MSPA Fanfiction VI: Trashy Rainbow Drinker Fanfiction

[Ganato]

So, remember when I said I'd try to keep this short, but I'd probably fail miserably?

Yeah, I was right

I think I'm finally satisfied with it (as satisfied as I'm going to get, anyway) so I'm throwing it out there now, before I look at it again and scrap the whole thing.

Gonna warn you now, this is sappy as fuck. If the last chapter was a good end, this is a titanium-reinforced good end, so ready your insulin, because here comes:

Crossing Over: Epilogue

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>Epilogue: Start.

Alterth. That was the name of their new homeworld. But rather than rule it as gods, the sixteen chose to simply live among its strange new inhabitants.

A second chance at a normal life. Their victory over Sburb had earned them that much, at least.

>Be Karkat.

Who? You are pretty sure you know nobody who goes by that name. You can vaguely recall a time where that name seemed somehow familiar, but it has long passed.

>Be John.

You are now JOHN EGBERT. Five years ago, you and your fifteen friends emerged victorious from Sburb's trials, and as a reward, your group was allowed to create a universe as you saw fit. The game noted your desires for the new world and took care of the rest.

Alterth was the result. It hasn't been easy; the history of the world is full of strife, conflict, and general unpleasantness. But when the dust settled, the alliance of human and troll ensured a bright future for all.

A world where trolls and humans could live, side-by-side, in peace. It was exactly what you wanted.

Oh, look. Someone is trying to contact you.

>John: Answer someone.

-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] --

CG: WHAT'S UP, FUCKASS.
EB: hey karkat!
CG: WHO
CG: WHY DO YOU KEEP CALLING ME THAT? I'VE TOLD YOU MY NAME A THOUSAND TIMES AND YOU STILL CAN'T FUCKING GET IT RIGHT.
CG: WELL ANYWAY I WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU WERE GOING TO SHOW UP TONIGHT.
CG: WE'RE FRIENDS, RIGHT? I MEAN I KNOW I'M KIND OF A DICK BUT WE'RE STILL BUDDIES, RIGHT?
CG: AND I THINK I'D HATE IT IF YOU MISSED THE PARTY.
EB: hahaha you do this all the time! of course we're friends.
EB: and yeah, i'll be there. see you then, kyle!
CG: FUCKING FINALLY, NOW HE GETS MY NAME RIGHT.
CG: OKAY, SEE YOU THEN.

-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] --

>Be Kyle.

You are now KYLE VANTAS, and today is your eighteenth birthday. You are the youngest of your circle of friends; the last to turn eighteen, in fact, and in celebration you have invited everyone to your place tonight to hang out.

You have a feeling that tonight is the night you will learn something important about yourself. You aren't sure what it could possibly be, but the feeling is there in the back of your mind, all the same.

Your girlfriend is pestering you. She herself is a troll, and you tend to keep your relationship with her a private matter. Not because anyone finds anything wrong with human-troll romance in this modern day and age, but because, frankly, who you date is none of your friends' damn business.

Of course, you do a terrible job of hiding it, and your relationship with Terezi is completely obvious to even the most oblivious of your friends.

>Kyle: Answer girlfriend.

-- gallowsCalibrator [GC] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] --

