Guess who's back.
Back again.
Bezzy's back.
Tell a friend.
Sup motherfuckas! I'm back again with another chapter of Stereo Hearts and I want to start off by apologizing for taking so long to do this chapter. I've been having this weird lack of motivation to do anything as of late but I pulled my shit together and got over it. I will not put Gamzee on hold like that!
I'll answer the reviews and start the story.
That One Poipose(Guest): Yes! Got it on the first try! Do you know how much research I had to do to get that right? I wanted Vara to be the person to break the tension between trolls and humans at her college. They were allowed in, but the tension is still there. I'm glad you love this story, but aside from the mannerisms that I've researched, I'm basically winging it. I like to believe that indigos of the Makara line tend to be very affectionate to the people they care about, plus cheek rubbing seems like something Gamzee would do at least to me.
Koniax Hyasen: I actually got GHB's name from another fanfic I read, I think it was called Relearning to Breath or something along those lines, and it's not a human name, but the name his lusus gave him. I have this headcannon that trolls are given titles when they do something worthy of it. GHB probably did something so outstanding that they thought him to be the grandest of high bloods. Also a dual tone is what I use to describe what you get when one person modulates their voice to sound like two people. I read this headcannon that troll vocal chords are set up in a way that allows them to use dual tones. I also find Cronus to be very flirtatious but not desperate. My friend said that he kind of adapts his personality based on how someone reacts to his advances. Mituna is my troll baby! Gamzee went into detail about buckets because that's what his job is, to advise and inform humans and trolls as to how things work for trolls and to give things a new perspective. Equius and Darkleer are gonna love how polite and cute Vara can be, not to mention the fact that Horuss nearly died of joy when he found out her uncle owns a ranch.
Shewolf-skittles-twist14: I don't know what curse words you used, but I want to know what they are now. Also, thank you! I'm glad you love my story.
StargladesTime: I will never leave a story hanging!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HOMESTUCK OR ITS CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN VARA AND HER FAMILY.
VARA POV
I knocked on Horuss's door. "Come in!" he called. I opened the door and sat on the floor to pull my boots back on and moved over to where he was standing over the blueprint that we drew up earlier.
The blue blood looked up to give her a welcoming smile as he beckoned her over, "I have the materials needed to make our invention, but we also need to make a cooling system small enough to fit into it. We also need to establish who will be testing them out so we can make them using the right measurements."
I was only partly listening to Horuss because my gaze was locked in an intense staring contest with a big blue horse dildo. I have never seen one before nor have I ever wanted to. I think I need to set up another appointment with Rose. Horuss must have noticed my lack of attention and followed my gaze to the thing. He blushed a royal blue and ran over to toss it into a box behind his recuperacoon. "Woops!" he squeaked as he awkwardly returned to the worktable.
"I knew you liked horses, but I didn't think you liked them that much," I joked, trying to lighten the tension that grew between us.
It somehow managed to work because Horuss started chuckling lightly, "Actually, it was just a model I made when I was studying their anatomy." I gave him a teasing smirk and waggled my eyebrows.
"Don't worry about it, my friends make it pointless to kink-shame," I shrugged, as I returned to the matter of our invention. A couple hours in, we fell into a system of making various parts. I began to make the body while Horuss was setting up the steam powered engine. I had suggested that the cooling system should be between the material surrounding the foot, and the actual engine. The engine would run along the bottom of the foot and have pressure sensors on the ball and heel. It would make moving quite simple, lean forward – move forward – lean back – move back.
I was just installing the sensors onto the body when my phone rang. The caller ID said that it was my mom. I gave Horuss an apologetic look and mouthed "I'm sorry."
"Hello?"
"Vara Quinzel Afolter!" Oh shit cakes, this can't be good.
"Hey Mom, how's it going?" I asked nervously. What did I do?!
"Don't you play dumb young lady! When were you going to tell me that your new job had you working with one of those damn freaks?!" she raged. I flinched at the volume of her voice. I'm pretty sure Horuss could hear her by the way he flinched. "Where are you right now?!"
"Mom, I'm kind of working on a project at a friend's house right now, can this wait until I get home?" I asked trying to reign in my embarrassment. I could feel my cheeks getting warmer the more this conversation continued.
