Chapter 4
"I hate stairs, I hate heights, and I fucking hate Sgrub!" I yelled climbing up the house yet again while my sister gets to the top in around ten seconds. "Maybe talking with someone will make this activity a bit easier, although the wrong person could make this a bit harder…might as well talk to Terezi since my sis said she would be the next person to visit," I said still talking to myself.
- reapingSurprise [RS] began trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC] -
RS: ►HellΦ teªl blΦΦd◄
GC: H3LLO OTH3R T34L BLOOD
RS: ►SΦ did Lªvirª get tπere yet?◄
GC: WH4T, YOUR FR13ND TH4T ST4YS 4T YOUR H1V3? Y4, BUT TH3N SH3 L3FT R1GHT 4FT3R
RS: ►Tπªt little, well tπªts greªt I still gΦt ªn πΦµr Φr sΦ tΦ gΦ till I cªn get µp tπere, I πªte tπis freªking πive.◄
GC: WHY D1DN'T YOU JUST FLY UP L1K3 YOUR H1V3M4T3? S33MS L1K3 4 STUP1D 1D34 TO CL1MB 4LL THOS3 ST41RS
RS: ►I dΦn't knΦw πΦw tΦ stΦp tπe jetpªck tπingy ªnd I didn't feel like crªsπing yet ªgªin intΦ ª wªll in ªn ªttempt tΦ stΦp, ªltπΦµgπ wªlking wªs kind Φf ª stµpid Ideª I cΦµld πªve jµst gΦt ª different flying tπing.◄
GC: W3LL SH3 D1DN'T H4V3 4 GOOD L4ND1NG 31TH3R
GC: SH3 CR4SH3D 1NTO 4 W4LL
RS: ►Heπe well I'm ªlmΦst tπere ªnywªy I 'πitcπed' ª ride witπ sΦmeΦne◄
GC: WHO?
RS: ►SΦme rªndΦm imp wπΦ wªs ªlsΦ flying µp.◄
GC: OK4Y, W3LL 1 GU3SS 1'LL M33T YOU SOON, TH3N
RS: ►Meet yΦµ tπen, bye.◄
- reapingSurprise [RS] gave up trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC] -
Shortly after I ended the conversation I noticed I was nearing my stop so I stabbed the imp killing it and using the remaining momentum, more or less, to land at the correct floor. I estimated wrong and had to fall a … sizeable distance before landing. "Still hate this game."
I then proceeded through the gate in an attempt to locate Lavira. After going through I noticed a small dent in the wall in front of me which I could only assume came from the, odds are fun to watch, landing she had a while ago. "Now where could she have gone?" I questioned before noticing Terezi watching me from one of the walls. "Hey Terezi!"
"H3Y TH3R3, UH… WH4T3V3R YOUR N4M3 1S."
"Kayner."
"OK4Y, K4YN3R."
"Any idea where Lavira might have went?"
"H3Y, K4YN3R, 1 N33D TO F1ND OUT WH4T YOU LOOK L1KE, S1NC3 1'V3 H4RDLY 3V3N M3T YOU."
"Go ahead."
With that Terezi walked over to where I was, smelling me for a moment before licking my cheek. "HMMM…" She seemed deep in thought for a moment before holding out a hand and saying, "W3LL, N1C3 TO M33T YOU, K4YN3R!"
Well that was weird. "Same here," I said shaking her hand.
"TOO B4D YOUR H1V3M4T3 COULDN'T H4V3 L3T M3 F1ND OUT WH4T SH3 LOOK3D L1K3. 1 GU3SS 1'LL H4V3 TO W41T FOR TH4T OPPORTUN1TY."
"The opportunity will arise eventually."
"1 KNOW. W3LL, 1 GU3SS YOU'R3 PROB4BLY GO1NG NOW. 1 KNOW 1 4M. SO, S33 Y4!" And with that, Terezi began heading up her hive to whichever gate was her next.
