Chapter 8
The Road Less traveled.
000
Notes: I've been adding a lot of Imagine Dragons and Skillet to the playlist. My uncle died. As did my father. Within an week of each other. Sorry if I have been out of sorts.
This chapter has been very hard for me to get out. Pardon the time its taken. If you got lost, then reread the older chapters. Thank you.
000
The drive was long. The children at least stayed entertained in the back of the SUV as they bumped along the road. Singing songs (teaching each other their favorites) and pointing out wildlife as they passed it. The adults were rather cramped. Nepeta, Hope and Vierge ended up on laps. So the stops to stretch legs was welcome for most parties. The only one who never seemed to tire of holding his 'burden' was Gamzee. But then considering the last few months, he was likely use to holding Hope.
Hope on the other hand was just as glad to get out of the SUV and stretch as she complained she was losing feeling in her backside.
Which of course made Gamzee goose her to check for feeling, and she spent half her standing time either guarding her ass or trying to kick his.
Karkat sighed with an amused smile. Glad to see Hope back to being, well normal. There was still some strangeness and oddities, but she was back more to herself again. Nepeta half flopped on Karkat in a way that he was more use to Gamzee pulling, but at least Nepeta didn't weight as much as he did.
He looked up between his nubby horns and at the troll currently shoving her chin through his forehead "What?"
"Nothing, I just like seeing you smile." She purred. "You didn't use to smile much when we were growing up."
He shrugged "I didn't have much reason to. I was concerned with just, living day to day." He paused and well, Beleza knew his secret thanks to Gamzee and his big mouth. It was only fair that one of his oldest friends knew as well.
He shifted and reached up pulling out one of his contacts.
Then looked at her.
Her eyes widened and she blinked at her friend, and the reddish glow of his gaze.
"You, are red?" she asked sounding really surprised.
He nodded and checking the contact put it back in. He blinked a couple times, damn it was getting dry he would need to take care of that this evening.
Nepeta was very quiet and had sat back on her heels. So he turned to look at her, his face still. Waiting.
And then she just leaned forward suddenly, like a lurch, and hugged him tightly. "I would never have judged you." She said.
He paused and then hugged her back. Feeling something inside unclench and release. Like a breath he had not realized he'd been holding.
"You were my furriend." She purred it, falling back to childish pun-style speech that brought a grin back to his face again as he hugged her tight.
Gamzee had picked up a couple steps faster and caught Hope when she'd tripped up and was about to nose dive to the ground, then went still. She blinked looking up at him then following his gaze.
Her grin lit up and she poked Gamzee. "So look like Karkat might be ready to fill his own quads eh?"
He grinned at her and booped her nose. "Seems so. About motherfucking time!"
She snorted and then struggled enough he let her go and she was able to get back to her own feet.
About then their driver was waving at them and she sighed "blug, back in the truck it seems." Cramped knees, hot, at least sitting on Gamzee meant he stayed constantly cooler than her, but he was boney and she couldn't quite get comfortable with there being so many more people packed into the truck.
Gamzee was helping the kids get into the bed of the SUV through the back when Hope came up beside him, he pause a moment before he picked her up and dropped her in the back too. Then climbed in, with a little shuffling around (and somehow she still ended up on his lap) there was still lots of room for them and the kids, giving more space up front "Not like we need the radio anyway." He said with a grin and Hope snickered. The kids had complained early on that the speakers didn't work very well in the back of the SUV and with the adults half sitting ontop the working speakers in the front, meant the sound didn't carry far with windows open for air and them bumping along the rocky and dirt roads. Hope had actually been enjoying the local stuff but she could tell Gamzee had been only tolerating it.
With having a language he didn't understand, a beat he just didn't seem to get into and the driver humming along off key, yeah she could see his point. Back home he seemed to prefer rap and hip hop, said once that it was the closest thing he could find that was like the Poets of his home world.
Hope was only glad then that he wasn't around for the period when she was a kid. Before some old and new artists brought back the dignity to the genre, during a time when it had become nothing but references to degrading other humans and sexual innuendo. At least now it had a bit more substance again.
About as much as any other genre anyway. Admittedly Hope herself rather like classical, though she also was fond of a few bands here and there that for whatever reason caught her attention. A metal band from Russia, a pop singer from Japan, and a piper from one of the Native American tribes, and a handful of modern and contemporary singers.
Past that, if it didn't have words she liked it for the most part. She preferred to make up her own words depending on her mood.
Vierge was just as happy to take over the abandoned seat, which let the others get a little more elbow room. For the most part Karkat seemed fine with Nepeta, the two of them talking in soft voices.
Hope decided to try and get some sleep, Sunning with the Mothergrubs seemed more fun than keeping Gamzee entertained. She petted the little grub who decided to move over and flop on her lap curling up to nap as well as the car bounced along.
000
Pulled off the road, Canvas set up and a small fire going, it was almost like a camping trip. It had been decided for the safety of the group to stop by the road rather than one of the small towns and a motel as Luan would have normally done with his son on this trip.
