Again, guys, I am infinitely sorry for my lateness! I really did try this time! I just don't really like this chapter and had to re-write a couple times. I'm so sorry! But here ya go:
John's POV:
My eyes widened in shock and my cheeks heated considerably as the realization of my situation took hold in my brain. I gulped and tried to move away from Karkat before he woke up; terrified that he would accuse me of trying to kill him or something. But I never got the chance. A pitiful sound escaped Karkat's lips when I tried to move away. I looked down and saw blood-red tears pouring down his cheeks, his whole body trembling with fright. The sight of him in such grief struck me through, and I immediately wrapped my arms tighter around the poor boy.
He whined again and nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck, conjuring memories of my all too-pleasant dream. I felt my heart beat faster in my chest and my cheeks turn bright red. Where the heck had that come from?!
"All my fault….all my fault!" a desperate, pleading voice whispered. I frowned and held Karkat tighter. What was he dreaming about? He kept shaking and muttering things under his breath. Those terrifying blood-red tears were in a constant flow down his cheeks. I had no idea what to do! How could I help him if all of the things that scared him were made of dreams? How could I protect Karkat from his own mind? Because that was, in fact, what my body and brain were telling me to do right now. I don't know how it happened, but some invisible force was pulling me toward this grey-skinned boy. And somehow…I wasn't finding myself minding it one bit.
"J-John?" Karkat's eyes were wide open and staring at me, red rimmed and glistening from crying. I nodded my head and rubbed his back gently, trying to calm him down. The black-haired boy's nimble fingers gripped at my shirt as his eyes once again welled with tears and a heart-wrenching sob escaped his throat. My worry for him increased tenfold as he buried his face in my chest and just cried and cried, his whole little body shaking. I shooshed him and rubbed his back as he sobbed, doing all I could think of to calm him down.
"Karkat, Karkat! Shush, everything's okay now!" I tried telling him, but that only made him sob louder. I sighed and brought his face out of my chest and held it in my hands. I brought his eyes up to mine and stared at him, refusing to budge. Red tears fell from his yellow eyes, providing a strange mix of colors to be associated with such a pretty face. I rubbed tears away from his cheeks with my thumbs and looked him in the eye, in one last desperate attempt.
"Karkat." I said with as much worry and caring as I could convey to him. I let myself be free to express how I felt to Karkat. He needed something, but I had no idea what. What else was there for me to do?
"It will be okay." Suddenly that tingling sensation came back and I knew that I would go under, remembering something from my past. But why now?! This is when Karkat needs me most! Arghhhhh! And then there was darkness.
The rain was pouring mercilessly and thunder boomed across the dark night sky, the beautiful moon shrouded by the rain clouds. I ran as fast as I could to get out of the rain; Impdad would be SO mad at me if he found out I went into the public today! I don't know why he never let me out and see other trolls. I just wanted to make some friends….
Suddenly, I heard faint whimpering and sobs coming from far in the distance. I stopped my running and stood in the rain, listening. There was only the sound of the pattering of the falling water before I heard another sniffle and voices coming from my right. I turned and headed in that direction, being careful to stay hidden and not make a sound.
"I-I'm sorry! I swear I didn't mean to!" A small, scraggly voice called out. He sounded scared and alone.
"Shut up you freak! You hit me wwith that rock on purpose and wwe both knoww it!" Another whimper was followed by a hard slapping noise. My brow furrowed as I heard the distinct sound. Nobody was going to be hurting anybody on MY turf! I walked forward and saw a small clearing come into view, two individuals standing in the middle. Well…one was standing.
"Oh! And look wwho's the cry baby now!" A boy with lightning-bolt shaped horns on the sides of his head and a bright purple streak in his jet-black hair was standing above a small, messy looking boy with bright red tears dripping down his cheeks.
"But I didn't do it! It was that lispy-freak! Not me!" The purple boy scoffed and kicked the smaller boy in the chest, sending him groaning painfully to the ground. I seethed where I stood, how could he just do that to the poor guy?!
"Oh shut it! Don't go blamin' Sollux. He's a right stupid-face but he's not an idiot, like you!" The smaller boy whimpered again and I decided I had had enough.
I mustered up my best meanie-face and let a growl rip through my throat as I stomped into the clearing. Both boys looked up at me in surprise.
"Hey! You with the weird purple hair, get the heck out of here!" The boy looked at me in disbelief before smirking and crossing his arms over my chest.