"Yay time to trudge up yet another house. I wonder if there are any flying imps here," I said to myself before beginning going up yet another tall building. "Yo Taxi," I said before taking another imp up.
"Another one down, god knows how many more to go," I growl, quickly picking up the grist from my latest opponent before another takes its place. "I hate these stupid imps!" I snap, killing this monster as well. Then, before any more can appear out of nowhere, I fly up out of range of most of the imps besides the flying imps, of which I didn't encounter much on Terezi's land.
"What is taking my brother so long?" I asked myself, heading in a random direction to try to find the Return Node. I decided I had waited for my brother long enough, and found the Node quick enough, hovering above it for a while, looking to see if I could spot my brother.
"No dice," I mutter before diving down for the Node. I was only a foot from it, though, when I randomly fell asleep. No warning, just one second flying on my rocket wings, the next out like a light.
When I next woke up, well… I quickly realized I hadn't actually woken up. I found myself lying in a strange bed in a room that looked like someone had decided to prank me by dying my whole room purple. But I knew what it actually was.
Sitting upright, it took a moment to process how exactly I had been woken up. But then I saw Sollux just climbing out the window, half-out. He quickly realized he had been spotted and gave a nervous half-smile. "Morniing, there, Laviira."
"Did you wake me up just now?" I asked, glaring at the other yellow-blood.
"What would you do iif II 2aiid ye2?"
Grabbing one of my pillows, I threw it at him, watching as he tried to dodge it and just ended up falling from his perch on my windowsill. I didn't rush when I went to peek out my window, making sure he didn't fall all the way to the ground, only to find his face inches from mine.
"Augh! Sollux!" I snapped, falling backwards onto my butt. "What was that for?" I asked, getting back to my feet and glaring at the Gemini.
"Don't blame me. II'm not the one that deciided to 2tiick her head out the window," he replied, hovering just outside my room.
"Why did you wake me up in the first place? Eye was just about to go through a Return Node, so eye probably crashed and'll be sore when I wake up. I demand a proper explanation." At this point I was half-joking with Sollux, half-angry with him still for waking me up at such an inopportune moment.
Sollux just laughed and replied, "Well, iif II had know that, II wouldn't have woken you now. But II diidn't thiink you'd want to be left out for two much longer. You are the la2t two wake up here, you know."
"That didn't mean eye wanted to be rudely awoken." I had moved back to my bed at this point, and Sollux was once again sitting on the windowsill, watching me as if I might turn and run for some reason and he needed to keep me from doing so. And, honestly, I was severely considering it at the moment.
"How diid you get kk two allow you and your friiend two joiin u2?" Sollux asked seemingly from nowhere.
"Eye dunno, he just decided to ask us to join for some reason, he never explained why to me."
He seemed to pause to think for a moment before adding, "Well, II've never 2een eiither of you before the game, and II fiind iit a biit 2u2pii2ciiou2 that you two 2eemiingly came from nowhere."
I was unable to answer this question completely without revealing that my brother and I weren't normally trolls, so I just said, "You could say that." Sollux seemed about to ask another question but I interrupted him, saying, "Well, since you said you've woken up here before, mind giving me the grand tour?"
He seemed annoyed that I was trying to change the subject, but with only a shrug of his shoulders he said, "2ure what do you want to 2ee fiir2t?"
"Hmm, why the hell is she asleep." I said looking at the downed body of my sister. One second she was flying looking to avoid a fight and next second she's out like a freaking light. Might as well join in sleeping, it's a bit tiring climbing the house a few times. I thought before going to sleep on the ground because, I can.
Shortly after when I thought I went to sleep I sat up in this nice yellow room that looked suspiciously like my room back at home. "Cool I'm on prospit," I said to myself floating about the room looking at all the nice yellow stuff I have. After a while of flying about I noticed that there were people outside just wandering about the ground, "I wonder why they can't fly," Questioned I as I went down to ask these strange white people. "Why aren't you flying around?" I asked but the people kind of just looked at me funny, in a weird admiring way if you could call it that. "Never mind," I say then fly away.
