Authors Note: SURPRISE! Yes I know I said Saturday, but I've been missing many updates lately. Mostly thanks to moving and finals and finicky muses, but still. I feel bad about breaking my word. So, these little... Early releases, I'll call them, will be popping up every now and again. Enjoy!
Chapter sixteen: of letters, mysteries, and visitors.
You hurt everywhere. Vriska's been working you like a dog. You think you won't go for her training today. Nope. You can't even get out of bed anyway. You might as well enjoy it. Yes, sleep is good. You lay there in your bed, and let your mind wander. But being half asleep, the thing you end up thinking about is the thing that you're currently looking at. That letter. The one you found when you first came to this house. You've read it over and over again since that first time, but one more time never hurt anyone. You reach over to your bedside table and grab it. Making your sore muscles ache all the more.
Dear Cassidy, Hello!
I know you must be very tired right now, but you really need to read this. I had all these cabins built for those of you that are and are going to be living in them. Don't ask me how I convinced the chief to build them, or how I know you exist when this letter dates back to before your grandmother was born. That's a completely different story in itself, and a long one at that. Your life is going to get very violent after a short period of peace. Many will die in the pursuit of your desire. Your foe is a worthy one. Even for the team you will have assembled by that point in time. You will be the driving force behind the great change that both your worlds will undergo. But before you realize this for yourself, one will try to kill you. When this time comes, question your friend's motives and place your trust in your enemies. The ones you care for most, among many others, will become your assassins. During this time you will meet someone. Someone very powerful. Whether you kill him or befriend him is up to you. Just remember that he deserves it. Oh, and one more thing before I forget; dreams are important. Especially the strange one. Tell your friends about the strangest dream you've ever had! Trust me, it'll help.
Prophetically yours,
Nitya Callaghan.
You wonder who that person was. Why is he telling you this? Or is it a she? What is Nitya talking about when he or she says "your desire"? Your idea that everyone should get along? Yeah, you can see how that would have a large price. You let your hand fall. Desire, desire, dreams, dreams. Desires and dreams. Dreams and desires. It said to tell your friends about your strangest dream. Why the strangest? Does Nitya think you have prophetic dreams? But why should you tell your friends? The last dream you remember having was you being a monkey person and fighting supervillains with your partner Grape Jelly. You don't think that has any meaning, other than being weird. Maybe you'll search through your dream journal. Once your limbs lighten up a bit. Does it have something to do with that guy Vriska said wanted you dead? You don't think he's really a god, but he does sound dangerous. Then Nitya said to beware your friends and trust your enemies. Bethy would never hurt you! But who would your enemies be? There's Dave and Dirk, you three don't exactly see eye to eye. Then there's Nepeta... You're supposed to trust her? Oh, and Gamzee too. Kinda. He scares you at times, and you don't you don't trust him very much. You really don't get why Bethy likes him so much. Is Vriska a friend or an enemy? You're not too sure. You think she's a friend, but she made it pretty clear that she's just your coach. So then should you trust her or beware her? You roll over onto your stomach. You really like Vriska. It's too bad she doesn't want to be friends. You think that behind all her big talk she's just a big softy. But that's just an assumption.
You make a dissatisfied noise when you hear a knock on your front door. Maybe if you just lay here they'll go away. After a few moments the knocking gets more incessant. You sigh and drag your tired limbs away from your little haven. When you get to the door, after opening it, you see a rather distraught looking John.
"Cassidy! You can keep a secret, right?" He says and grabs your shoulders.
"Yeah. Why? Did Dave do something horrible?" You ask and motion for him to come in.
"What? No. Why would you think that?" He asks and sits on the couch.
"Darn. I've been waiting for dirt in him for so long. So what is it?" You ask and sit next to him.
"Yesterday Beth saw Dad and some others talking about killing someone. Now I'm supposed to keep an eye on Dad to make sure he doesn't do anything suspicious. But Dad would never do anything like that!" He says.
"So you think Bethy was mistaken?" You ask.
"Well, no. But there's no way that Dad would just kill some innocent girl! ... Is there?" He asks.
"Did anyone ever say this girl was innocent?" You ask, ignoring his question.
"Actually... I don't think so." He says.
"See. This girl must have done something that the penalty for is death and Dad's just upholding the law." You say.
"Yeah, that has to be it. But then why does Beth want me to keep an eye on him?" He asks.
"Oh, um. I don't know. Maybe... She was thinking that she wasn't innocent and he was doing a bad thing?" You say taking a shot in the dark. "So you want me to keep Dad killing some girl a secret?"
"Yeah, I don't think he'd like it very much if everyone knew." He says.
"So who's he trying to kill?" You ask.
"I don't really know. Beth said that it was a girl but not human who has a moirail. I think." He says.
"It could be Nepeta." You say. You hope it's Nepeta.
"But she's so nice! Has she even committed a crime?" He asks.
"Well, if you think about it like that then it should be Vriska, shouldn't it?" You ask.
"You know Vriska?" He asks.
