You know what he's going to do with you. Last time, he said that you were allowed too much freedom so he shoved you into a cage. That same cage sits in the corner. It looks bigger than you remember, roomier. Hopefully it won't shrink and crush you like it has in your nightmares. You've since been staring at Eridan for hours. He cried for a short amount of time, whimpered and sniffled, but it soon gave way to anger. His face had contorted and a growl ripped through his throat, his arms and legs thumped against the table with what little room he had. He thrashed his head from side to side, banged it against the table until The Grand Highblood jolted up from his mattress and caught him by the throat. Eridan's tantrum stopped short as The Grand Highblood leaned close into his face. Eridan then cried and sniffled and whimpered until he eventually must have drifted into sleep.
You watched the girl more closely, latching onto every moment. Her face was heavy with hopelessness and sorrow. She would twitch randomly then jerk awake, begin to panic and breathe rapidly, twist around, then gradually calm down and lean her head against the wall. You wonder what it's like to be a human, how different they are from trolls. As you try to imagine what this creature's life could have been like, she suddenly thrusts herself to the side. She tips, falling to the ground with a bang that startles The Grand Highblood to sit up. She uses her chin to pull herself towards the door, her feet dragging the stool behind her. Like a worm, she wiggles her way to the door, but not before The Grand Highblood stretches and stands, groggily walking over to her. She continues to crawl, her face going red from the effort. The Grand Highblood calmly puts his bare foot on the stool, stoops down to harshly thrust her back onto it, and kick it back to the wall. She slumps in defeat. Why did she do that, you wonder, to just give up as soon as he found her? And did she honestly think she could have gotten away in her state and making all that noise? What did Eridan think he was going to accomplish by throwing a fit? You slowly shake your head in confusion as The Grand Highblood speaks. "Yes, I agree. It's time to wake up and start the day. It's time for you to mother fucking repent," You watch apathetically as he snatches a blade from beside his mattress, bends down over the awkwardly lanky girl and runs it between her lips and each eye, snapping the bands binding them.
Immediately, as if they had been pressing to escape, words tumble out. "Oh please, scary monster man! I don't wanna die. What you're doin' is wrong, can't you see? My mom is famous, she can help you, I promise. She'll get you a discount on the greatest therapist in the whole world. Earth world, that is," She continues on pointlessly, you think out of hysteria rather than an actual attempt at persuasion. Her voice strikes you as strange, laced with an accent that almost sounds like a child who hasn't quite grasped how to smoothly move her tongue. It irritates you, but you do not want to see the torture awaiting her.
"Too much pointless mother fucking sopor!" He picks up his vest from his pile of clothes and pats the pockets until he finds the one he's looking for. "If you want to ingest such sin, your weak, ruined mother fucking body better be able to handle this!" He pulls out a flimsy vial, swirling with a clear liquid not unlike water. He places a finger under the girl's chin and she pauses her mantra as if listening. They're both still for several moments. The girl's lips move slightly, and her voice gradually increases in volume.
"No!" She screams, wrenching her head away from the finger tilting her head up. Anger flickers in The Grand Highblood's throat and she flinches from the growl. You, however, are still feeling detached. You feel like you are watching a cheesy horror movie and are already half asleep. The girl's head is forcefully tipped back, and she fights, throwing her body side to side, trying to clamp her mouth shut. Ironic that after she has just been freed, she longs for her mouth to once again be closed. Perhaps she has dark secrets that she does not trust herself with keeping. Nevertheless, the vial is forced between her teeth and emptied, most of the liquid dribbling onto her chest. The Grand Highblood releases her, steps back to review his work. She still tosses herself around, now spitting, cursing at him with that almost nasal accent.