After screwing around in the air I notice there are a few more flying that I feel like I should know, although trying to remember who they are only reminds me that it's very dangerous to stay on this planet for too long, although the reason why is still barely out of my mental reach. "Hey anyone who can hear Kayner yelling, I think there is something wrong with staying on this planet eventually, or something wrong with staying off sacrifice thing so you might want to leave!"
That was a flawless execution of warning. Oh look a hole in the ground, adventure! I thought before flying into the random hole in the ground. After a while I broke through a wall I didn't notice and found my self in pain and in some strange room with stone stuff that I felt slightly compelled to sit on one in particular. After I sat down I got bored and fell asleep.
I sat up seeing some of my creations bringing another haul from their recent escapade. "Good job recruits, you may have a L.O.A. If you wish," I say pretending I know what I'm saying and also that they actually cared what I said. "Or not," I then proceeded to walk about while I wait for Lavira to wake from her stasis. I wonder if she installed the torrent thing, might as well install it just in case. I think before going to look for a disc. After locating said disc I install the program "Grist Torrent" onto a computer I used before this and simply left to go kick at what could possible be the corpse of my sister. "Wait," I say before realizing something I should take into consideration, "Won't I have to do troll relationship stuff? I don't even know how the hell Moirails work, maybe I can ask someone. That's a good idea but first I have to remember who has a Moirail. Karkat and Gamzee, Eriden and Feferi, and Equies and Nepeta, Maybe Feferi would be the best choice because she might be a bit more straight forward about the answer then Eriden, Gamzee, and Nepeta," I say before attempting to contact Feferi.
- reapingSurprise [RS] began trolling cuttlefishCuller [CC] at 22:31 -
RS: ►Hey Feferi is nΦw ª bªd time?◄
CC: Nope! 38) W)(at do you want, Kayner?
RS: ►I knΦw tπis is kind Φf ª stµpid qµestiΦn◄
RS: ►bµt◄
RS: ►πΦw tπe πeck dΦ MΦirªils wΦrk?◄
CC: Morayls?
CC: W)(ale...
CC: Morayls, as you know, are one of t)(e redroms. Usually morayls kelp to keep eac)( ot)(er grounded, kelping t)(e ot)(er in t)(eir morayllegiance to keep clam and not be overw)(alemed by w)(atever emotions t)(ey mig)(t be experiencing.
CC: T)(at's pretty muc)( it, glub. 38)
CC: W)(y did you need to know?
RS: ►Trµtπ be tΦld I dΦn't knΦw tΦΦ mµcπ ªbΦµt tπis stµff. ªnd ªnΦtπer stµpid qµestiΦn◄
RS: ►πΦw dΦ yΦµ ªctµªlly, mªke, ª mΦirªil?◄
CC: Usually you just ask and if bot)( trolls involved in t)(e potential morayllegiance feel t)(e connection truely is t)(e kind morayls )(ave, t)(en t)(ey become morayls from t)(en on, unless t)(e connection is krilled for any rayson.
RS: ►Okªy, tπx fΦr ªnswering insteªd Φf insµlting like I gµess ªtleªst Φne wΦµld dΦ◄
CC: No problem, glub.
CC: Bye! 38)
RS: ►bye◄
- cuttlefishCuller [CC] gave up trolling reapingSurprise [RS] at 22:45 -
"Well that was great now I known a way to possibly be rejected without any romantic ideas, fun!" I said to the pile of grist next to me. I then proceeded with my previous kicking idea.
"Wow, Derse sure is big," I said, finally taking a break from flying around after Sollux. The two of us were sitting on top of my room, having sat there for several minutes in silence before I broke it.
"II gue22 that'2 true," he replied, staring at a random point into the black abyss Derse floated in.