"Is this friend one of those horned demons?" I took offense to this on Horuss's behalf.
"First of all, they're not demons or freaks. Second, yes, Horuss is a troll. Thirdly, I really need to take care of this project, its due at the end of the semester," I answered through thinly veiled annoyance.
"Not if you're working with a demon, you aren't. Bring your ass home right now!"
I sighed tiredly, "Alright." I turned to Horuss who seemed to be suffering from second hand embarrassment. "I'm sorry Horuss, but my parents want me back home."
He gave me a puzzled look, "I can understand that you respect your guardians, but why are you answerable to them if you're an adult by human standards?"
I gave him a somewhat strained smile, "Because I live in their house. Their house, their rules. I'll see you tomorrow Horuss."
He gave me a small reassuring smile of his own and walked me to the door. To my surprise, Gamzee was sitting in the living room with Equius and a huge troll that was wearing a suit containing circuit lines. My eyes brightened with a new idea, "Hey Horuss, why don't we make a shock suit to go with the invention?"
"What for?" Horuss asked curiously.
"Well if this is to appeal to humans, then it'll most likely be directed at children. Parents will want to get something that's safe. If we have a shock suit –"
"Then more humans will want to get it for their wards! Vara you're a genius!" Horuss exclaimed jovially.
"Don't thank me, thank your ancestor. He gave me the idea for the suit," I said with a shy smile towards the giant highblood. From where he sat, I could tell that he was shorter than Nashir and that his hair was really long. He had some kind of headgear that put shade lenses over his eyes. He was very muscular and imposing, his very presence demanding respect. "I'm sorry that I haven't gotten to know you as of yet, but I really must be heading home," I said in my most respectful apologetic tone.
The older troll, Darkleer nodded with a stern look about him, "See that you give a proper introduction the next time we cross paths, lowblood." Thanks to Horuss's prior warning, I didn't take offense to the way he called me lowblood in such a blunt manner.
Gamzee got up from his seat and met me at the door, "I'll up and motherfuckin' walk ya home sis." His eyes questioned why I was in such a hurry but he kept quiet about it as the Zahaak family saw us off.
As soon as we were out of earshot, he knelt in front of me. I shrugged, thinking what the hell, and climbed onto his back. It seemed that he enjoyed toting me around, so who was I to deny him, especially if it meant that I didn't have to walk as much. "Mind up and motherfuckin' explaining why you're in such a motherfuckin' hurry sis?" he asked in concern.
I pushed my face into his curly locks and sighed tiredly, "My mom heard about my job at the station and she doesn't exactly approve of me working with trolls. My parents aren't the accepting type. They barely tolerate my friends as it is. My mom sees you all as demons waiting to kill us all, and Dad thinks that your people are beneath us."
I could feel him shifting uncomfortably, "What do you up and motherfuckin' think?"
I gently tightened my hold around Gamzee's neck, "I think that they're wrong. You're different, and I find that amazing. I know that not all trolls will be as nice as you and Horuss, but hating every troll in the world would take up too much energy, energy that I would rather put into living a happy life – Make a right up ahead."
"That's a good motherfuckin' philosophy, sis. I like it. Stay up and firm in that belief because I feel like people will try to motherfuckin' change that," I hummed in thought at Gamzee's words. I noticed that we were getting really close to my house.
"You can drop me off right here Gamzee," I said.
Gamzee craned his neck to give me a look of disbelief, "Why?"
"Mom is really… vocal about her dislikes, and I don't want to put you through that," immediately after I finished speaking, Gamzee kept walking as if I never said anything.
"I'll fuckin' live."
I gave him an unconvinced look but rested my chin between his horns nonetheless, "If you're sure."
GAMZEE POV
Sis needs to have way more motherfuckin' faith in me. It's so motherfuckin' adorable that she wants to protect me from her mom, but I can take a lot more abuse than motherfuckin' words. We arrived at a navy blue crosshairs hive with two cars parked in the driveway next it. I could see someone looking at us through the blinds and could only assume that it was her mother. I up and knelt down to let Vara get down and walked her to her door. I watched her reach out to grab the motherfuckin' door knob only for the door to swing open where a dark skinned woman with dark brown hair pulled up into a tight bun stood glaring at us.