All at once, she stills. Her cheeks take on a green hue. Does this one have candy red mutant blood too, or is she a limeblood? You wonder if she has any special abilities. Her shoulders bend forward and her mouth opens wide, as if something is crawling out of it. She swallows hard, leaning forward, and just as her body spasms, a bowl is slid onto her lap. She vomits into it, stirring your own nausea. When all has left her body, she spits into the bowl, shuddering with disgust. The Grand Highblood pats her head almost lovingly and molests his vest again. The girl looks up at you. Your eyes meet through the tiny curtains of broken thread that dangle from her eyelids. What can you do to offer... something? Anything. You force your lips into a smile, ignoring the pinch in them, and wiggle your fingers. She smiles back sadly, tears filling her eyes. "Hey, I'm Roxy," She says, her voice rough. The Grand Highblood pulls out a funnel and holds it in the air for a moment before roughly grabbing Roxy by the throat. She doesn't fight back anymore, though she whimpers. He lets go of her to set up. The funnel is placed inside her mouth and bowl onto the tip of it. "No, don't do that. Stop!" Roxy bites onto the funnel and tries to rip it away, spit it to the side, but the liquid it already being poured. It crashes onto the floor for a moment, but The Grand Highblood closes her mouth around the funnel tube.
"Purge, my dear... you must purge several times over before you are clean," He says as you watch Roxy cry, reluctantly swallowing her own vomit. He pulls away and she shudders in disgust again, several times over, very violently. She tucks her chin into her chest and shakes her head. Another spasm rocks through her body and once again the bowl is placed into her lap. She turns away violently, leaning to the side, but The Grand Highblood clamps his hand onto the back of her neck, forcing her to aim into the bowl. The funnel is placed in her mouth again and you squeeze your eyes shut. The sounds of protest. Liquid sloshing. Wet swallowing. The sour smell makes its way over to you and a wave of dizziness crashes into you. But you hold it in, determined not to puke again. The normal sounds of "purging" are interrupted by choking. "Oh no, I guess some of it went down the wrong tube," The Grand Highblood says thoughtfully, and you open your eyes timidly as he sits back on his heels to stare intensely. Roxy's face glows hot pink, weird sounds coming from her throat. She's going to die in such an inglorious way. She has such kind eyes. She doesn't deserve this, and neither did Jade or the human boy. None of them deserve this. Neither do you. You close your eyes again as Roxy struggles to take in a clean breath of air. There is nothing for a few moments. No sounds, no troubles, nothing. "Hm. I suppose she wasn't meant to be cleansed. Oh well, at least I mother fucking tried."
Roxy is limp, leaning against the stone wall behind her. Hollow heaviness settles in your chest and you realize that there are many shades to emptiness. Stages, leading up to some greater swelling emotion that you don't care about reaching. The Grand Highblood stretches his arms above his head again, sighing as they drop back to his side. Your heart picks up speed at the anticipation of him turning to you. Instead, he bends to his pile of clothes, dresses, and leaves the room without a word of explanation. You relax considerably, not having realized how tense you truly were. For the moment at least, the threat is gone. Again, you study Eridan. He's unmoving, breathing evenly. He can't possibly be asleep, but he's so calm. It's so quiet and serene now. Almost enough so to be comfortable. Exhaustion takes over in a matter of seconds and your head tips forward as you fall asleep.
A roar echoes throughout the small room. Your eyes fly open and you instantly go rigid again, staring as The Grand Highblood raises a chainsaw. "I'm sorry to wake you. What must be done shall be done," You inhale sharply as he bends over Eridan, blocking your view of him. Over the loud sound of the tool as it descends toward the bound troll, The Grand Highblood explains, "He's too set in his ways. Too mother fucking stubborn and unwilling to change. He's blind to the other side of an argument. He needs to learn to go both mother fucking ways," There is a loud squeak that makes you cringe, sparks flying around The Grand Highblood's silhouette. He lifts the chainsaw, turns it off, and steps away, breathing hard. You still can't see Eridan himself, but you see the blood that cascades onto the floor in wisps of waterfalls, clinging to the legs of the table. Once they have turned into mere drips, The Grand HIghblood sets down his weapon, wipes his hands together, and turns towards you. "We're on a roll, Kazkia. We've done so much mother fucking good in just two days. Thank you for accompanying me," He smiles at you pleasantly and moves behind your table.