I tried following his gaze, wondering what he was looking at, but saw nothing. I guess it really was just a random spot he was staring at. Instead of looking into the creepy darkness, I decided to change my focus to Sollux and just thought for a moment. I hoped he wouldn't turn to look at me and find me staring at him, because that would cause for an awkward situation.
But, of course, he turned to glance at me. Acting without thinking for some reason – probably some side-effect of being my dream self – I suddenly blurted, "Eye expect you want an explanation for where my brother and eye came from?"
"Waiit, brother? II thought you two were ju2t friiend2. What even ii2 a brother?"
Realizing I had given away part of our secret and had to keep going with the rest, I replied, "A brother is an alien term for two people who are genetically close to one another, closer than that strange genetic slime mother grubs mix up. And, if you didn't guess already, my brother and eye are aliens. We are what are known as humans, but we were turned into trolls when we entered the game. We basically did come from nowhere, and eye can completely understand if you decide to want nothing else to do with my brother and eye ever agai-"
I had almost finished with my explanation, words coming out so fast that I stumbled several times, when Sollux lifted one hand to signal for me to stop. Instantly I fell silent, clapping both hands over my mouth and regretting revealing so much in that instant of stupidity. But what he said in response shocked me much more.
"II really don't care that you u2ed to be aliien. You're not one now, 2o iit doe2n't matter anymore. Ju2t please, 2top rambliing, II'll admiit iit'2 gettiing a biit annoyiing." Then he put one hand on my shoulder and added, "Let'2 ju2t enjoy here and now."
I was now sitting at a computer desk, staring at the screen blankly. Before me flashed the life of a buck-toothed kid with large, nerdy glasses. But I wasn't paying any attention, and instead recalling memories from a long time ago. Or, what seemed like a long time ago. Then, with no warning whatsoever, someone suddenly wrapped their arms around my shoulders and rested their chin on my head, saying, "Hey there."
Initially I jumped at the unexpected contact, then relaxed as I recognized who it was.
"Hey, Sollux, what's up?"
"Not much. II 2ee you're ob2e22iing over tho2e 2tupiid human2 a2 well?"
I tilted my head back slightly, making Sollux take his chin off of it, and just looked at him for a moment before replying, "Yes, and you know exactly why eye am."
At that Sollux laughed and asked, "2o, what do you thiink of the2e human2 2o far?"
"They're exactly like eye expected them to be. They don't seem like anything special. At least, not until they start playing."
"Have you talked to any yet?"
I just shook my head, returning my attention to the screen.
That is, until once again I lost interest.
Standing up from my chair, I turned towards the transportalizer in the center of the room and said to Sollux, "Eye think eye'm going to hang out with Terezi for a bit. See ya." Then I was transportalized and began heading towards where I assumed Terezi would be, passing my pacing brother on the way.
"Hey," I said to my sister as she passed. But she just ignored me as she disappeared into the transportalizer that I think led to the roof. "Ass," I say before I continue trying to remember what I can of here. "Let's go see what the others are up to," I say to the transportalizer I use two seconds later.
Upon entering the main room I saw some of the others going about their usual business, like Karkat and his usual annoyance towards a specific boy in blue, Gamzee dancing near his pile of horns, Nepeta was playing with a ball of yarn, Eriden seems to be attempting to get at least one quadrant filled, Equius was breaking more bows, one of the humans seemed to be attempting to contact me, I could only assume Tavros was doing his Fiduspawn thing, Kanaya tripping over Gamzee's Uni-real air and Feferi seemed to have just noticed me enter and came over to say hi I guess. ")(ey t)(ere, glub." Guessed as much.
"Hey Fairy," I responded. "Up to anything fun as of recently?"
"No, it's pretty boring )(ere…"
"I guess that is true, anything you feel like doing?"
"W)(at is t)(ere to do?"
"I don't know, just talk I guess."
"Okay!"
"So how've you been holding out recently? Uh strike that, has, uh, Eridan still been pestering you, uh never mind. Crap why is talking to you hard now?"
