"Okay Vriska," Jade says bending down to the end of her couch, "on three. One . . two . . three!" The two females lift the couch up by the ends and start walking into their new apartment.

Vriska paces her breath as she helps carry the couch, "How are you doing Jade?"

The woman carries her side of the couch with little trouble, "I'm fine. All right now we have some stairs. I'll go up first. Ready?" The troll sighs but moves on with the furniture.

Once the females are able to carry the couch up to their destination, they set it down in a large empty room of the apartment. Vriska collapses on the couch, "Why do you have such a heavy couch?"

"Don't worry," Jade pats on the couch affirmatively. "This is a great couch." The troll just groans.

"Hey," a man from behind their television set says with no enthusiasm, "I'm workin' back here, so turn down the volume."

Rose walks up to the apartment carrying a cardboard box, "Dave there's no need to get angry. We wouldn't want your blood pressure to go up."

Dave ducks back down to the cords, "Haha very funny. This is not worth free pizza; there better be at least some fucking Doritos with that shit." Kanaya just then walks up behind Rose with her own box.

"Where would you like these?"

Jade points to her left, "Those go in my bedroom."

"So we're stealing the neighbor's cable right?" Dave asks, "because we totally can."

"We are not stealing cable," Jade orders. "How do you even know this?"

The man shrugs from behind, "My job requires a variety of abilities."

Rose comes back in to the living-room-to-be, "He's a porn director," she answers with pride.

"It's a very important job," Dave reassures. "So many people would just go crazy without porn; it would be like fucking Dooms Day. Terezi!" he yells towards the kitchen, "I need your help with wires. Which one do I cut? Hurry, little Billy needs his heart transplant and I can't cut the wrong wire!" Terezi just walks in from the kitchen like there's nothing unusual about what Dave just said.

Jade turns to Rose, "Was I supposed to understand that?"

"Probably not."

Vriska lifts herself up from the couch, "Way to go on recruitment."

Jade pats the troll on the back, "They work cheap."

Rose smirks at the two, "So when did you two 'get together?'"

"Hehe," Jade giggles embarrassed, "Well Vriska and I just realized after a while that we treated each other like moirails, so what was the big issue of not going for it? Besides, I don't know if I'm comfortable with Vriska in that apartment by herself."

Vriska searches through a box, "It's also waaaaaaaay cheaper this way. Jade," she holds up a dvd, "movie night!"

Jade's dog, Bec trots up the stairs holding a box in his teeth. He hands the box off to Vriska and head back down. Jade smiles at their interaction, "Everything just worked out surprisingly simple. Even Bec likes her!"

Rose smiles light-heartedly, "In any case, congratulations to you both. I'm sorry but that is the proper way to address this, correct?"

"It's just perfect Rose."

The blonde woman smiles and wanders to another room, but not before touching Kanaya on the shoulder expectantly. The troll turns her head around blushing green right in front of Jade.

Kanaya looks at Jade who is snickering, "What?!"

"I didn't know you and Rose hooked up." Kanaya pulls Jade away.

"I-We-uh . . . We aren't," she rubs her arm embarrassed. "I actually don't know where we are standing. I think I might be flirting with her, but I don't get any sort of reaction that would indicate what she feels for me."

"Have you told her your feelings?"

"Wh-What if she doesn't reciprocate my feelings for her? What if she doesn't support mixed-species, and if I ask her out on a date she becomes offended and disregards our friendship altogether?"

Jade sighs annoyed, "Seriously Kanaya? At this point you're just making excuses. For Pete's sake, she's helping a human and troll moirails move in together, and the troll is engaged to a human! I don't think she's against mixed relationships."

"But that doesn't mean that she wants to be in one."

"That's true." Jade leans back thinking, "Well Kanaya, I see that you can either confront your feelings for her and let her know, or move on."

"I don't really like those options."

The woman laughs, "It comes with being an adult, making tough decisions." Jade looks back to make sure that Vriska isn't paying attention, "I'm at least glad you aren't trying to date Vriska."

