A/N: Don't ask questions. All shall be answered in due time. (Welcome to the land of exposition.)
"Thanks for agreeing to come with me." John says excitedly, practically bouncing with energy as he stands between you and Dave in the line.
Dave chuckles, putting an arm on John's head to hold him still. You press your lips into a thin line to keep from frowning when you see that. It twists your insides in a violent way. It probably does the same to Dave, but if the genuine smile on his face is anything to go by, he likes the feeling. "Don't mention it." He says, waving his free hand like it's no big deal. "It's not every day that you turn twenty, you know."
You didn't want to come. But then John asked Dave too, and when he said yes, you reluctantly gave up the free time you get after work and agreed to come along. You need to watch Dave, after all. He tends to get… clumsy around John and embarrass himself. You're just being a good friend. Even though you don't believe in fortune-telling at all. It should be an interesting experience, though.
"And on the last day that they're in town." John is smiling hard as he gazes at the fortune tellers' tent looming in front of you. It's a pretty good-size tent, about the size of both yours and Dave's apartment combined. There's a large wagon parked next to it, as it is a traveling fortune teller duo. Obviously. The tent is striped, with different shades of blue and teal going from the top of it to the ground. In front of it, a sign that says, "Your future - completely accurate, guaranteed!" has been hammered into the ground. It all seems like some huge scam to you, but whatever. It's not that expensive - and you have plenty of money anyway, you suppose.
Regardless, you aren't impressed. You don't know how Dave can smile so much at this. It's completely ridiculous. John isn't even a good match for him. Their personalities couldn't handle a relationship - Dave would be too eager to make John happy regardless of how he felt about it, and John is too dense to notice. Like now, for example. You know for a fact that Dave doesn't like fortune tellers. He told you so on the walk over here. You hate having friends. Well, friends that are pathetically in love, at least.
Suddenly, the flap over the entrance is pushed back, and the girl who had been in the line in front of you ten minutes ago is pushed out of the tent roughly. "Out!" A nasal voice snaps, shooing her away. A second woman steps out after the first, and you can immediately tell that she's not from around here.
For one, she's not wearing a dress - not even a skirt. She's wearing white, baggy men's trousers that are clearly too big on her. To keep them up, she's tied a red sash around her skinny waist and tucked the ends into her boots, which are also men's clothing. You know that they don't make boots for women without heels and frills, and even then, typically they're only sold to noble ladies. Which she is clearly not. Her short hair is tangled and there's dirt smudges on her face and her clothes and, well, everywhere. If this is one of the fortune tellers, you can't see the appeal. Isn't she supposed to be putting on a show? You suppose that the loose shirt she's wearing offers… a view, but that alone can't draw a crowd like the one waiting in line outside the tent.
"Get out, you poor excuse for a living creature!" The woman continues to yell, waving the half-angry and half-humiliated girl away from her tent. "And don't come back!" She looks absolutely enraged, huffing, and you get the feeling that you don't want to know why. "Now, then-" She dusts off her shirt like that will make a difference in the stains, and turns to look at you. Well, you think so.
Did you mention that she's blind?
She's tied a red scarf around her eyes, possibly to match the one around her waist. You have no idea how she can see through the thing. It's kind of amazing. The amazement quickly turns to fear though when you realize that, yes, the blind woman is looking directly at you. You can feel it, and it makes your skin crawl. You suppress a shudder, and you swear on your life that she smiles. How can she even see that you're uncomfortable? Yeah, you hate fortune tellers. You just want to go home and have some tea. Or something stronger.
Smiling still, she steps forward, and you just barely resist the urge to back up. "You." She says, pointing, but to your surprise, she isn't pointing at you.
John's face lights up, and you officially give up on that guy. How can he not tell how incredibly creepy this girl is? It's absolutely ridiculous that he would want to go somewhere alone with her, even if it's just a tent that you could easily hear through if he screamed. "Really?" He steps forward, and her smile widens impossibly further.
"Yes. John, I'm Terezi." They shake hands, both of them looking positively delighted. You hate your life right now. God, everything about this is awful. John looks amazed that she knows his name, even though she could have easily heard it through the tent at any time considering that you're literally standing ten feet from it and have no volume control. "I think that we're going to get very well-acquainted." Her head doesn't turn as she says this, but you can feel when Terezi's gaze slides over to you.
And then they're both gone with Terezi dragging him into the tent by his hand as John follows like this is the best day of his life.