"Or wwhat? You gonna scare me away wwith your stupid freakshoww skin and lack of horns? Wwe all know wwhat a wweirdo you are!" I balled my hands into fists, anger reaching maximum level. I walked over to the poop-head and pointed my finger right in his face, baring my teeth even though they were still little and rounded.
"I said get the hell out of here. Right NOW! I don't give a flying hoof-beast what you think of me or this kid; I just want you away from my hive. LEAVE!" I growled out. The boy looked shocked. He stood there dumbfounded before shaking his head and turning around.
"Pfft, fine by me. You two freaks are perfect together anywways." And with that, he was gone. I sighed and slumped my shoulders. That was the first time I had ever spoken to another troll before…and it was exhausting.
Remembering my reason for showing up the purple-haired jerk, I turned around and faced the boy shivering on the ground. He was staring up at me like I had three heads and a tail growing out my back end.
"Oh, um sorry I guess, if I scared you!" I smiled and held out my hand for the boy to help him up. He was hesitant at first, but then took my hand in his own grey one. We stood there silently for a minute before I realized, again, that it was pouring rain and we were both completely drenched.
"Oh! Hehehe, you want to come over to my place to get warmed up?"The boy looked at me again like I was crazy.
"Why do you want me to come to your hive? I thought you were just yelling at Eridan to get him off your lawn ring." I chuckled nervously and shook my head.
"No, silly! I saw he was being mean to you and pitched in to help! Also…my hive is actually not here; it's a little farther away." The boy shook his head in amazement.
"You must be the stupidest idiot I have ever met." I shook my head and just smiled at him.
"Alright, then let's go!" I said, starting to march towards my house with my new friend following behind me.
I handed the boy the warm milk to drink and wrapped a blanket around the both of us as I plugged in the movie wheel.
"Oh man, this is so exciting. This is one of my favorites!" The boy looked at me funny and frowned.
"What movie is it?" I grinned and snuggled closer into the blankets.
"It's the one with Troll Nic Cage and the bunny and his little daughter!" The boy groaned and smacked his forehead with his hand.
"I just HAD to pick the weirdo. This movie SUCKS. Troll Nic Cage SUCKS!" The boy growled. Whoa. Nobody. And I mean NOBODY says that Troll Nic Cage sucks. He is awesome.
"No he doesn't! He's the best!" The boy rolled his eyes and drank more of his milk, leaving a trail across his upper lip. I giggled at the sight and pointed it out.
"Hahaha, look! You have a milk-stache!" I only laughed harder when the boy went cross-eyed trying to see it, his little pink tongue moving across his face in an attempt to lick it all off. Half way through the movie, I felt my eyes drooping.
"What's your name anyway?" The boy beside me asked eyes glued to the TV.
"Johnny. What's yours?" I caught the boy looking at me out of the corner of his eye.
"Karkat." I smiled and dipped my finger in my milk.
"Well, Karkat, I can smell the beginnings of a beautiful friendship." And with that I popped my finger on his nose, leaving a little white dot of milk. The boy rolled his eyes and growled at my laughter.
"Beautiful friendship my butt if you keep pulling this crap!" I just giggled and smiled at him as he tried again, to lick the milk off his nose. Karkat. Huh. What a weird name.
I gasped as I came-to, face to face with none other than the infamous Karkat Vantas of my dreams, and now memories. His face was wide with fear and confusion.
"John are you ok-OOF!" I smothered him in my hug, rolling around and around as the memories flew through my brain at break-neck speed. Karkat coming over to play for the first time, Karkat introducing me to Terezi, Karkat scrapping his knee and crying his eyes out like a big old baby cause he though I wouldn't want to be his friend anymore. The real life, present Karkat was grumbling underneath me and pushing against my chest as I smothered him. I let go of him slightly and he lifted his head, gasping for air.
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK JOHN?! ARE YOU TRYING TO FUCKING KILL ME?!" I just shook my head and hugged him closer again because how could I ever have forgotten my best, best friend? I would have done anything for him! And it killed me to know that he had to live with me not remembering.
"Karkat! Karkat, I REMEMBER!" I said, smiling to my ears. I felt an enormous weight lift off my chest as I said those words; I felt like I could fly. Karkat's eyes widened again, trying to see if I was telling the truth or not.
