In which the Sufferer talks and talks and talks. Even before Kankri showed up I knew he would be a talker.

Anywho, I decided that in honor of Halloween I would post a chapter. Since Suffy is a ghost, I figured this would be a good Halloween update. I also decided that, since Suffy is an amazing troll, I would post an additional chapter on All Saints day, so check back tomorrow for another update :)

I do not own Homestuck. If I did my patron troll would get more lines.


The next time the Signless caught Dave off guard, it was broad daylight and everyone was present (minus Karkat), including the normally hidden Gamzee. This only made it slightly more acceptable.

"Hey, Dave, why don't you join us?" John called over from his spot on the sofa.

The younger Strider inwardly cringed. He had been hoping to slip out unnoticed, after seeing the ghost, considering no one was directly facing him. Then again, John did seem to have this knack for being obnoxious at the worst times. (Didn't mean Dave liked him any less, but seriously, the dude needed to learn to keep quiet sometimes.)

Gamzee nodded slowly in agreement. "Yeah, my best friend's human bro. This awesome motherfucker is about to share a story of the miracle of his life," the Juggalo grated. The young man vaguely wondered if Karkat knew his mairoil or whatever was here. He also had to wonder why the clown was present in the first place. It seemed a little suspicious.

Everyone, including the Signless, looked at Dave expectantly, forcing him to focus on the more pressing issue of whether or not he would join them. It didn't take long for him to cave in. The weight of the gazes was crushing. It felt more like a walk of shame than a simple movement to find a seat. Noting that everyone was already comfortably taking all available couches and chairs, he picked a spot on the floor between the two couches, where it would be difficult for anyone but the Signless to look at him.

All he had wanted was to go into the kitchen and grab a slice of banana bread Jade and Terezi had made that morning. Now he was going to have to sit on the floor with the Signless staring at him and smiling and not judging him. Now that he was already trapped, he wondered why he had let himself get caught in the first place.

Once Dave had settled physically, the Signless gave him a brief, familiar smile before speaking. "You're just in time. I have not yet begun my tale."

"Swell," Dave said, quiet and unenthusiastic. He could feel the disapproval rolling off Kanaya and Terezi, but no one commented.

"I suppose I should begin by stating that the society I grew up in was vastly different from the one you three experienced," he gave each troll a look, letting Dave have a reprieve from his too-knowing gaze. "Adult trolls still lived on the Alternia, and there was much more social interaction. I am ashamed to admit that I was part of the cause of the sudden shift in culture." He placed a hand on his chest as he explained to emphasize the point, though it was completely unnecessary. Dave found his eyes drawn to the manacles. If he squinted, he could barely see fresh blood at the edges. Terezi would likely be the only other one to notice.

"Sweeps after my passing, a revolution would occur to attempt to accomplish what my preaching could not. The violence only served as a convenient method for the Condesce to eliminate those harboring ill intention toward her, as well as prevent any such thing from happening again. All adult trolls were removed from the planet to serve in her army, sent to conquer other worlds even as the Empress herself left for the furthest reaches of the universe."

There was a ripple throughout the group. Jade and John had been informed of what Aranea had said about the Condesce. No one asked why she would commit such an atrocity.

The Signless noticed the unease that was now not only emanating from Dave, but from everyone else.

"This was not what you asked to hear, but the context was necessary for you to understand the difference between my upbringing and your own.

"Grubs were still raised by lusii, and as far as I am aware they always have been. I was in the wriggling pit, just like the others, waiting for the creatures to select a grub to care for. I would never have been chosen. A lusus such as the one who raised Karkat had not been bred yet. The mutant color of my blood would have ensured my death, if not for your Ancestor, Ms. Maryam." He inclined his head toward the jade blood.

Everyone, save Dave, looked at her. "My Ancestor?" she parroted, unsure of what else to say.

The Signless nodded, and all of the attention turned back to him. "Yes, my dear child. The Dolorosa was a kind and wonderful woman, the sweetest troll I have ever met," he praised. "She was very near and dear to my heart, and I owed her my life. She was one of the trolls responsible for the care of the Mother Grub. When she saw me, she told me sweeps later, she knew I was special. She abandoned her duties and fled the cave in order to raise me where I would be safe from the imperial drones. I couldn't imagine a more wonderful mother."

"Oh my," Kanaya whispered, the admiration for her Ancestor clear.

"Indeed," the Signless chuckled. "She was also my first follower, loyal until her untimely death."

Terezi made a little noise. "Um, how did she die?"

The Signless frowned, his tone becoming more solemn as he replied. "After my own death, my dear mother was sold into slavery. She was a servant of Mindfang until the Marquise's former Kismesis, Dualscar, killed her."

Though Dave couldn't see it, he could tell Kanaya had narrowed her eyes in frustration. "I believe Vriska mentioned her Ancestor was named Mindfang. Am I to assume Dualscar was Eridan's?"

"I could not say; I have yet to meet some of the Descendants."

John was the one to make a noise this time. "That sounds pretty sad. Do you have any happy memories?"

The Signless, ever indulgent, smiled at John and nodded in confirmation before launching into the story of how he met his lover and most devoted Disciple.

It was an almost cheesy romance, but Dave gave the troll his full attention until he sensed a presence behind him. When the ghost took his attention away from the Knight he used the opportunity to look over his shoulder. Vantas was hiding behind a doorframe, only half of his upper body in sight. He was staring at his Ancestor. Clearly he was suspicious, but also hanging on to every word the older troll spoke. Every now and again he would glance at Gamzee and his eyes would narrow further, something else flashing in his ruby irises. It was something darker that his fellow Knight recognized as abandonment.

As soon as Dave realized Vantas was jealous, the troll flinched and looked directly at him. The Cancer's eyes widened, revealing even more of the blood-red irises. Terezi had told the humans that his eyes hadn't always been that color; that they only changed to reflect the blood as the troll reached maturity. Dave had noticed over the three years that the troll's eyes had gotten brighter, more jewel-like. He had grown as well. In another year, he could easily be as tall and muscular as the Signless.

They stared at each other, neither making any noise or movements. Vantas was the first to blink, of course. He scowled and slipped away as quietly as he had appeared. Dave turned his attention back to the older troll. He was still conveying the story of his Disciple, and though the words were cheerful, there was sadness in his tone, as close to disappointment as someone who was never disappointed in anyone could get. Whether the ghost had looked or not, Dave knew the older troll had known Karkat was there and gone again.