"Well," Dave sighs once they're gone, running a hand through his hair, "that wasn't creepy at all. Sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm." He rolls his eyes in that over-dramatic way of his, and you snort with barely-suppressed laughter.
"She got to you too?" You ask, raising an eyebrow, and Dave nods. You sigh, still smiling as you shake your head. "Fuck. John is way too trusting. That woman - Terezi, right? - so damn unnerving."
You really enjoy moments like these - when it's just you and Dave and stupid, pointless jokes that make you happy and content in a way that you've never known. He has such an incredible effect on you, and you don't get it. He makes you happy, even more so than Gamzee ever did. You don't even think about your mission around him.
Oh, right.
That.
You should probably be working on that, shouldn't you? You haven't even begun to investigate the hatch you found near the perimeter. You need to figure out a way to open it and get a light source down there. Why in the name of all that is holy are you wasting your time by getting your palm read?
The answer is pretty clear. It's standing right next to you. Dave. He's the only reason you came at all. John's birthday means next to nothing to you (that's not to say that you don't like John - birthdays have just never been important for you to celebrate or acknowledge at all). You are really bad at distancing yourself. You should work on that. If only his smile wasn't so damn heartstopping. You still don't understand why you always want to be around Dave. It was the same thing with Gamzee, but this feels… different in a way that you can't put your finger on. It bothers you to no end.
Suddenly, the tent flap is pushed open, and John storms out in a huff. He looks a lot less happy than when he went in, and your suspicions only rise as Terezi stands in the entrance, smiling coyly. "Come back anytime." She practically purrs, and John flushes an angry shade of red.
"Not even in your dizziest daydreams, you weirdo." He snaps, turning his back to her. This doesn't seem to upset Terezi in the least. She's laughing - this unpleasant, cackling sound as Dave shoots her a glare and starts talking to John in a hushed voice.
You can't make out what they're saying, but it doesn't really matter. Terezi doesn't even bother to walk over to you. She just gestures for you to come closer with one finger, cocking an eyebrow as she smirks. You grind your teeth together in frustration, but walk over anyway, like she knew you would. Why are you so predictable?
Terezi moves to the side as you approach, gesturing for you to step into her humble tent. The fact that the inside is nothing but blackness does not help any. "C'mon, Karkat." She coaxes with a low voice. "This is quite possibly the most important milestone on your… quest." She licks her lips, seeing to take pleasure from watching you stiffen in mild shock. "I can promise that you do not want to miss this, and we don't have all day."
You hesitate for just a second longer, shooting a glance at Dave and John over your shoulder before you just sigh and step inside. So predictable. Terezi follows you, letting the tent flap drop as she does. The room is engulfed in darkness, and you try not to let it get to you. You tense when she grabs your arm, your hand twitching for your sickles. But Terezi seems unbothered by your discomfort, just tugging you deeper into the tent. The darkness is actually surprisingly shallow. She only has to take a few steps before she pushes a second flap open and you can see again.
The light - despite it's lack of intensity - makes you wince, blinking rapidly as your eyes adjust. Terezi is, of course, not bothered. You still haven't figured out how she can navigate so smoothly without her sight.
This next room appears to take up most, if not the rest of, the space in the tent. The lights are dimmed, so the end of the room is cast in shadow, but everything close to you is relatively easy to see. Like the other half of Terezi's show, for example.
She is dressed the way you would expect a fortune teller to be - unlike Terezi. Like her partner though, the newcomer is also a fan of loose shirts, wearing a plain white one that she has tucked into the waistband of her skirt. The fabric of the skirt is a shade of cerulean that matches the tent, the ends stopping just below her ankles to remain off the ground. She has a scarf over her shoulders, also in cerulean, and it matches the scarf that she's tied around her head like a turban, long waves of black hair trailing down her back from underneath it. You can't tell if the oversized glasses she's wearing are for show or not, and you almost ask when she smiles. It's not a pleasant expression. It's more like the grin of a spider that's finally lured the naive little fly into it's careful web.
"Karkat, so nice to meet you." She says, striding over to you and shaking your hand with confidence. Her smile has relaxed into something only slightly less off-putting, and you don't trust it, shaking her hand firmly and dropping it quickly. "I'm Vriska, and you've already met Terezi. So, come in, come in! Don't be a stranger." She puts an arm around your shoulder like you've known each other for years, leading you over to a table set up in the middle of the room before you can protest.