I watched sis roll her shoulders back and stand tall. "You are in so much trouble young lady!" Messiahs! I think my eardrum was going to up and burst! The screaming lady's eyes fell on me and her glare intensified. "I just told you I didn't want you associating with those demons and you bring one home!? Did you hear to a damn word that I said?!"
Sis ignored that shit like a pro as she gestured to me, "Mom, this is my friend Gamzee. He has music classes with me."
Her mom wasn't so motherfuckin' impressed with her, "I don't give a rat's ass who he is! I don't want you around him!" At least I know where sis got her lungs from.
"Mom, you're causing a scene," Sis sighed, and I glanced around to see people coming out of their houses to see what the motherfuckin' commotion was about.
"Let them watch! No child of mine will associate themselves with those grey skinned savages!"
I could see sis's back visibly stiffen, and the next words to leave her mouth shocked me to my very core, "Well, it's a good thing you haven't hit menopause yet." My jaw dropped and I glanced at sis's mom to see that she was sporting a similar expression. Sis up and brushed by her mom and stepped into the house. "Can you wait for me Gamzee?" she asked, looking back at me.
I sputtered for a few moments before settling for just fuckin' nodding. She nodded back and disappeared inside the hive.
3RD POV
Diana Afolter was at a loss for words. Her Vara. Her sweet, quiet, obedient Vara had just disobeyed her. She completely disregarded her mother's orders for one of those freaks! Trying to talk sense into her daughter, she rushed to Vara's room only to find her precious child was packing her things in a silver suitcase. "Why are you picking that demon over your own flesh and blood?" she demanded.
"I'm not picking Gamzee over you. I'm sticking to my beliefs," Vara answered curtly.
"And what exactly are these so called beliefs," Diana spat out the word as if it were poison.
Vara paused in her packing to give her mother a stern glare before continuing, "I believe that you shouldn't be able to pick my friends at this age. The way you acted was very rude and offensive not only to Gamzee but to me."
"You're saying I shouldn't be worried that my daughter is associating herself with an alien miscreant?"
Vara growled in frustration, "I'm saying that you were being racist and cruel! Horuss and Gamzee haven't done anything to you but you don't want me around them because they're trolls?! Don't you see the irony in that, how hypocritical that is?!"
Diana, seeing the point in her daughter's words tried to offer a different point, "And where will you go? I doubt any of your so called friends will take you in."
Vara angrily slammed her suitcase shut, "Actually, Dave and Dirk offered to room with me at their apartment."
Diana's eyes widened, "What?"
"I'll be back for the rest of my things."
Vara once again brushed passed her mother with her suitcase in hand. Gamzee cast the young woman a concerned glance as he followed her down the street. "Are you up and motherfuckin' sure about that sis? I mean, from my thinkpan's motherfuckin' understanding, she loved and raised you since you were a wriggler, right? So, why do you look so motherfuckin' calm when you're leaving her?"
Vara gave her friend a pained smile, "That's the thing about humans, Gamzee. We may look calm and we may act calm, but rarely are we ever truly calm."
Gamzee gave her a puzzled glance, "That don't make much sense, sis. How are we supposed to know that something's wrong if you don't show us?"
Vara blinked up at her grey skinned friend as she took in everything he said. She let out a watery chuckle as tears spilled from her cheeks, "I guess you're right. It doesn't make much sense." She tried to laugh it off, but it only came out as a strangled sob. She clenched her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the flow, but it only proved to impair her vision even more. She was embarrassed that Gamzee could seeing her break down like this.
VARA POV
My shoulders shook violently with each gasp of breath. My eyes snapped open when I heard shooshing as a hand tapped at my face to find Gamzee with a slightly panicked look of concern on his face as he continued to tap and shoosh. "Wh – what are you doing?" I sniffled.
Gamzee seemed a little relieved as he answered, "I'm giving you shoosh paps, sis. It's how we up and motherfuckin' comfort each other." I nodded and allowed him to continue, because the action was somehow comforting.
