"Do you want some Faygo, bro?" Gamzee asked, tilting the bottle of brightly coloured liquid towards me, shaking me from my dream, again. Sometimes I wondered if he was paying attention at all.
"Huh? Oh, uh," I blinked my eyes a few times, staring at the offending bottle as if it were a rod that had been with all the others in a fire, all of them, "no thank you, Gamzee, I, uh, think that the story might take a strange turn if I, uh, do, because sometimes, you talk, uh, funny and stuff, I think."
"No, man, you don't want to slam some of this wicked elixir?" he took the bottle back, but he didn't seem offended. Though sometimes I was wrong, "no worries, Tavbro. Maybe you just need some company, then, you're looking all worried and shit, you know?"
"Uh, not really, but, oh—" I jumped when Gamzee took my hand in his, scooting a little closer. I felt my cheeks heat up. They were probably really, really brown. Or orange. Sometimes they were more orange than brown, I guess it depended on who was looking, "Gamzee!"
"I'm just keeping you company on this fine day," he said leaning in close to me. Oh dear, this was a problem, I thought, I didn't think he was flushed for me at all! He probably wasn't, and had just had too many pies again or something. No one was ever flushed for me,
"tell me more about the horsebroman," he was saying, "and my dead matesprite."
"O-Oh you mean Aradia," I stuttered, "yeah, oh, uh so you were, listening."
"Of course, man," he smiled lazily, "you're my Tavbro, your words are like little miracles coming up and into the world. You speak like, rainbows and shit bro."
"Uhh, cool," I said, because I wasn't really sure what speaking rainbows meant, "uh, you wanted to hear about Equius? Uh, okay..."
Equius stood over his latest assignment. Perhaps he should call it a QUEST. Quest sounds STRONGER, and he liked things that were STRONG.
What wasn't STRONG was this poor troll girl. He laid her body down on the cold metal table in his workshop, staring down at her red lips and pale skin. A loss, she was so beautiful.
But he had hope; he could bring her back; this was within his capabilities, he was 100% certain of this fact. He could build her better, as well. Create for her a new vessel... a better vessel. He touched his hands to the deep red wound in her chest. It was a shame she was born into such a low caste. She really was gorgeous. Before he could stop himself, he had bent down and pressed her cold, hard lips against his own. Instantly he broke the kiss, stumbling back, wiping his lips on his sleeve. She was dead!
Though, if she were dead, she could not say no. She could not throw the pairing into moirailship, like Nepeta did.
Perhaps she was the ideal...no! She was someone else's matesprit.
No, He though as he came to her side once more. He swept the hair out of her beautiful face, looking down disdainfully at her wound. It was a pity his fated matesprit was born of a hideous caste.
He could fix it. He could create her from his own blood, his own noble caste. He could bring her back.
"It is only a matter of time," he said softly, leaning in and kissing her dead lips once more, "wait, it is only a matter of time."
The Poet would not be happy with this. He would certainly loose the commission. Though, when he thought of it, he did not care what the Poet though. He did not care what anyone thought. Stealing one's matesprit was definitely frowned upon; not that it happened very often. Normally two matesprits would not ever thing of cheating on the other. This situation was unique in that she did not have a choice.
He got to work with his plans. She would be better, greater than ever before. And she would be his.
***
"No, no, no," Karkat hissed through his teeth, "no I am not fucking asking that dimwitted shit stain of the universe for help. You can go fuck yourself with that stupid ass sword you carry around but never use! You can cram that up your nook and twist it around, finding sick, burning pleasure from it a sicko like yourself can only hope for, before I'll fucking ask that nookwhiff for help!"
"A little touchy, heh," Sollux chuckled, "it themes like the beth option, don't you think?"
"No, I do not think, Sollux, that asking him for help with my quest is the best option!" Karkat cried, "not after he spotted us a while ago! He'd know we were following him if he saw us again!"
"But...we are following him."
"But the fuckass doesn't need to know!" Karkat hissed again.
"No, you know what I wath thinking, one of the many momenth during whith we thpent watching the thuppothed 'fuckath'? That we join fortheth with him."
"Join...join forces with him? Are you fucking insane, Captor? Have the voices of the prophets finally eaten away at your thinkpan, driving you batshit insane? Are you going to eat me alive in a fit of rage and madness? Should I be running, Captor?"
"Thut up," Sollux growled, "no, I was just thinking that you're both looking for the thame thing. Wouldn't it be earthier if you just teamed up and thplit the differenceth at the end?"
"Haha, I was thinking the same thing for the past three hours!" Karkat froze and looked up, seeing exactly what he feared; The Prince was standing before them, beaming down on them with the most ridiculous smile. Karkat was amazed his face hadn't cracked from overuse like that, "I've been listening to you bicker for the past half a day!" the prince went on, having the audacity to giggle, "you act like humans don't have ears or something! I could hear you! You are really the worst at hiding. Like, anti-ninjas or something—I mean, if you guys have ninjas. I don't really know." He trailed off into giggles, probably due to the way Karkat was glowering at him.
"Then you know our intentions are clear to you, human," Karkat growled under his breath,
"we need the, uhm...well I'm not too sure what exactly we need..."
"The Princess," John nodded, "I only remember cause I have it written on my hand," he showed them his hand, where the messily scribbled 'save the princess Tavros', along with something else that was too smudged to be legible underneath. Something that looked suspiciously like a heart, "I think I almost remember. I was supposed to come and propose marriage to a princess, but I know it wasn't Princess Feferi. It was someone else, a girl named Tavros, but I can't remember her, almost as if my memory was wiped or something!"
"I think I almotht remember thomthing like thith too," Sollux said, pulling down his hood to scratch his head, "don't you, KK? We were heading up to the cathtel to thee if there were any queth..."
"Oh, fuck, I remember now!" Karkat cried, "no, yeah, we were going to ask that insufferable prick, King Dave, if he had any noble quests I could complete to earn my knighthood! Then we saw you, and figured we'd follow you and steal whatever stupid quest you were set off on!"
"Hm, it seemed to me like you were mostly spying on me."
"We were stealing you bulge fondling idiot. But I guess we can create a pact of sorts! You take this Princess to be your wife, but Sollux and I will take her in to King Dave so I can become a Knight! And you can be...uhm...whatever it is you're trying to be." He looked to Sollux, who glowered.
"Okay! I'm up for that!" John cried. He gestured behind him, "I got extra horses, uhm, muscle beasts if you want! We can ride together, looking for clues for the Princess! I have a feeling she might be a little closer to the castle, because I've looked everywhere else!"
"Okay, okay, fine." Karkat pretended to be resistant to the idea, "but if I find the Princess first you're getting shit, you know that right?"
"Haha, I shouldn't expect anything less!" John laughed, mounting his steed, "oh, hey! You never told me your name!"
"Why should I tell it to you? Your pink squishy inferior brain will no doubt forget it instantly," Karkat growled. He crossed his arms, looking to the ground, before adding,
"it's Karkat, though. Karkat Vantas."
"Nice to meet you, Karkat!" John said, a smile cracking across his face, "I'm sure we'll be great friends!"
"My name ith Tholluth..." Sollux mumbled from behind him, but the two didn't hear him. Or they weren't listening. Typical.