There's just two chairs on opposite sides of the table, and it holds only one object. A perfectly circular white orb rests atop a small stand, and you find yourself inexplicably drawn to it. For what reason, you aren't sure, because it doesn't look like any crystal ball that you've ever seen. It's not clear in the least - completely opaque. Still, you stare at it, and you feel like you could do that for all of eternity without complaint. Then Vriska clears her throat, and you look up at her, the trance broken.
You hadn't noticed her move to sit across from you, nor had you noticed Terezi leave, but she's gone when you look up. Vriska must be the main act, then. Alright. You can work with that.
"So," You say before she can speak, "how is this going to work? You ask me obviously general questions and I answer with very specific details until you've gleaned enough on my life to "accurately predict" the future of my marriage?"
This makes Vriska frown, and you think that her gaze drops to the orb before she answers. "You aren't married." She says. "And you don't want to be, either. Did losing him really hurt that much?" It isn't the sympathetic tone that you're used to hearing when people refer to Gamzee. Rather, Vriska sounds amused. It's as if you're just the cutest and most pathetic thing in the world for actually caring about someone.
You shoot up into a standing position, sending your chair skidding back with the force you use. "I don't need to take that from you!" You snarl, glaring at her. You're about two seconds from turning around and leaving, and she should feel blessed that you're giving her even that much time.
Vriska sighs, rolling her eyes. "Karkat, really. Calm down. It's a sensitive subject, okay, I get it. I'll leave it alone. Now sit back down, because the way that this meeting goes is going to affect me just as much as it'll affect you, so I need you to hear me out." There's a sense of irritation in her voice, but you can also tell that she's being honest, if only for her own benefit. It's either this or head back outside and watch Dave fall all over himself for a guy that clearly doesn't notice.
So you sigh, making your unhappiness clear as you sink back into your seat. "Fine. I'll stay." You mutter, crossing your arms, but Vriska has stopped listening.
"Alright, good." She grabs your hand, placing it on top of the orb. You let her, if only out of curiosity. "All of the omnipotence in the world can't make heads or tails of your crummy personality…" Vriska mutters. You almost don't hear her, distracted as she places a hand over yours. You swear that the orb glows as she does, lighting up just barely as she closes her eyes. You think that she's focusing, but on what, you aren't sure. You just know that you really want to take your hand back and get the fuck out of whatever you've stumbled into.
"Huh." Terezi says from behind you, and you almost jump right out of your seat. Fuck. You put your free hand over your heart, whirling around to glare at her. You do not take being scared well, and you want to make sure that she knows it. Much like Vriska though, she appears to be more invested in the orb than you. You kind of want to smash it against the wall, but something tells you that that won't work. "So, are the possibilities clearing up?" She asks Vriska, resting her elbows on your head and propping her chin on her hands. It's an incredibly insulting position to you, and you're too vexed to even bother telling her to get off of you. Her elbows are unbelievably bony. You can't help but wonder if this girl ever eats.
Still ignoring you, Vriska nods, frowning in concentration. "Yeah, they are." A pause. "Still… there's too many to be sure. God, why is he so difficult?" This last bit is muttered mostly to herself, and you start to protest, but she beats you to it. "Ugh- even his future. Even after the difficult bit is cleared, he still can't make up his damn mind. There's too many possibilities, and they're too fuzzy to make out." Vriska lets out a frustrated groan and lets your hand go, glaring at the orb like it's the source of all her woes. "I don't think this is going to work. For every decision, there's another ten paths leading off of it. It's a clusterfuck - and a nightmare to navigate. I don't think there's any way to be sure what's going to happen."
Terezi hums in thought, tilting her head up to look at the top of the tent. Why, you haven't got a clue. Isn't it all the same view? "It doesn't matter too much, I don't think." She says. "This was always about manipulation, wasn't it? We just need to narrow our sights on the best path and stick to it." You can hear the grin in her voice, and it makes your hairs stand up on end.
"Well, there is that." Vriska agrees. "Too bad that he's the one making the influential decisions…" She trails off, and your patience snaps.
You stand up, sending Terezi and the chair back (again) as you slam your hands down on the table. "That's it!" You shout, Vriska fumbling for the orb. She catches it just before it hits the ground, and you ignore a small tinge of disappointment. "Someone better explain what the fuck is happening right the fuck now, before I flip this goddamn table along with all of my metaphorical shits and spaz my way out of this tent in a meltdown the likes of which have never been witnessed!" You get all of this out in one breath, covering up your shallow huffs as you lock Vriska in a staredown.