"You…remember…me?" Karkat's voice was small now, his anger completely deflated. I nodded my head vigorously and felt my whole body fill with warmth as a smile grew across Karkat's face. I giggled and smirked. Prankster mode: activated.
"Pfft. All these things are coming back to me now…you were SUCH a little wriggler!" Karkat's face went back to anger and he growled, turning over in the blankets away from me.
"Well at least I wasn't a nook-sniffing lusus-kiss ass!" I laughed and punched him in the arm playfully. I couldn't be happier right now, than I was with my long-lost friend.
Karkat slowly sat up and stretched his arms up high to the sky, yawning. He kind of reminded me of a cat; but then when he came back down he slumped and that sad, sad look returned to his bright eyes and made my heart clench in my chest. We sat in silence for what seemed like ages, not saying or doing anything.
"Karkat…what did you dream about last night?" Karkat's body immediately went rigid and his eyes contracted slightly.
"I didn't dream about anything." When he spoke his voice was cold, and I knew he was hiding it from me.
"Bull shit. When I woke up you were sobbing and shaking all over! What's wrong?" Karkat turned away from me, throwing off the blankets and getting up.
"I don't want to fucking talk about it, John. Get your skinny little ass up and get ready to go, we need to leave soon." He growled out before storming out of the room. I sighed and rubbed the sleepies out of my eyes before getting up and ready to go. Whatever lay ahead of us, I hoped with all my heart that it was something good.
Karkat's POV:
We walked out into the darkened night together, clad in the same clothes we'd come in. something had changed about John. Maybe it was the fact that he remembered mostly everything now; he held himself different. He didn't look scared of everything that passed him, or in awe of his strange surroundings. He walked tall and sure of himself, like he owned the world.
"So where exactly are we headed? Who is this mysterious person we're off to see?" John asked, voice chipper and cheery besides the fact I had eluded the topic of my horrific dream state. I sighed and ran a clawed hand through my hair, taking a turn towards the Fashion-literate Troll's Hive.
"I have a….friend, I guess you could say, who has agreed to aid us in the catastrophic task complying of your incompetent source of rags." John smiled up at me and twirled around until he was on my other side.
"And what might this wonderful friends name be so as I may be able to thank him or her properly upon arrival for their service?" John's cobalt eyes gleamed mischievously as he awaited my reply. I growled as I realized he was poking fun at my horrific mood.
"Her name is Kanaya, but don't go complementing her or anything. It might make her head too big for her shoulders." John giggled and skipped ahead of me. Why was he so fucking happy? Couldn't he just calm the fuck down for once?
"Well then lets gooooooooooooooooooooooo!" He sang out. I cringed at his lack of pitch and hurried to catch up with my adorable companion.
When we arrived, John was giddy with excitement and just wouldn't stay still. He kept looking around at Kanaya's hive, marveling at its complexity.
"Hey idiot, get over here so we can get on with this mundane task." John sighed and came over to stand next to me on the stoop. I held my hand in a fist to knock upon the door, but before I could do so a young, fashionable troll opened it wide and swept her arm out to let us in.
"Greetings, my good friends. Won't you come inside out of this dreary cold night and into my warm and comforting abode?" John eagerly stepped inside the hive and I followed suit, rolling my eyes. If she put on a fucking show, Egbert would never want to leave.
Kanaya immediately swept me into a body-crushing hug. I squeaked (very manly, mind you) with surprise.
"K-Kanaya! Stop and get the fuck off of me!" Kanaya chuckled to herself and pulled away, holding me arms length away.
"Most pleasant, as always I see! Now would you please introduce me to this magnificent individual you were speaking of last night?" I pulled out of her firm grasp and walked over to John, who was ogling at a portrait hanging on the wall.
"This asshole over here is John Egbert. As you can see, he needs some clothes." I looked down at the black-clad boy. Not that I didn't mind him wearing my clothes in the least… Kanaya walked over, hand placed delicately in thought under her chin.
"Yes, yes, I can see. Well, John Egbert, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." She smiled gently at the boy, who in return split a tooth-bearing grin.
"Hiya! It's nice to meet you to!" Kanaya opened her arms and led John into a room off to the side littered with bolts of fabric, thread, mannequins, and half-finished articles of clothing.
"Karkat, why don't you sit over there and be a critique to the work we perform today." I grunted in response and sat in a pile of fabric scraps waiting to observe the monstrosity before me.