Hope hated camping.
Too many bugs, and hard to get comfortable without a bed. They had hammocks hung up between trees under canvas tarps a step up from the wandering in the jungles with only the stuff in their packs. Plus Luan was a good cook. Though at the moment he was dealing with a meltdown from Jose. Who'd been fine pretty much the entire day, but either something one of the kids said set him off, or perhaps he was just tired and at the end of his rope.
Hope had wondered if the boy was autistic or some such, but his father said it was mental stunting from a rather bad fever had as a child. He would grow up, and mature, just a little slower than other kids. And he was a surprisingly caring boy. Always looking out for others.
Just seemed at the moment, he had enough of it all and wanted a little time for himself.
Hope did not blame him, she'd love to have a meltdown or two herself sometimes.
"So different from home." Vierge said as he finished tying off the last tarp and stood next to Hope, watching Luan calm his son.
"Oh?"
"Unless his Lusus hid him, back on Alternia he likely would have been culled. Too weak to keep up,"
Hope sighed, yeah she had a feeling, "It's a different way of things, you guys have so many children that if you were to attempt to have every single one survive to adulthood, then your population would quickly outstrip food sources and likely you would die out as a race, humans, we put so much into very few children. So it's in our best interests to have as many live as can, some still die, it's not for lack of trying though." Still she heard of cases of parents killing their children, or unwanted babies left in the cold. It happened, but for the most part they did their best with what they had.
Sometimes she thought the trolls were just more civilized in the acceptance that not everyone was going to live.
And could at least make it quick.
"At the same time, I do see where we need to change, adapt. I been talking with the children about the hive your territory wishes to build and, it makes sense. If the grubs are not so fearful, perhaps when they become adults they will be less violent."
She nodded "It's not changing all things, after all there isn't much you guys can do about the death rates in terms of natural deaths. Babies getting into things that kill them, not surviving the changes."
"Illness, accident and lack of growth account for at least 50% of the deaths, the others were those that traditionally were culled out, mutant blood colors, those that did not show the aptitude to survive long." He sighed "We were told to watch for undesirable traits and remove them." Leaning against the tree he looked at Hope "I never could stomach killing the young just because it was a copper blood who happened to have gills, or letting the Lusus just go through killing at whim." Too many lowbloods killed for no reason.
"Well, we're going to try and change that a little, I mean that copper blood may still no live, but it won't be because someone wanted to keep the lines 'pure'." Hope told him.
He gave her a bit of a smile and then went over to see if he could help Luan with Jose. Hope was about to see about making sure the children were eating when she paused and stared at the sky.
She swore, she heard wings…
A few moments later a large white form landed next to the SUV. Hope's jaw dropped at the huge creature.
The children grew excited, especially the little grubs who all cooed and trilled at the new Lusus. Sirius bowed and the majestic creature moved towards the camp.
A dragon.
Great curving horns rippled like ivory waves along a long neck, her snout was a delicate point. She came through and towards Luan who was staring with huge eyes and leaning down she nuzzled Jose, offering the boy a piece of fruit.
The child sniffed and accepted it, then hugged the dragon.
Vierge closed Luan's mouth, the other adult snapping it shut with a click that even Hope across the camp could hear.
"A dragon…" he said.
"One of the Lusus." Nepeta replied coming over to stroke the dragon's neck, the great beast purring in response "Gliese! Where have you been?"
The Dragon made a very rude noise and Nepeta snickered, "yeah well, me, Vierge and Beleza are also bailing."
An inquiring sound from the lusus and Sirius came over as well, laying down with a pant and seemed to start up conversation.
Luan was looking incredibly uncomfortable as the dragon decided to settle herself around him and his child while he was penned from the other side by a very large dog.
Hope watched a moment, but it was obviously a private conversation and she heard nothing of it, so she went about gathering kids and cleaning them up. Jade and Vierge joining her. The other trolls all went over towards the new Lusus and seemed to be in various forms of conversation.
"Seemed there was a falling out." Vierge said.
"Who is that?" Jade asked as she cleaned off the little yellow grub's face and tucked him up in the netting with the other adopted grubs. The group curling into a little adorable pile and falling to sleep. For all the heat, with the higher humidity the gilled children and grubs were not having issues with itching gills from drying out.
"Gliese, she was cooned at this hive, but a few months back just disappeared. Everyone thought she might have gotten killed, or perhaps she had decided to lay an egg, Dragons do that, being one of the few Lusus to remain fertile. But they tend to get really protective of their few eggs and often will disappear to have them somewhere not in the hive and often raise the little ones themselves."
"Huh, well if anything it seems she's adopted Jose." Jade said as Luan had managed to extract himself and was next to one of the other trolls able to translate for him what the two Lusus were saying.
"She didn't like the way all the mean lusus were coming in and got a bad order from the district Highblood she really didn't like." Tavros said from his hammock.
Hope moved over and smoothed back his hair. "What sort of order?" she asked him.
