AN: Hi.
Terezi gave a sigh as she sat in her hive, she had been relaxing for the day and… Well, murphy must have dropped a drop of water on her head…
{caligulasAquarium [CA] began trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC]}
CA: hey ter
CA: i need a favvour
GC: WH4T
CA: i wwas hopin you could take a look at this for me
CA: wwith your wweird tongue thin
GC: Y34H 1 K1ND4 F1GUR3D TH4T'S WH4T YOU M34NT
GC: WH4T DO YOU W4NT M3 TO PUT MY TONGU3 ON?
CA: (Just imagine there's a link here. I can't do links… Yyyeeeeah…)
CA: this
GC: 4LR1GHT
GC: G1M33 4 S3COND TH3N.
Terezi opened the link, licking the image that came up, and then frowning. Taking another lick her eyes widened slightly.
GC: WH3R3 D1D YOU G3T TH1S P1CTUR3?
CA: i took it in my hive
CA: it's been there for ages
GC: M1ND 1F 1 COM3 OV3R 4T SOM3 PO1NT?
CA: i'll givve you a lift
GC: TH4NKS
CA: tomorroww or today?
GC: WH3N3V34 YOU H4V3 TH3 T1M3.
CA: today then
CA: i'll arrivve shortly
GC: S33 YOU TH3N
CA: you too
{caligulasAquarium [CA] ceased trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC]}
Terezi gave a groan as her head hit her table, she'd recognise those colours in that formation anywhere… Even after sweeps upon sweeps of memories had swept it away… If she was right… Eridan was living with the veil of death… He probably went to her to see if she recognised the runes, which was just the English alphabet… Huh, she could technically read multiple languages… Neat!
Later that day
Terezi gave a shout of shock as she smelt the smell of salt water appear outside her hive.
"hey ter. you in there?" A voice asked curiously.
"Y34H 1'M 1N H3R3. G1M33 4 S3C TO G3T OUTS1D3." She told him, making her way out of her hive and towards Eridan. "4R3 YOU R1D1NG SOM3TH1NG?"
"yes i'm riding skyhorse dad" He confirmed, before terezi snapped a selfie with her phone, licking the screen. "wwhat are you doin?"
"1'M S331NG WH4T YOU LOOK L1K3. W3 DON'T SP34K OFT3N SO 1 N33D TO S33 1F 4NYTH1NG'S D1FF3R3NT." She explained. "L3TS JUST GO." She told him, accepting the hand that helped her onto Eridan's lusus. "JUST DON'T DROP M3 INTO SP1D3RB1TCH3S H1V3."
"i wwont." He assured her.
"JUST M4K1NG SUR3."
A bit later
"wwell this is my hivve" Eridan told her, as they entered.
"WOW. SO WH3R3'S TH3 TH1NG?" She asked, genuinely impressed by what she could smell.
"it's ovver here." He said, heading towards a stone archway, a grey veil hanging from it lifelessly.
Terezi took a lick of one of the bricks, sticking her tongue out in disgust at the taste, before running her hands over the runes. "1 W4S R1GHT…" She muttered quietly.
"right about wwhat?" Eridan asked, hearing her.
"… 1'LL T3LL YOU ON TH3 W4Y B4CK, BUT YOU H4V3 TO PROM1S3 NOT TO T3LL 4NYON3, NO M4TT3R WH4T." She told him with a sigh.
"promise" He said instantly.
"4NYW4Y, WHY'D YOU 4SK M3 TO LOOK 4T TH1S?" She asked curiously.
"i figured that you might knoww wwhat it wwas" He explained. "that and i felt you wwouldn't just laugh at me askin" He added sadly.
"H3Y. 3R1D4N, YOU C4N T4LK TO M3 YOU KNOW, 1 WON'T JUDG3…" She promised him.
"thanks…"
"4NYW4Y, 1 C4N R34D TH1S… 1… 1 TH1NK 1T W4S WR1TTEN BY TH3 S1GNL3SS… 4-4ND… DU3LSC4R, 4LONG W1TH R3DGL4R3…" She told him.
"wwhat?! but they wwouldnt havve met!" Eridan shouted shocked.