She breaks first - probably because whatever that ball showed her made it clear how stubborn you can be. "Oh, fine!" She huffs, setting the orb back carefully. "No need to throw a tantrum. You could've just asked, you know. It's not like I'm a jerk." There's a silent pause where she rearranges herself - smoothes over her skirt, fluffs her hair - before she speaks again. "I guess that, first things first, I'm not a fraud." She beings. "I can see into the future. My future. And all I can see up to is two weeks from now."
This statement is punctuated with a glare, and you raise an eyebrow. "And this is my fault because…?" You're probably going to regret asking, but it's not like you have anything better to do.
"Because you have such a God-awful personality that the orb can't tell up from down when you're involved!" She huffs. "Our fates get dramatically entwined after this first meeting, and unfortunately, all of the influential decisions - the make or break ones - are left up to you for some reason, even though you can't make a certain choice to save your life."
Behind you, Terezi snickers. "She hates not being in control." She whispers into your ear. You know that Vriska heard, but she must not care, because she keeps right on talking.
"And that's why I needed you here for this." Vriska gestures at the orb. "I can only see my future unless someone else is making contact with the orb or I'm thinking about them. I could get a much better reading on your personality with you actually touching it, and that helped narrow down some of the thousands of ways this story could unfold to only a handful of paths that are actually likely to happen based on your decision making process. The hardest part was getting you here, but…" Vriska licks her lips, smirking, "it's a good thing that your friend John was so eager to drag Dave along. You can't go anywhere without him, can you?" You flush indignantly, and you're about to tell her off for being a complete bitch, but she just keeps talking. "It's a shame that John had to leave so soon." She sighs, and Terezi nods her agreement. "He was cute, but I guess that we'll have more opportunities with him later, if all goes well. We'll just have to dial back on the... aggressiveness of our flirting tactics. It kind of scared him off."
You look between the two for a moment, dumbfounded beyond the capability of speech. You have absolutely no idea what they just attempted to explain to you. Vriska can see into the orb apparently? And you're going to be doing some important shit in the future? Oh, well, that's all fine and dandy except for the part where it's complete and utter bullshit. "You must be out of your fucking mind if you that that I believe anything you just said." You snap at her. Except the flirting with John part. That makes… way too much sense.
Vriska stares at you for a moment, then turns to look at Terezi. They have what is likely a mind-meld considering all of the other shit that's gone on in this tent, and Vriska sighs. "Fine. But only because this will be a lot easier if you cooperate. Fuck, where to start though-?"
"Probably with your whole talk about the future." Terezi says absentmindedly, sounding almost bored. "Just explain the orb to him. Its as good a start as any, right?"
Thinking about it, Vriska taps her chin in thought, then nods. "Alright, yeah. Why not?" She exhales slowly, then takes a deep breath. You guess that she's steadying herself, but you have no idea why. Like an afterthought, Terezi puts a hand on your shoulder, pushing you back down into your chair. You let her. "To begin with, I should admit that I actually can't see into the future unassisted." You snort because, yeah, that much is obvious, and she pointedly ignores you. "This orb here," she gestures at it like there's any other orbs in the room, "has existed since the beginning of time, if what little information there is on it is to be trusted. There's not much, and I've been searching for the long while that I've had it in my possession. What I do know is that not just anybody can read it. Terezi can't, and you can't. Go ahead - try it." Vriska leans back in her chair, seeming completely serious.
You don't trust her in the slightest, but you can tell that she won't be satisfied unless you continue, so you put your hand on the orb thing to satisfy her. It's smooth under your touch, and warm, which you would chalk up to just being a result of the touching if you didn't feel the heat radiating. It's moving slightly, and the only thing you can relate it to is breathing. You are touching a breathing orb. Fuck. You almost pull away, but you're so morbidly interested in it now. Copying Vriska, you close your eyes, concentrating on it. You're not surprised when nothing happens.
"See?" Vriska leans forward again, looking way too smug for your liking. "Nothing."
You scowl at her. "That's because it's a fucking orb and you're trying too hard." You say, crossing your arms. "What was supposed to happen? Was it going to whisper the secrets of eternity into my virgin ears?" The little patience you have at even the best of times is rapidly thinning the longer you stay here. "You're really committed to this scam." You mutter.
