh, m-my, it's night, isn't it? I-I'm s-so used to be diurnal that I f-forgot the rest of you are nocturnal by nature. No wonder you s-spotted me…I really am sorry I-I bothered you, though…"
As she babbled, he crouched down beside her. Once she trailed off, she sniffled and scrubbed her tearstained face viciously. Look me, she thought as she rubbed her face raw, if we were on Alternia, I'd be culled for just showing so much weakness…
Suddenly, a large hand stopped her scrubbing. She blinked at him as he took her hand and traced some letters onto it.
"K…UR…LOZ." She mumbled hoarsely, watching, and then blinked up at him. "B-but, really, Mr. Kurloz, let me know if I-I'm bothering you–"
He pressed his finger to her lips and patted the side of her face. She gasped, sucking in air and shuddering. He raised an eyebrow in worried response.
"I-I'm s-sorry, it's just my…My m-moirail never d-did that!" She sobbed, using her other hand to cover her face as best she could. "A-and now I-I'm not good enough to have that jerk in my quadrants!"
He patted the spot on her head between her horns with his other hand. She hiccupped again, her shoulders shaking violently.
Before she could curl up on herself, like she was did on those occasions when she locked herself in her room, the highblood pulled her into a hug. She blinked, but then shagged against him, sobbing uncontrollably.
As she did, he paped her head and rubbed her back soothingly. As she leaned against his bare chest, she heard something. A low, soft purring sound.
She blinked in bewilderment. Was he trying to shoosh her? Well, whether he was or not, it was surprisingly comforting, even if it was hardly audible.
After a few moments of this, the jade-blood felt herself drifting off. Her face felt sticky and her eyes felt both sticky and heavy. Slowly, but surely, her breathing calmed and deepened.
She fell asleep.