"They wanted her to do something really bad to the humans, drive them away from the area, or even kill them. She refused. So they threatened to hurt her and she left."
Jade gave a snort "Smart girl." She said as she tucked in the sleepy pile of Eric, Eridan and Feferi.
"They threatened a DRAGON?" Vierge seemed utterly agast. "What was the Highblood thinking?" but he gave a pout and shook his head "Nevermind, they don't seem to think at all of late. If the humans got driven away who would have given us supplies? Fuck! Half the supplies we got were actually donated from the local human authorities as a sign of good will! Though, they had been getting more sparse of late." He rubbing his neck, the poor troll was having a hard time with all these political games. He was just an attendant for the Mothergrub, he culled grubs, and he made sure the Queens where comfortable, he didn't put himself out there to think he was better than those in charge, or even questioned much.
Until recently.
And he didn't like it. He didn't like this being away from the Hive and QUESTIONING everything of his people, his culture.
He heard a bit of a soft trill and a warm hand on his back, he looked up and saw those grey human eyes and the understanding smile of Hope and felt a slight tightening in his chest.
It was oddly comforting to know, it wasn't just him who had to make adjustments. This human had to learn to survive in troll culture as well as what her own new found status among the trolls gave her and limited her. She was like a Mothergrub, and a lusus and just something else all together.
She was something new.
And so maybe, not all new things were troubling or bad. He smiled back at her, still a little uneasy but comforted.
In the end, once the children were settled, most the adults sat around the fire while it burned down and talked. Gliese was snuggled with Jose, her wings sheltering him as he slept in the curl of her form. Sirius was looking ridiculous laying on his back and twitching his paws in the air. Hope was between Karkat and Gamzee, Nepeta on the other side of Karkat. Vierge had put himself between Jade and Beleza. Luan was close to Gliese but still a little unsure about leaving his son in the care of such a large creature who had a lot of very sharp looking teeth. But the Lusus seemed utterly smitten with Jose.
"She says your boy is incredibly polite and well mannered." Hope offered to Luan, "she's rather fond of him and says he has a great gift."
"Um, thank you?" he said to the dragon who leaned over to nuzzle him a little. He seemed to mentally come to grips with his unease and reached up to hesitantly stroke her muzzle, the Lusus giving a great rumbling purr in response.
"What is this gift she talks about?"
Hope found herself being the one speaking as she had the best understanding of what the Lusus said in more detail. The other trolls got more of images, from minor glimmers like Gamzee to something more meaningful like Karkat and Nepeta, but Hope heard the lusus as if she spoke clearly. With a very crisp voice, it reminded her of the few times she spoke with Kanaya.
"Well, he seems to have a gift that is likely part of his development problems. He's not just learning as a normal human, but he has to also figure out how to deal with everything else he hears and tastes and sees. There isn't anyone to tell him what all those colors are, or how they work, so it makes it hard."
Luan seemed lost in thought before he asked "So, can she do anything to help?" he seemed hopeful, but didn't want to be too hopeful.
The Dragon gave a heavy nod of her head. "She can train him, help him learn, and between the human doctors and herself likely get him on track again."
Luan blinked and then smiled "I, I would be honored then."
The feathery like frills along the bases of her cheeks flared and shivered with pleasure. A draconic smile. And she happily nuzzled the boy.
Karkat snorted. "Just watch her, else she might up and decide to steal your kid completely."
The dragon stuck out a forked tongue at the troll. Who just flipped her off in return.
Luan raised a brow.
"What she is basically offering is a co-lusuship." Vierge clarified for the human "Offering to take care of needs that you cannot."
Luan paused "Lusus-like being a mom then? My boy does already have a mom."
"She knows this is a really odd situation, but she has noticed that humans really don't seem to recognize or train these gifts, and his is getting close to maturing, and mentally, he's not ready." Hope translated "But she has no intentions of kidnapping the child into her soul custodianship."
Luan relaxed "Then its alright, basically a teacher. And just, how bad would this be for my boy?"
Hope tilted her head "Um, something about the level of a Galactic class ship psionic burn out. Um.." she looked at the other trolls who's eyes all went very large and very round.
"I take it that's bad."
"Yeah, pretty bad." Karkat offered.
Jade paused "Well, considering how we humans are, if this is something that would blow out half the planet, likely it would have just been internalized by Jose and he'd have been the only one to suffer." She offered to the mild panic in the others.
Which only made Luan look sad, but he nodded "Yeah, knowing my boy, he likely would never have tried to hurt anyone else."
"Makes me wonder how many other kids like Jose have gone unnoticed?" Hope asked. Hell according to the trolls she herself had skills, and then there was Lucy whom they called a Null.
Just how common were skills that were just considered nothing but wishful thinking and trickery by the world at large?
And in a way, Maybe tattoo was something whose time had come for change.
Conversation moved onto lighter conversation. Luan keeping the others laughing with a good sense of humor, and they turned in to their own rolls and hammocks to sleep.
They would be reaching town and port tomorrow.