"Ummm…" Feferi seemed confused at my inability to choose a specific topic to talk about.
"I'm sorry, I've just been thinking of something I think is slightly important recently that has me a bit confused."
"W)(at's that?"
"Uh, it's, uh, nothing really."
"Now you're sounding like Tavros, you silly gills!"
"Heh, uh, I kind of have to ask, have you ever, uh, had…flushed feeling for anyone?"
"W)(ale, I conchidered it once with Eridan, but soon realized it would never work out if we became matesprites."
"Oh, okay then. So, how have you been recently?"
"Didn't you ask me t)(at already?"
"I did, didn't I? Well anyways you look nice today."
"O)(, w)(ale t)(anks, glub!"
"So anything in particular been on your mind." Preferably something bright. No stupid thought that is not what she has been thinking of. She said it herself.
"Not muc)(, besides t)(ose )(umans of course. T)(ey sure are weird!"
"Because the people around here are normal."
"I'm not reely saying t)(at. You're rig)(t, t)(e ot)(ers are pretty strange. But t)(e )(umans are… you know… ALI-EN? So t)(at makes t)(em all t)(e W-EIRD-ER!"
They aren't, or at least, weren't that alien once to me. "Ya there are really strange, especially that one, Jade I think. I still actually wanna know, has Eridan been pestering you recently?"
")(e always does, and you s)(ould know t)(at as muc)( as everyone else."
"Okay I just thought he might have remembered something."
"Remembered w)(at?"
"Err, nothing."
"S)(ooore."
"Hee hee so have you been practicing your two by three prong?"
"T)(ere's not muc)( to practice on, and anyw)(ales, it's my Specibus. I don't need to practice it very often."
"There is Eridan."
"KAYN-ER! W)(y would you propose suc)( a )(orrible idea!?"
"I'm sorry I guess I still have a bit of my crude humor left. Although I think at one time he tried to shoot me. I didn't see him actually do it but I saw the laser that his gun thing shoots."
"T)(en I guess I'll )(ave to tell )(im not to do t)(at anymore. But t)(at still doesn't allow being so rude to )(im!"
"Sorry."
"O)( w)(ale, just so long as you don't do it again."
"Okay Fairy. Hey have you ever thought what it would be like to be Matesprites instead?"
"The jury finds him guilty!"
The phrase was said with fake excitement, though seemingly Terezi believed it as she grabbed the poor scalemate and a stray piece of rope, wrapping it around its neck as she exclaimed, "4ND TH3 P3N4LTY 1S D34TH!" Then she tossed the toy into the air, slinging it over a pipe running above her and I, and, after, I finished the deed by tying the end of the rope around itself to ensure it would stay on the pipe.
"SO, WH4T DO YOU W4NT TO DO NOW?" she asked, looking at me expectantly.
I was about to reply, but I was cut short as suddenly the scene around me changed to something very different.
Initially I thought I had been woken up again, but then I realized the room I was in was all yellow, and looked nothing like my own. For a second I only stared dully at the walls, then glanced at the ground and noticed Karkat lying there, quickly realizing something strange was going on. I realized a few moments later this was an event that I knew to happen in the alpha timeline as a black blur flew in through the window. Jack Noir stood there, and I tried to launch myself at him, but flew through him, forgetting that this couldn't have happened yet and it must be some kind of vision. I tumbled into the wall as Karkat woke up, and then the vision disappeared right after.
"H3Y, L4V1R4! L4V1R4! H3Y, WH4T H4PP3N3D?"
I propped myself on one arm, having somehow collapsed onto the floor. For a second I forgot what I had just seen, then I jumped to my feet as I remembered. I ignored Terezi's complaints as I dashed back towards the main room, realizing I had to do something to stop this. I was halfway to the main room when an idea popped in my head, and I turned instead for my room. I had to get them to safety, then hold off Jack as long as I could so they could make it there. So, when I got into my room, I sat down in my bed then curled up in the middle, hoping sleep would come quickly.