You don't want to, but you look. A slash of dark purple wraps around Eeridan's waist and you're confused for a second. Then it clicks that he was sliced in half. How could you have expected anything less? You press back against the table as The Grand Highblood pushes you towards Eridan. Your breathing turns shallow. God why won't he just kill you already? You don't know what you did in a past life to deserve any of this, but dear Mother Grub, you're sorry. You're so sorry to have ever been born, to have ever laughed and hoped and seen flowers blooming. You're sorry to your very core for ever existing.
The Grand Highblood stops you right next to Eridan. You're close enough to brush your fingers against his, but you look away. You're sorry for him, too and on his behalf. What did any of you do to deserve this? You focus on The Grand Highblood and on scrutinizing what he's doing. He opens the cage and lets the door hang open. "I'm going to take your restraints off, but I want you to keep in mind that there is absolutely no mother fucking way for you to escape. You will not be salvaged," He turns towards you, his lips quirked in a smile. "Even though you are my grand mother fucking favorite," He takes a key from a pocket near his shoulder and uses it to unlock your ankles, then your waist. You watch his face intently and feed on the adrenaline as you prepare to kick him in the gut. Maybe if you prove to be a nuisance, he'll kill you sooner. His eyes flick to yours just before he fully removes your metal belt. "Don't do it, Kazkia. It will only cause you more pain," Impossibly, his voice lowers an octave. You gulp and trash the idea of fighting back. He removes the cuffs from your wrists and holds them together with one hand as he hefts you into his arms and throws you into the cage. You slam against the bars, looking out at him helplessly. He pushes your table hard enough to send it crashing into the opposite wall, making you jump and press your legs to your chest. You wrap your arms around your knees, nearly grateful for the change of position that doesn't make you feel so vulnerable. The Grand Highblood pushes on the top top of the cage, wheeling you towards the door. You press your forehead to your knees, blocking out the real world.
Happy Wriggling Day.
The thought whispers in the back of your mind. You had completely forgotten that it's your Wriggling Day. You wish you had Karkat by your side, that he was the one sending you happy wishes. The cage jolts beneath you as The Grand Highblood passes into another room. Wildly curly hair cascades down the back of someone facing the wall, chains trailing behind her and bolted to the wall nearby. The Grand Highblood crouches beside her and pets her hair lovingly. The girl looks up at him with a free smille. You recognize her instantly; Meulin.
Once again, excitement stirs at the sight of familiarity, and once again, you press it down. You need to stop trying to fool yourself. "I believe you know Meulin? She's a mother fucking wonderful girl!" You crinkle your brows in confusion as The Grand Highblood drops you off in the corner. Unexpectedly, he turns away from you, to Meulin and begins signing with his hands. Meulin watches closely with a wobbly smile, but you aren't sure how she's feeling. She signs back enthusiastically with a squeal and a broad grin. They go back and forth and you press your back against the bars, looking up at the ceiling of the cage. In the flaking red paint is a bird. The irony of it does not amuse you. The Grand Highblood suddenly appears in front of you, glaring. What previous joy he found in fawning over Meulin appears to have dissipated. He pulls out a small packet of hooks from one of his pockets and hastily unlocks the cage. A heavy ball of dread drops in your stomach. "Ugly girls don't get pretty designs." He says venomously, gripping your throat in his hand. Shoved against the bars of the cage, your hands clasped around his wrist, you're powerless as he pierces the flesh just below your left eye. Pain blossoms, your eye immediately beginning to swell, but he doesn't slow down. In a matter of seconds, your face is a mask of silver hooks and he moves lower.
"Alaskan hookers should be called Frostitutes." - Thoughts From the Showers