When I finally calmed down, I gave Gamzee a grateful smile, "Come on, we should get going before it gets dark." The tall indigo gave me a small smile before he scooped me up over his shoulder and grabbed my bags, earning surprised laughter from me. It was a welcomed change from the sad atmosphere from before. We would have passed the apartment building completely by if I didn't point it out to Gamzee, but I was glad that he was able to make me forget my troubles for the moment. He gently set me down so I could use the intercom for the Striders' apartment.
"Yo, is it the pizza guy?" Dirk asked groggily, no doubt waking up from his afternoon nap.
I smiled at the sound of my friend's voice, "I can make pizza, but I'm not a guy."
"Holy sh- CRASH! Dave clean up this goddamn mess! V's coming up!"
"Dude I'm not touching your fucking smuppets!" I heard Dave yell back before Dirk hung up.
Gamzee gave me a worried look, "What's a motherfuckin' smuppet?"
I waved him off with a reassuring smile, "It's just the name of these weird puppets that Dirk likes to make. They're nothing to worry about." I started for the elevator but paused when a thought occurred to me. "If Dirk asks if you want to meet someone named Lil Cal, run. Don't ask questions, don't say anything, just run away," I advised in complete seriousness as we stepped into the elevator when it arrived. I think he was beginning to question why he came with me.
When we arrived to the third floor, I led Gamzee to apartment 313 which had a lot of noise coming from it. Gamzee was practically hiding behind me as I went to knock on the door. The noise came to an abrupt end, and slowly the door opened to reveal a very disheveled Dirk. "Hey V, how's it goin'?" he said casually.
"What are you trying to hide Dirk?" I asked, not buying his casual act.
The albino scoffed nervously, "What – psh – no, what do you mean? I'm not hiding anything!"
CLANK!
"GOD FUCKING SHIT DAMNIT!" I followed the sound of Dave's shouting and found myself outside the workshop while ignoring Dirk's attempts to stop me. Originally the workshop was an extra room in their apartment but we cleared it out to fit all of Dirk's projects.
"Dave?" I asked cautiously as I stuck my head into the room to check on the other albino. I was met with the surprise of my life. I was completely frozen as my body shook to resonate with my internal screams.
"V?" I faintly heard Dave call for me.
"Sis?" I think Gamzee was worried about me.
They definitely were going to commit me to a mental asylum when my screams bubbled up into the real world as I raced into the workshop, scooped up the body that was crushing Dave under it, and began to spin with it in my arms while continuing my squeal. "I wanted this to be a surprise," Dirk sighed in disappointment.
"Uh, what the motherfuck is going on?" Gamzee demanded, on the verge of panicking.
"Gamzee, this is Lil Hal! He's an AI that Dirk and I made, but I didn't know that you started making his body!" I shouted in excitement as I helped Dave get back on his feet. Well technically there was only the upper half of Hal's body, but still.
"What's a motherfuckin' AI?" Gamzee asked curiously as he helped me lug Hal's body onto a metal table in the middle of the room. I smoothed his hair out of his face and took in the appearance of the artificial body.
"AI is short for Artificial Intellgence. Hal isn't organic and his consciousness began on a computer. His body feels like its mostly made of titanium and his face feels like silicone, but what is his hair made from?" I directed the last part to Dirk as I stroked the pale white hair absently.
Dirk puffed his chest out in pride but Dave took the wind out of his sails, "That's actually our mom's hair. She heard about Hal and she didn't want him to be bald, so she cut off like half of her hair so he wouldn't be."
I couldn't help but to let out an impressed whistle, as I carefully inspected what will be Hal's upper body. I can clearly see that Dirk is using the original design for the body, but the face being a carbon copy of his wasn't what I expected. His body was slender but then again neither Dirk nor I were able to incorporate muscles into the practical model of Hal's body. There were bright red circuit lines running along his body and up his cheeks along with his bright red optics. I couldn't help the giant grin that found it's way onto my face, "I just can't believe that my baby is finally getting a body!"
"I thought you motherfuckin' said that he wasn't real?" Gamzee asked.
I gasped and covered my poor baby's ears, "He can hear you! Of course he's real, its just that he was created differently."