Kanaya threw some fabric out of the way and stood John up on a pedestal in the middle of the room. The girl walked around the room, gazing at John from all angles before turning and rummaging through her stockpiles. She got out bolts of fabric in bright blue, dark blue, black, red, yellow, and green. With these she started wrapping them around John, trying to decide what color she liked best.
"John, I believe that blue is the color most suited for your pale complexion. This dark black is just washing you out; you need something brighter to bring out the hues of your eyes and natural flush of your cheeks." I saw John's eyes moving all around, trying to keep up with what Kanaya was doing as she took measurements, cut, sewed, and wrapped.
Soon she had the awed human into an all-blue outfit. His sky-blue shirt fit snuggly on his lanky chest, giving him a more defined look. His pants were a navy color in a similar fit to my own; tight on his perky ass and bunched at the ankles.
Wait…what did my think-pan just spew?!
I shook my head to clear it and continued my observation. Around his shoulders was a huge, long hood the same color as his pants. When Kanaya was done making all the finishing touches, the blue-adorned boy spun around and struck a saucy pose in front of me.
"Hey Karkat! What do ya think?" I could feel the heat buildup in my cheeks as John waggled his eye brows at me. I coughed and looked away to hide my heart-thudding embarrassment.
"You look fucking fine." In reality he looked fucking amazing, but there was absolutely no way in HELL I was going to admit that. Just make his head bigger than it already was.
Kanaya smiled and nodded her head in approval.
"Yes, John. I must say blue really is your color, you pull it off so well." John smiled at the troll girl, showing off those pearly white teeth of his.
"You're amazing, Kanaya! This is so awesome! I feel like a super hero or something!" John jumped off the pedestal, punching the air "heroically" while doing so and bent down to hug the Fashionista. Kanaya chuckled and patted his back.
"Well, I must say you do flatter me, John. Now off you go! I must get to work making a few more outfits for you. I assume this style is something you both accede to?" John and I nodded synonymously, which was a bit unnerving to me but I brushed it off.
We left Kanaya to her sewing and headed out the door, only to find it pouring rain.
"Fuck! Gog damnit!" I growled and pulled my shirt up over my head to shield it from the rain, but that just left my lower back to suffer through the cold wet. John chuckled as he pulled his hood over his own head.
"What in the ever loving fuck are you laughing at, Egbert?" John shuffled closer to me and put an arm around my shoulders.
"You." I growled and punched him in the arm. I was having none of his shenanigans right now. I was cold and wet. And a cold and wet Karkat was a fucking pissed off as fuck Karkat.
"Jeez, calm down grumpy pants-" I pulled away from him and threw my arms into the air with exasperation, why could he not get it through his thick fucking skull?!
"IM NOT FUCKING GRUMPY YOU ASS HAT! Now let's move so we can get out of this fucking rain, or I swear to Gog I will shred you to pieces!" John just smiled and moved closer to me again. What the fuck was he doing? Why wasn't he getting angry back at me? Why was he always fucking smiling?!
Suddenly I felt a warm, soft material move over my head. My eyes shot open and I looked to my side only to find myself face-to-face with none other than the gloriously stupid John Egbert. He had opened his hood so both of our heads were in it. I growled and tried to take myself out of the stupid contraption but found it quite impossible.
"Egbert get the fuck off me!" John once again put his arm around my shoulders and just held me closer to him. I felt the heat rising in my cheeks and Gog damnit I couldn't take this anymore! Just what the hell did he think he was doing?
"Relax Karkat! I'm only making sure you don't get wet!" John's grip on me was solid, and he refused to let me go. I growled and turned my lips into a frown. It wasn't like I didn't enjoy it. On the contrary; I actually liked how close the idiot was, and how he didn't pull away from my grotesque body. His arm around my shoulders felt kind of nice; it made me feel safe. But I didn't want to feel safe, or warm. I knew from experience that as soon as I felt like I finally belonged somewhere, when someone actually enjoyed my bullshit company, they would betray me or be ripped away and I would be left with a gaping hole in my blood-pumper.
When we finally got back to his hive, I got out of John's hold as fast as I could. For a moment I thought I saw a flicker of disappointment cross his startling blue eyes, but I knew it must've been a trick of the light. John was never anything but happy and content.
John moved into the living room and started searching through his small array of films to find anything "good". Good luck to him, all of that crap was horrible. As I followed him into the room and plopped down on the sofa, I felt a buzzing in my pocket and opened it up to find none other than my moirail badgering me.
terminallyCapricious began trolling carcinogenesis
TC: WeLl Up AnD HeY ThErE MoThErFuCkIn BeSt FrIeNd. :o)
CG: WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT, ASSHOLE?