That finally gets to her, and you can see it in her eyes when Vriska's tolerance snaps. "It's not a scam!" She shouts, and you can't help but feel satisfied that you rile her up the way she does to you. "Not everyone can see into it, alright? You need the Sight, and I happen to have been born with it!"
You raise an eyebrow, playing up the skepticism on your face just because you know it will bother her. "The Sight." You repeat flatly.
She looks like she wants to pull her hair out. Or yours. Either will probably satisfy her. "Yes, the Sight." Vriska hisses through clenched teeth. "Vision twofold. A third eye. There's a whole metric fuck ton of words for it. Not that it matters, because they all mean the same thing: I can see what the orb shows me." She stares at it again, and you swear that it lights up a little at the recognition.
"Uh huh." You can at least admit that she's got you curious. You kind of want to see how far along she's strung this con. It's one of the best one's you've ever heard, that's for sure. Really well thought out. You make a mental note to congratulate her before you leave. "And… what exactly does it show you?" Besides absol-fucking-lutely nothing. You don't need to voice that just yet.
You're not giving her too hard of a time anymore, so Vriska relaxes. You think that talking about the orb or just being near it soothes her a little. It could also be Terezi, who somehow managed to go stand next to her partner without you noticing at all. They're not touching - just standing near each other - and you're not sure for a moment if Vriska even realizes that she's there. The faint smile on her face tells you otherwise. They have a very close relationship apparently, sharing a small moment before Vriska redirects her attention to you.
It takes her a moment to think about how to answer your question. "It's like…" Vriska trails off, frowning. "Time is like a river." She says finally. "The main stream can get cut off or flow into a side pool or get whipped into a frenzy. Every possible choice is a different turn in it's path, and it's become so tangled recently that I can't see how this is going to end for once." She bites her lip, and Terezi puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. You almost feel bad for Vriska. Her weariness is suddenly obvious. She's too pale, and the bags under her eyes rival even yours. "The orb lets me see them, and all of the directions they branch off into." She continues. "Usually, it's pretty easy. But with you…" Her eyes narrow a little. "You're so difficult, Karkat. Making a choice should not be that hard." She sighs, rubbing her temple a little bit. "Whatever. It's getting better, I guess. Having you here to factor your personality into everything is helping. I was starting to get tired of guessing which path some asshole that I don't even know is going to take." When she smiles, it's dry and sarcastic, but not as sharp as it had been when you first met her. You think that she's warming up to you. You're not entirely sure how to feel about that.
"Okay, so, you're telling me that you just happen to have this orb that can show you the future without knowing how it even does that or where it came from?" If your eyebrows were any higher, they would be off of your face completely. Your skepticism is pliable.
Vriska presses her lips into a thin line, but you think that she's done yelling at you for now. "No one knows for sure how they were made. Every story is different, and most of it is just speculation." She explains. You guess that's a fairly decent background for an object that has apparently "existed since the beginning of time." Of course you're doubtful. "As for the how…?" All she can offer is a shrug. "I don't know. I guess that I could crack it open and find out, but then I wouldn't be able to use it anymore. I got it from my mom's pile of junk, so I'm not too crazy about breaking it. But I do know that there's two of them."
There's a glint in her eyes as she says this, something akin to greed or obsession. This second orb must really be all that, then. "See, my orb-" Terezi clears her throat, and Vriska sighs, "our orb can show the possible futures of anyone who comes into contact with it, but it's very broad. If something has even the tiniest likelihood of happening, it will be included. Technically, I could look at anyone's future by just picturing them in my mind, but it's so much easier to navigate that mess if they're in contact with the orb, too. Their personality helps narrow down some of the choices and makes the picture so much clearer, but we've already been over that. Anyway, the future isn't set in stone. It can be influenced or changed by any number of things. However," her smile grows, "the orb's twin- it takes into consideration all of these variables, and gives an absolutely 100% correct answer. No matter what, it's predictions turn out true. The only draw back is actually knowing what to ask. See, it only works in yes or no replies, which is pretty limiting, especially if you don't know what to ask. But combining them-" Vriska looks so terrifyingly passionate about this that you can't help but wonder how long she's been searching for the second one, "combining them will give you complete and total omnipotence. Anyone, anything, anywhere, you would be able to see it. You would know every twist and turn - the punchline to every joke. Can you imagine that?"