"Don't remind me. There just comes a point where I'm tired of chasing lost causes."

"She really does love John," Jade reassures.

"Perhaps, but what will happen to Vriska when she gets tired of chasing an impossible dream?"

Jade sighs realizing that that's very possible, but does not care to continue the conversation, "Hey you're sure that Rose is single right? I mean she hasn't told me anything."

"That-" Kanaya struggles to say, "is another concern that I have. Rose has not mentioned that she is seeing someone, but the way she behaves presumes that she is taken, at least it seems so to me." The troll looks over to Dave and Terezi, "I often wondered if she was with Dave, but I cannot decipher their conversations long enough to know for sure."

"Really? I thought Dave and Terezi were a sure thing."

"They aren't though," she explains. "Perhaps if they stopped talking around each other and just get serious, then they could. But to my knowledge they are still just friends and are too nervous to flirt with the other."

"I wouldn't get that idea from them," Jade questions eyeing the two curiously.

"No they hide behind those glasses as if they were walls."

Jade turns to Kanaya now inquisitive, "Okay, how did you learn to be so observational?"

Kanaya blushes again, "I gain certain skills when my job requires me to watch and organize the lives of my friends."

"Does it really require that?"

"Not really, but Mr. Vantas has special needs."

The woman starts to back away from her friend, "Wow this whole conversation just makes me feel more confident about my relationships. I mean, I got my moirail living with me and we're doing great! And I got my-"

Dave interrupts from in front of the television, "I think you should get over here. You said you wanted to watch the inauguration didn't you? Well shit's getting started right now."

Everyone gathers to the set to watch as Scratch accepts his position with his hand laid on The Great Peace Treaty. Short words are said before the new mayor stands behind a podium to make his speech. "My fellow Skaians, we have endured so much from the feeble rule of Vallens. But a new age is introduced; an agenda that I will begin straightaway just as I promised. So my first order of business is that I step down from my position. Such action will give Ms. Peixes new employment. Thank you." And just like that, the man steps down from the podium with no one to object except for the press that waits to ambush him. Scratch turns around to an obviously stunned Feferi who was previously waiting beside him and says, "Don't mess this up."

Feferi is so completely shocked that someone has to push her to be sworn in and then again to get her to the podium. At this time she has barely said more than "I will," and she now stands behind the podium with the entire city watching her. She has no speech prepared, and no idea what just happened or is happening.

Later that night in the office of the most previous mayor . . .

Eridan Ampora slams his fist on the table, "Are you crazy?" His boss, Scratch merely fixes the rattled objects that had tipped over from the bang.

"Calm down Mr. Ampora. Damaging my trinkets won't answer any questions."

"No! I trusted you when you made Fef deputy, but now you explain to me why she is the mayor! That was not part of the plan!"

The doctor laughs to himself, "It was always part of the plan. Don't try to figure out the plan when you have no way of knowing yourself."

"Tell me know now! Letting Fef be the mayor is the last thing I wanted to have happen."

"But it is exactly what needed to happen." He picks up a bowl of candy, "Have some."

Eridan knocks the bowl away from him furious, "No. No more candy. No more secrets. You tell me everything now!"

Scratch sighs disappointed about the wasted candy, "I suppose you believe that you have earned my trust?" Eridan stares him down hard. "So be it then, I suppose some privileges are in order." The man shuffles through some folders before he picks one out that identifies Feferi, "Ms. Feferi Peixes. Sea dweller troll of tyrian purple blood and ten sweeps of age. Current occupation is mayor. Subject hides behind an attitude of positivity and life. Subject shows signs of a fragile ego due to harassments of a past lover," Scratch looks up at Eridan.

The sea dweller is shocked, "I didn't-"

"Yes you did. But don't fret; it's all part of the plan. You'll understand that by your over-protection with Ms. Peixes, she is weak for my manipulation." He puts her file down, "It was always planned that some third party would take office, but because Feferi took the chance I knew that she couldn't directly take office; instead, I had to give it to her. Imagine, being given everything you want and having to spend so much time trying to change. But now every citizen in Skaia will look at her as another spoiled brat who won what she did not deserve, and she'll believe the same. Did you not see her face today? She's lost all the confidence that she had."

