"The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just have to find the trolls worth suffering for."

- The Dolorosa

You are now KANAYA MARYAM.

Being one of few trolls whose taste in clothing extends beyond the simple and utilitarian, you have a career as a FASHION DESIGNER. It is not high-demand career, as few trolls care about fashion, and still fewer care about it to the degree you do.

That being said, most of those who do have an interest in your wares are highbloods or seadwellers, and highbloods and seadwellers have a great deal of money. They would need to, to afford some of the highest-quality, most fashionable dresses in this sector of the galaxy, which yours are widely considered to be. As such, you have managed to become QUITE WEALTHY for a JADEBLOOD of only EIGHT AND A HALF SWEEPS.

You live in a communal hivestem's penthive, with a brilliant view of the city below. You've never had as much trouble as most trolls in dealing with sunlight. In fact, as you look out over the rooftops from your penthive, you find a great deal of beauty in in the light reflecting off the skyscrapers.

You probably should get some sleep, you think, but then it occurs that it's been a while since you've heard from your friend Karkat. He may claim to be a fierce troll, but you've been able to see through that facade for sweeps. In truth, you think he's rather a lot like a small and adorable barkbeast that yips a lot but would never bite anyone.

You met him on a forum online when you were both much younger, where he was going on at length about how incredibly terrible it was that Troll Leonardo Dicaprio still hadn't won a Troll Oscar. He cursed and ranted and insulted anyone willing to listen to him, but you'd noticed he made some very solid arguments why Troll Leonardo Dicaprio ought to have won that award sweeps ago, so you attempted to strike up a conversation.

He'd insulted you as well, blasted your interest in certain specific supernatural romance stories, and was generally unpleasant and crabby. You left this first conversation with him feeling frustrated and annoyed. Oddly enough, for someone who insisted at first that he could not stand you or your particular taste in romantic fiction, he kept starting trollian chats with you occasionally over the next several weeks. Eventually, he asked you why you had not blocked him yet. And while it also was partly because he had proven more amusing than intimidating with his constant irateness, you admitted to him it was that you suspected he was a good troll. This response had quite clearly caught him off guard, and from then on you slowly became good friends.

Besides, he was absolutely right about Troll Dicaprio.

In the two sweeps you've known him, he has slowly lost interest in things he'd been passionate about. It started with him stopping trying to learn how to code, which he had been working on for since you'd first met online. Nearly a sweep later, much to your shock, he quite abruptly stopped caring about romance films, telling you they were "FAKE AND POINTLESS". You of course began to worry about him, being the good friend you were, but after a particularly nasty argument where he called you a "MEDDLESOME OLD HAG WHO'S ONLY NOSING INTO OTHER'S BUSINESSES BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OF YOUR OWN" and you he a "Hopeless Little Wriggler Throwing A Tantrum Because Things Are Not Going Your Way" you backed off.

The pair of you had sulked for three nights before he contacted you again and by mutual agreement things more or less went back to how they had been before. But even after a fight it wasn't too long before you were talking again, and the more you think about it now the more you're worrying about him. You've not heard from him in a week. A week is a long time without contact and your last conversation with him ended abruptly. What if something attacked his hive? What if he was dead and there was no one else to find him? You've been busy over much of the last week, but you really should send him a message, make sure he is alright.

You head over to your desk and sit down, opening your husktop smoothly but with a swiftness betraying your underlying concern. However, before you can message him on Trollian, a chat window pops up.

Wait.

Who the hell is arachnidsGrip?

arachnidsGrip [AG] began trolling grimAuxiliatrix [GA]

AG: Heeeeeeeey!

GA: If You Dont Mind My Asking

GA: Who Are You And Why Are You Messaging Me

AG: Who am I? Can't tell you that, sorry.

AG: You're a friend of Karkat Vantas, right, Kanaya?

GA: You Know My Name It Would Seem

GA: As Well As The Name Of A Good Friend Of Mine Who I Have Known For Some Time

GA: So To Answer Your Question Yes I Am His Friend

GA: But It Seems Safe To Guess You Knew That Already

AG: Of course, I wouldn't 8e talking to you otherwise :::;)

GA: What Exactly Is It That You Want

AG: I just want to tell you one thing, Kanaya Maryam.

AG: Your 8uddy Vantas?

AG: He's the Culler.

GA: Wait What

GA: How Is That Even Possible

AG: How is aaaaaaaany of what he does possi8le?

AG: But I'm not lying to you or anything, it's him!

GA: I Do Not Believe You

GA: While He Has Been Acting A Bit Odd Lately

GA: I Doubt He Has It In Him To Cull So Many Trolls

GA: I Doubt He Has It In Him To Cull Anyone Really

AG: Well, you don't really haaaaaaaave to 8elieve me.

AG: I am just a stranger after all.

AG: Why don't you just ask him?

GA: Um

AG: Have a nice chat!

arachnidsGrip [AG] ceased trolling grimAuxiliatrix [GA]