It takes you a moment to realize that she actually wants you to answer. "Sounds complicated." You say simply.
All Vriska can offer is a shrug. "Maybe, but wouldn't it be worth it?" She smiles, and you don't reply. You have absolutely no interest in obtaining power of that magnitude. Your life is complicated and stupid, but you like it. It's yours, and you don't need to make it any harder than it already is.
You decide that a change in topic is in order and cross your arms. "So, are you going to tell me about this huge important decision I'll need to make? Some foresight would be nice, and you seem to have plenty to go around."
Terezi laughs a little, not bothering to smother the sound even as you glare at her. "Nope." She says, shaking her head. "Telling you what's going to happen would probably blow your mind, and we still need it intact to make all of these important decisions." You think that she takes some sort of sadistic pleasure out of refusing you like this.
"Actually, she's right." Vriska nods. "You really aren't ready to know, and even if I did tell you, you wouldn't believe me."
You don't know how you keep yourself from decking her right then and there. "Then what the fuck was the point of saying any of this shit to me!" You throw your hands up in exasperation, frustration clear in your voice.
Vriska shrugs, picking up the orb off of it's little stand and tucking it into a velvet bag that you swear she actually pulled out of her ass. "It's, like, the world's most confusing exposition." She tells you after a moment of thought. "It's pretty damn great to see you get frustrated, and it's a very helpful set up for when we meet up again." She doesn't elaborate further, and you think that you're about to be kicked out when she decided to add one last thing. "Oh, and… if I was you, I would be packed. Ready to leave anyday now." Vriska says vaguely.
You wait for her to elaborate, huffing and rolling your eyes as it becomes clear that she doesn't intent to without prompting. "And why is that exactly, o' mystical prophet?" You ask dryly.
"Because you're not going to kill the prince." Vriska says matter-of-factly, and you stiffen. How… could she possibly know about that? You never mention it aloud. Only a handful of people know about this job at all, and she is definitely not supposed to be one of them. But Vriska keeps going, completely ignoring your slack-jawed expression. "Or, at least, if you do, you're going to wish that you hadn't." You almost argue, but the look on her face tells you that she's dead serious. Emphasis on the word dead. "You are going to wish you hadn't." She says slowly, taking special care with pronouncing each syllable. "The consequences are beyond anything you can imagine."
You don't even have the urge to argue with that. Vriska sounds so certain, despite all the different ways this could apparently go down. Not that you believe any of that nonsense about the orb and the future. Definitely not.
"Alright, shouty." Terezi says, humor in her words as she grabs you by the bicep and tugs you towards the exit. "This visit is officially over. We'll be meeting again soon, so try not to miss me too much." She pushes you out of the tarp before you can object, shouting a quick, "We're closed!" before disappearing back into the tent. When you try and push back into the tent, it doesn't budge. You're already too dumbfounded to react much to that.
As the rest of the people waiting in line begin to leave with disappointed groans all around, Dave and John approach you. You're mildly surprised that they waited for you, but you don't say as much.
"You look like you just got trampled by a horse." Dave says flatly. You have the thought that you should sarcastically thank him for being such a damn charmer, but you suddenly don't have the energy to be a smartass.
John puts an arm around your shoulder, tugging you against him. "There there, Karkat." He says in a voice that is supposed to be soothing but actually just pisses you off a little bit. "Don't pay those girls too much attention. They just get a kick out of fucking with the heads of perfectly pleasant customers." He frowns. You kind of want to ask for details on what exactly Vriska's "aggressive flirting" meant, but the look on his face tells you that you really actually don't want to know.
"Yeah." You agree quietly, frowning at the ground. "They're just fucking with me…"
The next time you're able to sneak away at work, you bring a torch with you, tucked under your clothes. You light it once you're in the tunnel, the wooden hatch a lot clearer now. You open it, and are surprised to see that it isn't too far of a drop. The tunnel is a few inches taller than you, and not as abandoned as you had first assumed. It's actually fairly nice. However, you are prevented from exploring further as the tunnel quickly comes to a dead end, boarded up with rotting wood. You mutter a few curses under your breath, and begrudgingly turn around. Another day, then. When you actually have a prying tool on hand.
You don't care what Vriska says. You're going to kill the prince, and you're going to get the reward money, and you're going to get the fuck away from this town and all of the confusing feelings that come with it.
What other choice do you have?