"W3LL…" She trailed off, feeling the letters that went around the veil, which was lying on the floor. "1T'S GOT 4LL THR33 QU1RKS…" She told him with a shrug. "L3T'S WR1T3 1T DOWN F1RST." She told him, getting a nod.
Minutes later
They had finally translated it all… Figuring out the order and then writing it down…
"wwell… let's get readin" Eridan suggested, getting a nod and grin from terezi, who had gotten Eridan to write in red chalk so she could smell it.
'th1s 1s th3 t4l3 of thr33 trolls. Three tr9lls 9f different 6l99d… l1k3 t34l, Lime 9r yell9wgreens… as vwell as violet. 4 t4l3 by l4tul4 pyrop3, Kankri Vantas, and cronus ampora…' The letters had at first swapped a lot, before switching into three different sections for each name.
'th3 l1f3 of 4 l3g1sl4c3r4tor 1s h4rd3r th4n you'd th1nk 4t f1rst, but 4lot of th3 t1m3 you h4v3 to m4k3 r1sky gu3ss3s 4nd hop3 you'r3 r1ght… 1'v3 4ctu4lly lost 4 f3w c4s3s 1n my 34rly c4r33r… but 1 m4n4g3d to s4v3 mys3lf wh3n 1 c4ptur3d m4rqu1s3 sp1nn3r3t m1ndf4ng, 4nd th3n 1 w4s k1ll3d…'
'N9t t9 s9und rude, 6ut as 9ne with mutant bl99d, I had t9 take what I c9uld and use my v9ice in 9rder t9 96tain peace… and then I was killed with an arr9w as I gave my final serm9n, n9t the 6est way t9 die I supp9se…'
'vwell, i suppose that next to my companions my death seemed quite basic… but don't vworry, as i got to tell a bad joke before i vwas beheaded. i guess you could say i made the grand highblood lose his he3154j52g452kj521' the text was just a jumble for a bit, likely due to everyone struggling to write.
'th1s 1s th3 v31l of d34th. It's purp9se is t9 all9w travel between tw9 w9rlds. a vworld vwich vwill exist at a future point in time vwhile still existing at this moment due to temporal mechanics. 1t w1ll 4llow thr33 trolls… Tw9 9f wh9m b9rn 9f this universe… the other born in another. to 3nt3r th1s oth3r world 4nd s4v3 1t from d1struct1on. We were una6le t9 d9 s9, as we were t9 early… but vwe vwere able to push some of the races forwards, guiding them vwith a gentle hand… th1s 1s the l4st s3rmon of th3 n3ophyt3… And that 9f the sufferer, 9r the signless… orphaner duelscar… w3'r3 tr4pp3d 1n th1s world, 4nd c4n only r3turn wh3n th3 three f1nd us, put 1n st4s1s by k4nkl3s st4s1s doh1ck3y. it's a cry9p9d. vwhich is a stasis thingy.'
"HUH… YOU… YOU TH1NK TH3S3 4R3 OUR 4NC3STORS?" She asked Eridan.
"wwell, maybe… but wwho wwould be the limeblood?" He agreed hesitantly.
"W3LL, TH3 SUFF3R3R D1DN'T PUT C4NDYR3D, H3 PUT L1M3, 4ND H1S N4M3 W4S 4PP4R3NTLY K4NKR1 V4NT4S…"
"you think it's kar?" He asked in shock.
"1T'S 4LL TH4T M4K3'S S3NS3. B3S1D3S, 1T'S NOT L1K3 W3'R3 1N 4 RUSH!" She pointed out.
"i suppose your right ter…" He agreed, checking the time. "i havve to go for a sec, i'vve got to feed fefs lusus." He told her.
"1 C4N W41T H3R3. 1 BROUGHT MY PHON3 1N C4S3 SOM3TH1NG C4M3 UP." She assured him.
"i'll be back soon!" He promised, flying off into the sky on his majestic lusus that she couldn't see.
Terezi quickly snapped a picture of the veil and the decoded version they had written in chalk, before sitting in a chair and taking a nap…
")(ey! You're Terezi rig)(t?" A voice said excitedly, waking the young troll up from her nap.