Dirk chuckled at my offended expression, "V likes to think of Hal as her baby because she named him and designed the current model for his body. We never really decided on a face for him, so I just replicated mine."
"He's perfect Dirk. I can't wait until he's complete," I said jovially as we all left the workroom. Since I was the last one to leave the room, I turned back to the glowing red optics of Lil Hal. "Good night sweet prince," I said softly before turning the lights off and joined my friends in the living room.
"So, what brings you to our humble abode, V?" Dave asked as I stretched out on the couch and put my legs in his lap.
I ran a hand down my face tiredly as the events of today crashed down on me once more, "Does the offer to live with you guys still stand?"
Dirk and Dave exchanged solemn looks at my avoidance to their question. "What happened?" Dave demanded seriously, his gaze piercing through my hand.
"I'm finally moving out of my parents' house," I finally admitted.
Dirk gave me a derisive snort, "It's about damn time too. No offense, V, but your parents are fucking racist."
The sad thing is he's not even wrong. The way my mom acted toward Gamzee is the exact same way she's acted toward everyone since we were little. They always referred to them as my "white friends" when in all actuality they were my only friends. "I know, I just thought that they'd finally learn to accept you since we've been friends for so long," I heaved a deep sigh. "I guess that was just wishful thinking, huh?" I removed my hand so they could see my bitter smile.
Their expressions softened as Dave folded himself over my legs and began to play with my very ticklish toes. "As much as I'd like to agree with you… I can kind of understand where you're coming from. You wanted your parents to accept the people in your life and it hurts that they won't. Maybe the space will do you guys some good," he offered.
I slowly nodded, taking in his words, "Yeah, maybe you're right, but right now, I need to get unpacked and perhaps a little bit of sleep." I went to sit up but Dave pushed me back down.
"Nope, you're keeping your cute little baby feet right here so Bro can set up your room," Dave pouted as he refused to get off of my legs. I gave Dirk a pleading look, but he only ruffled my hair as he moved to grab my bags. I flopped back onto the couch with an exaggerated groan, earning a slight chuckle from Gamzee and Dave.
"Gamzee, save me! I'm being held captive by the Rapping Dragon!" I reached for the violet blood as if I was dying.
"I got ya sis!" Gamzee exclaimed as he leaped from his couch, onto Dave and I and began to tickle him. "The Tickle Monster is here to motherfuckin' save you!" Unfortunately the tickle monster attacked indiscriminately.
"Gamzee eek stop!" I giggled and froze when I felt Gamzee's fingers retreat. I looked up to see him looking down at me in wonder before a nearly sinister grin spread across his face. I looked at Dave to see that he wore a matching expression. We sat there for a few seconds before I leapt over the couch and made a dash for the hall. I found Dirk exiting my new room and ducked behind him, pressing against his back to hide behind him. "You're my only hope Dirk!"
"Wha –"
"That's the most motherfuckin' adorable laugh I've ever heard in my motherfuckin' life!" Gamzee exclaimed as he slid to a stop in front of the older Strider.
I could feel chills go down my spine as I heard the albino chuckle, "Oh, that's what this is about." Before I could make a run for it, Dirk tossed me over his shoulder and started tickling my sides mercilessly.
"Eek! No! Why eek Dirk!" I attempted to cry in anguish. "I eek hate my eek laugh!"
"It's time to face facts V," Dirk said over my loud squeaking laughter, "your laugh is adorable."
"It up and motherfuckin' reminds me of a squeak beast," Gamzee said as he grinned at my torture.
"Don't you mean mouse?" Dave inquired.
"If that's what you motherfuckers call it," the indigo blood shrugged.
"Please Dirk eek I'm gonna eek pee myself! Whoa!" Dirk dropped me without hesitation, "Ow."
"You alright sis?" Gamzee asked, hovering over me.
I know that Gamzee meant if I was physically alright, but judging by the warmth in my chest, at least for this moment I felt like everything was actually going to be okay. I gave him a small, soft smile and replied, "Yeah, I think I am."
Alright everybody that's the end of this chapter. I know that it's a lot shorter than what you're used to but it's been a while. I've got to get used to writing for Vara again. In the meantime, you can all enjoy the fact that I'm back bitches!