"Karkaaaaaaaat!"

The troll growled under his breath as he turned to glare in the woman's direction. Vriska Serket was making her way up the corridors behind him, a small, frightened boy in toe.

"You need to take him back to town~" She ordered, passing off the crippled farmer's boy with a shooing motion towards Karkat. "He needs to walk off that stupid s-stut-tter of his."

Karkat would have bitten back, but he let out it in an angry sigh as he looked back to the boy again. He looked familiar.. "You're that fuckass Gamzee's all fuckin' flush for, aren't you?" He snapped.

"U-uhm, y-yes," the boy replied, face tinged a dark orange and hands knitting nervously in front of him. "T-Tavros."

"Like I give a shit." Karkat responded, turning to lead him up the hall. Vriska had long since melted back into the shadows to be a bother elsewhere- the only bit of joy Karkat had had since he woke up.

o0o0o0o0o

The two made an odd pattern while walking down the steep decline into the valley; the slapping of Karkat's bare feet, the trudge of Tavros' struggled steps and the knocking of his supportive cane. They'd otherwise fallen silent.

Tavros' chocolate eyes continuously trailed to Karkat's expression, trying to dissect it without either being scolded or scorned. So far so good.

"Karkat, w-what are you, u-uh, thinking ab-bout?" He asked haultingly, gaze dropping to the ground as he avoided a large stone in the middle of the road.

Cold silvery red eyes shot over to him, full of despising ire. "What do you mean what the fuck am I thinking about? The hell kinda thing is that to ask?"

"S-sorry, I w-was just, uhm, wondering.." He murmured, shrinking beneath the look he was receiving.

Silence again prevailed, though it was more uneasy than before. Karkat paused a number of times and opened his mouth, only to have it snap shut again to keep himself from saying something completely stupid.

o0o0o0o0o

John swallowed hard, glancing about himself then back to the idyllic scene in front of him. Feferi almost completely enveloped in his cape, arms taught about eachother and the mountains, blue in the distance, fell into place as the backdrop.

He was jerked from his thoughts by a harsh saphire glare from over Feferi's soft curls. The young prince shuddered, making no attempt to hide his fear. This man...

Feferi drew back slowly, reluctantly, and smiled up at him with nothing short of amorous, loving content. "My Prince.." She cooed softly, slender hands a shade of grey lighter against his angeled face.

He murmured something gentle in return, though it was too low for John to make out. He felt it was intentional. His sky blue eyes dropped again, an embarrassed blush creeping across his cheeks. What was he supposed to do..?

Shouting further up the hill caught his ear, face quickly turning up against the breeze to catch the donors of the voices. His breath caught in his throat.

Karkat snarled something nasty at Tavros, who stuttered a quiet response and smiled very slightly; a reddish tint taking over Karkat's features. "Fuck you!" He yelled.

The slave and cripple were fast approaching, though both stopped dead when they glanced over the scene unfolding before them. Feferi was now lost in a gentle, meaningful kiss, the stranger holding her close and John remaining flustered on the ground- returning their confused looks with one of his own.

Again he and Karkat's eyes met, accompanied by that familiar shock and pang of pity for the smaller boy. Karkat bared his teeth dangerously in reply to the slight ache in his own pump cavity.

Tavros lowered his head respectfully, trembling lips pursed to quiet anything silly he might say in the presence of royalty. He caught fleeting glances of their expressions, however, and quite easily peiced it together.

"Oh, Karkat," Feferi greeted breathily, looking over her shoulder. "And Tavros, too~" She wriggled free of the cloaked man's arms, moving towards John to help him up. "What are you doing all the glubbing way down here?"

"Go ask her motherfuckin' highness," he growled darkly, huskily, in response. Feferi knew he was refering to Vriska and not her mother, the answer obvious in his tone.

John continued to gaze at them once on his feet, something Feferi was slightly more prepared for. She stepped closer, half in front of John to hide his mortifying blanching.

"Oh dear, is she giving you trouble?"

"When isn't she?" Karkat bit, though none of his anger was actually directed at the princess. He was a lot less self-restricting when he was out of Vriska's sights, hoping she hadn't sent anyone after him to keep an eye on him for her.

"True." Feferi sighed, shaking her head slowly.

"Feferi," the large man muttered, his voice dark and slightly scratchy. She turned unhindered, though John had a lot less graceful an awakening and let out a squawk; quickly covering his mouth with both hands and blushing.

That wasn't the first impression he was hoping to make.

if anything, that was the promised filler chap.. kinda pointless, in retrospect xD i just wanted to get everyone on the same page, y'know? plus i'm tired and about to head to bed, so mine as well go with what i've got, lest it never get completed xD