Eridan looks over Feferi's file, "But why do this at all? Why give her the power when we had it?"

"When I had it you mean," Scratch corrects. "Isn't it apparent? Because Feferi is going to be blamed for one of the greatest tragedies in Skaia history, and there's nothing she can do to stop it or save herself. So then she'll come running back into your arms crying for you to take her back. It'll be a dream for you to have the 'princess' run back into your arms, and quite easily done. You won't even have to risk your own reputation simply because there are no risks. We will succeed as long as I continue to live."

The troll smiles wickedly, "I'm sorry I doubted you Dr. Scratch. You are right as always. Now how are we going to ruin Skaia?"

"With the aid of a special guest who will be here-" the doorbell rings. "Ah, right on time just as I expected." Scratch stands up to answer the door while holding a fresh bowl of crustaceans that are still alive squirming in the glass bowl.

The door opens to reveal a forty-to-fifty years old woman who still looks alluring for her age. The woman has an old fashioned up-do and a red dress and white trimming. Her eyes gloom behind glasses and her dark red lips curl to a grin.

Scratch delicately leads her in, "Mr. Ampora, may I introduce you to the remarkable Mrs. Crocker. She traveled all the way from the Capital." He turns to her holding up the bowl, "Feel at ease my dear."

The woman elegantly picks up a squiggling sea creature and inspects it closely, "Ah, wonderful condition as always Doctor." She then brings the shelled creature close to her mouth and breaks its shell with her mouth and swallows the creature whole. Mrs. Crocker moans in delight as she crushes the poor creatures eyeballs. "Just as I remember them."

Eridan slowly walks up to the woman with caution clear on his face, "Are you-?"

"Am I what?" She glares down at him.

The troll slowly moves down to a bow, "Empress, it is an honor to be in your presence. Any true follower can immediately recognize their leader."

"Well," the woman sneers, "He's not as stupid as I expected Scratch."

The White man is busy flipping through the newspaper about the inauguration, "Most beings under my leadership experience similar effects. Do you not recall how you were before with your urban speech and rough exterior?"

The empress in hiding growls, "How's the Handmaid?"

He shakes his head disappointed, "Still dead. Mrs. Crocker, you know better than to let emotions get in your way. Control yourself."

"How I wish you would have bent over when I pulled her-" The woman turns around to notice that the troll is still bowing, "Get up you grub." Eridan raises himself but continues to stare at the empress. "What now?" she questions annoyed.

"How are you alive? And human?"

The Condescension walks around to pluck another crustacean, "Fool. You should know that your empress cannot be destroyed by some mere nuclear warfare."

Scratch inspects her body checking for flaws, "And you should be impressed Mr. Ampora how effective makeup and surgery can be." He turns back to the troll, "And you know the consequences for revealing her."

"Of course," Eridan answers breathlessly. "I've always dreamt of the empress returning to throne."

She is not impressed; instead she grabs a nearby newspaper, "Ah my little descendant has her own throne does she?"

Eridan moves to grab the newspaper out of her hand, or something but he is too frightened, "Please empress," he bows down again, "please don't cull her! Feferi is innocent and not worthy of your wrath!"

The disguised monster cackles, "What a pathetic creature." She brings her foot down hard on his hand forcing a cry out of Eridan. "You dare tell me what to do? I used to have the likes of you strung up and dangled in front of my lusus as treats!"

Dr. Scratch coughs forcibly, "We don't wish to reinstate your manner lessons do we? Though I did relish stifling your anger; care to try again?" The empress is shaken by those few threats and releases the little troll. Eridan withdraws his hand quickly and murmurs to himself; while Mrs. Crocker turns around holding her hands together out front waiting. "That's better, and with the 'aid' of the Midnight Crew and Mr. SJ's hoodlums, we can bring forth a nightmare to all of Skaia."