TC: Aw, No NeEd To GeT YoUr MoThErFuCkIn PaNtIeS In A TwIsT BrO. JuSt AlL AnD ChEcKiN On A MoThErFuCkEr. HoWs YoUr NeW FrIeNd? :o)
CG: HE'S FUCKING FINE. CURRENTLY HE IS SEARCHING THROUGH HIS DISGUSTING ASSORTMENT OF TROLL CINEMA TRYING TO FIND A "GOOD" MOVIE. THIS I IMAGINE TO BE AN UNDAUNTING TASK DUE TO HIS CIRCULAR REASONING SKILLS. IS THAT WHAT YOU FUCKING WANTED?
TC: HeLl YeAh BrO. ThAt WaS A MoThErFuCkIn MiRtHfUl DeScRiPtIoN Of HiM. SoUnDs LiKe MiRaClEs :0)
CG: ONLY NOT REALY AT FUCKING ALL. I KEEP GETTING ALL THESE WEIRD FEELINGS AROUND HIM AND I WANT IT TO END, ITS FUCKING ANNOYING. OH FUCK AND NOW HE'S PUTTING ON ONE OF THOSE DUMB AS FUCK MOVIES. JUST FUCKING GREAT.
TC: Oh MaN. SoUnDs LiKe A BrO Is AlL Up In NeEd Of A MoThErFuCkIn FeElInGs JaM. HoNk!
CG: NO, GAMZEE, I DO NOT NEED TO SIT IN YOUR STUPID, FILTHY HORN PILE AND TALK ABOUT MY "FEELINGS." I AM FUCKING FINE.
TC: AlLrIgHt. BuT WhEn WiLl A MoThErFuCkEr AlL Up AnD Be AbLe To SeE ThIs LiTtLe HuMaN BrO?
CG: HOPEFULLY NEVER. I WOULDN'T WANT YOU INFLUENCING HIM FUCKASS.
TC: :0( Aw CoMe On BrO. I'm NoT ThAt BaD Am I? YoU SeEm To Be MoThErFuCkIn FiNe EvEn WiTh My MiRtHfUl InFlUeNcE.
I growled at my phone. Why the fuck does he pull that card now? He was right after all; He was perfectly harmless as long as he wasn't sober… Something just kept preventing me from wanting to introduce John to the other Trolls.
CG: FUCK YOU. FINE. WHEN DO YOU WANT US TO COME OVER ASSHAT?
TC: HoNk! :0) AnYtImE Is MoThErFuCkIn ChIlL, BrO. It'S JuSt Me AnD TaVbRo.
Aw shit, I'd forgotten about the stuttering cripple. John would fucking eat him up and take all of his attention.
CG: FINE. SEE YOU LATER.
TC: AdIoS MoThErFuCkEr.
carcinoGenesis ceased trolling terminallyCapricious.
I sighed as I put my phone away. I looked over to find John leaning over, completely engrossed in his horrible movie. His bright eyes flickered back and forth as he watched the screen with rapture; his mouth hung open in astonishment, looking like he was going to fall right off his seat in anticipation. I felt my lips curve up into a slight smile as I observed him. Well hell. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Come on John, we're going to go meet some people." John's head immediately snapped up.
"Who? Another troll?" he asked excitedly, mouth turned up into a bright smile exposing his little buck teeth. I nodded my head and rolled my eyes.
"Don't look so happy about it. My species is a horrible violent race. You could be culled at any moment." I said leaning forward my eyes narrowing to slits. John just giggled and pushed me away.
"Why would I have to worry about that when I have a handsome, strong troll like you to protect me, Karkat?" John smirked and waggled his eye brows at me. I turned around and crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hide the fact that what I had just witnessed sent my cheeks ablaze.
"Good. Glad you think so highly of me. Now go get ready, idiot." John chuckled from behind me and bounced to his feet.
"Who are we going to see, anyways?" I shook my head and pulled a hand through my hair.
"My Moirail, Gamzee Makara." I could not believe I was actually about to do this.
Ahhhh. That feels good to finally finish. What does everybody think?! How's Gamzee so far? He'll be more in character, along with Tavros next chapter. How was it? Good, bad, terrible? Leave a Review to let me knoooooooooooooow!