"WH4? WHO'S TH3R3?" She asked panicking.
"It's me! O)(! Sorry… I forgot about you're…"
"BL1NDN3SS? 1T'S F1N3, YOU'R3… F3F3R1 R1GHT? 3R1D4NS MO1R41L?"
"Yea)(! But I don't t)(ink I'm doing a good job…"
"1T'S PROB4BLY JUST B3C4US3 H3 DO3SN'T W4NT TO BUG YOU S1NC3 H3 KNOWS HOW YOU F33L 4BOUT TH3 STUFF H3 T4LKS 4BOUT." She pointed out, Feferi giving a nod that she couldn't see.
"please don't talk about me like im not here" Eridan said sulkily.
"BUT 1'M NOT. 1'M JUST T4LK1NG 4BOUT YOU L1K3 1F 1 COULD WH1SP3R." She argued.
"… continue…" He grumbled, accepting her argument.
")(ey what's this?" Feferi asked, looking at the veil.
"TH3 V31L OF D34TH. 3R1D4N 4SK3D M3 TO LOOK 4T 1T FOR H1M. WH4T T1ME 1S 1T?" She said, before stretching out.
"it's only been a feww hours, you can still head home safely" Eridan assured her.
"1 PROB4BLY SHOULD B3FOR3 MY LUSUS ST4RTS TO WORRY, SH3 C4N'T G3T OUT OF H3R 3GG SO 1T'S B3ST TO ST4Y N34R 1T." She explained.
"alright, wwant me to take you back noww?"
"NOW WOULD B3 GOOD." She agreed, accepting Eridan's hand back onto the Skyhorse and flying off back to her hive. "T4LK TO YOU L4T3R F3F3R1!" She shouted to Feferi as she got further away.
"so, wwhat did you make me promise to keep secret?" Eridan asked confused.
"… 1 KNOW WHO TH3 ON3 TH4T'S NOT FROM TH1S WORLD." She admitted, taking the long way around it.
"you do? howw?" He asked, trying to figure it out. "wwait…"
"Y34H, 1T'S M3… 1 W4S TH1S TH1NG C4LL3D 4 HUM4N 4T ON3 PO1NT 1N MY L1F3, 1 W4S 4CTU4LLY 4 BOY…" She told him, giving a small sigh.
"… you're not a boy noww right?" Eridan checked.
"1'M 4 G1RL NOW, 1 W4S 4 BL4NK SL4T3 1N MY OLD L1F3, 3V3N W1TH W1Z4RD M4G1C."
"wwizard?"
"Y34H 1 W4S 4 W1Z4RD." She explained.
"howw did you become you?" He asked her.
"1 F3LL THROUGH TH3 V31L OF D34TH… 1 WOK3 UP H3R3 4FT3RW4RDS." She finished her tale as they arrived at her hive. "R3M3MB3R, DON'T T3LL 4NYON3." She warned him.
"i wwon't ter. i promised and i also don't think any different of you." He assured her with a smile.
"… TH4NKS." She mumbled embarrassed, heading inside. "T-TH4NKS FOR T4K1NG M3 B4CK HOM3…" She thanked, flushing bright teal.
"it wwas no problem ter" He told her, flying off majestically into the sky. You have no idea how much fun it is to write that. It's like my favourite thing to write… Flying off majestically into the sky… Oh yeah, it's fun…
Terezi entered her hive, checking Trollian, still blushing, trying to find a distraction, but found nothing…
"OH GOG… WHY 4M 1 BLUSH1NG? 1'M NOT FLUSH3D 1'M NOT FLUSH3D 1'M NOT FLUSH3D… 1'M SO FLUSHED… GOG DAMNIT… M4YB3 1 C4N H1D3 1T…" She realised, trying desperately to get herself under control. "1 N33D 4 D1P 1N 4 N1C3 WARM 4BLUT1ON TR4P… H3H, ST1LL C4N'T F1ND SHOW3RS 1N TH1S WORLD…" She told herself, laughing a little, which helped her to calm down… "WHY DO 1 H4V3 TO B3 FLUSH3D FOR MR G3NOC1D3?" She whined to nobody in particular…