"Yeah. She's been teaching me how to fight. You know her?" You ask.
"Yeah, I met her not too long ago and we've been meeting up every once in a while. But she's been acting a bit strange lately." He says.
"Really? What do you mean?" You ask.
"Actually, I'm on duty right now so I need to get going soon." He says.
"John Egbert, are you shirking your responsibilities?" You ask.
"Uh, no." He says.
You shake your head and send him off. You're already up so you might as well go see Vriska now. But then again... Maybe you should try to find out who Dad's after. You hope it Nepeta. You get showered and dressed and presentable and step out into the noonday sun. Goddess your sleep schedule is fucked up. It doesn't help that you're an insomniac either. But then Vriska's shenanigans probably has something to do with that too.
You walk up To the patrolling Karkat, whose busy fiddling with his special shades thingy.
"Goddamn it these things are a piece of shit." He quietly rants.
"You can take them off you know." You say.
"Of course I can fucking take them off. But then I'd end up like Terezi, blind and annoying." He says.
"Well you wouldn't have to wear them if you worked the night shift." You say.
"You think I /want/ to work under that fucking ball of fire that you morons worship?" He asks rhetorically.
"But Karkat, everyone got to choose when they worked." You say.
"Hey! If every single one of those ass-lickers chose to work at night, like every single fucking one of us want to, then the work load would be more unbalanced than fucking Captors personality!" He rants, looking slightly flustered.
"Sure. Anyway, do you know who all has a moirail?" You ask, your original intention.
"Of course I do. But why the fuck do you need to know something like that?" He asks.
"It's because… I can't tell you." You say.
"Wow. What an amazing reason. There's no way I won't be able to tell you now." He says sarcastically.
"Are you going to tell me or not?" You ask.
"Shut the fuck up and I might. There's Nepeta and Equius, me and Gamzee, Tavros and Aradia, I have no fucking clue what the humans are doing, then there's you and Beth. Now why the hell do you need to know." He demands.
"I guess I can tell you some of it. One of the girls you listed is going to die soon." You say. Why did that sound so familiar?
"Oh please. You could say that about any of us. Once Her Condesce finds out that is." He says.
"You think she'll find out?" You ask. You really don't think she's as scary as the trolls make her out to be, but you are pretty scared of her nonetheless.
"Yes." He bluntly replies.
"You're not going to curse and rant about why?" You say questioningly.
"The "why" of it doesn't matter. The fact is; she's going to find out, then she's going to kill everyone." He says.
"Don't be such a pessimist Karkat!" You say.
He turns and points his sickle threateningly at you. "I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist! Don't you have anything better to do than pester me while I'm working?!" He barks at you.
"True, I need to find out whose going to die!" You say and walk away.
You make it about five minutes before you realize that you don't have a game plan. You don't even have a reason to find this girl, other than for curiosities sake. At least you've whittled it down to either Nepeta or Aradia. You don't think it's Aradia. She's way too nice to commit crimes punishable by death. But then again, she did kidnap you. Whether or not she drugged you and set your house one fire, however, you still don't know about. Once you got back it seemed like everyone just up and forgot about it, and Aradia never said anything about it. Anyway, you hope it's Nepeta. But no matter how much you hope, she just doesn't seem to commit crimes like that either. Or at least get caught doing it. Wait, oh no. Bethy's not human and you're her moirail! No, no, no. It /can't/ be Bethy! No. Even if it is her you won't let Dad hurt her.
"Cassidy."
Not after everything the two of you have been through to survive.
"Cassidy."
You feel a hand on your shoulder and come back to Earth.
"Oh sorry Rose. Did you need something?" You ask her.
"Yes, but not for me. For Vriska. She told me to "get you over here even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming." I suggest you go." She says.
"Really? But I wanted a day off! I guess I shouldn't keep her waiting. Thanks for telling me Rose." You say and head off to your house.
Maybe Rose knows about who Dad wants to kill? Since she usually knows about weird things for no reason. But then, knowing her, she wont tell you or will give you some sort of crazy riddle or really obscure hint. Wait, Vriska's calling for you now? It's not even sundown yet! Does she have a pair or special sunglasses too? You'll see when you get there. You walk into your house and start looking for your staff, since it isn't where you left it. This reminds you of the first time you went in Bethy's house and found a whole bunch of weapons in her closet. Didn't you fall asleep on the piano after that? Yeah, then you had a weird dream. What was it about? Snakes? And... Goats? Yeah, you were trying to remember a different dream you had. At least you think that's how that dream came. You don't quite remember the original dream, but you're pretty sure it was the strangest you've ever had. Wait... Wasn't there something... Something important... Nope, it's gone. You grab your staff out of the bathroom and head off to training with Vriska.
In Cassidy's bedroom, on her bedside table, a folded letter flutters in the breeze and falls to the floor. A white sliced hand picks it up and puts it back where it should be.
"She really shouldn't leave the window open. But maybe I should reword this letter of mine. What do you think Fredrick?"
The snake in question merely hisses vehemently in reply.