GC: H3333Y K4RK4T!
GC: 4R3 YOU TH3R3
CG: NO. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANYONE NAMED KARKAT HERE.
CG: SERIOUSLY TEREZI, WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH YOU AND EGBERT LATELY????
CG: IS THERE SOME GRAND FUCKING CONSPIRACY YOU TWO CAME UP WITH TO DRIVE ME BATSHIT INSANE?
CG: BECAUSE IT'S WORKING.
GC: H3H3H3H3, SOUNDS L1K3 YOU ST1LL H4V3NT WOK3N UP Y3T >:]
GC: DONT WORRY, 1TLL COM3 TO YOU SOON 3NOUGH
CG: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, YOU CRAZY WOMAN
CG: CLEARLY I AM WIDE AWAKE BUT YOU HAVEN'T SHUT UP ABOUT THIS "WAKING UP" BULLSHIT FOR MONTHS.
CG: "OH 1 C4NT W41T FOR YOU TO W4K3 UP K4RKL3S, 1TLL B3 SO COOL"
CG: YOU ARE MAKING LESS SENSE THAN USUAL.
GC: BL4R, OK4Y KYL3, 1 G3T 1T >:[
GC: BUT 1 TH1NK TON1GHT 1S TH3 N1GHT 1T H4PP3NS!
GC: 4ND 1F 1T COULD H4PP3N 4NY M1NUT3 NOW TH3N 1M COM1NG TO YOUR PL4C3 R1GHT NOW
GC: 1 WOULDNT W4NT TO M1SS 1T >
GC: 1S TH4T OK4Y W1TH YOU
CG: AM I OKAY WITH SPENDING SOME QUALITY TIME WITH THE GIRL I LOVE BEFORE THE FRUITY RUMPUS FACTORY ASSHOLES SHOW UP.
CG: WHAT DO YOU THINK?
GC: >:]
GC: > :]
GC: >:]
GC: > :]
GC: OK4Y, S33 YOU SOON!
CG:

-- gallowsCalibrator [GC] ceased pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] --

>Be Terezi.

You are now TEREZI PYROPE, and you are eccentric as hell, to put it lightly.

From an early age, your lusus trained you to sense the world around you not with sight, but with smell and taste. It is another weird quirk of troll biology that scientists have never been able to explain, alongside things like telekenesis and the hemospectrum. To you, the world is a neverending parade of color and scents and flavors.

Just as you wanted it to be.

The vibrant lime greens, raspberry blues and bubblegum pinks of treetops, the licorice blacktop of roads, the orange-apple-cinnamon of the setting sun, the cotton candy cyan of a cloudless midday sky and the blueberry oceans are all served on the neverending buffet that is how you sense the world around you. To be honest, you actually prefer not to use your eyesight in order to strengthen your smell-o-vision, which is why you have taken to wearing a blindfold most of the time.

But being a scholar of the law, you know all too well that it discourages driving while wearing one, no matter how good the driver's sense of smell is. So you have set it aside for now.

Tonight is cause for celebration, not just because your matesprit, Kyle, turned eighteen today, but because he will awaken tonight, just as you and the rest of your friends did not long ago, and when the memories come flooding back, you want to be there for him.

You wonder what the rest of your friends are up to.

>Be Sollux.

Who? Nobody here goes by that name, not anymore. Why do you insist on being characters that don't exist?

>Fine, be the guy who used to be Sollux.

You are now SOLOMON CAPTOR, half-troll and biological curiosity. The life cycle of a troll could be described as "vaguely insectoid", while humans are most definitely mammalian, and yet these two species, who could not be more different genetically, are somehow biologically compatible.

It was only recently that you discovered the answer as to why: you and your friends designed it that way. Specifically, the duality you held in your old life influenced the creation of the new universe.

You took the revelation that you were partially responsible for the creation of your universe rather well. After all, your old world kind of sucked. But being a hybrid of human and troll is pretty sweet, so you can't say you're disappointed with the world Sburb cranked out.

Speaking of sweet, your lady friend is messaging you.

>Sollux: Answer lady friend.

-- cuttlefishCuller [CC] began pestering twinArmageddons [TA] --

CC: Hi Solomon! 38D
CC: Or Sollux... I can N-EV-ER tell w)(ich one you like better.
CC: I was wanting to know if you were going tunaig)(t!
TA: well yeah, ky ii2 my be2t friiend
TA: of cour2e ii'm goiing, you only turn eiighteen once
CC: T)(en I'll go wit)( you, okay?
TA: ii thiink that wa2 the plan actually
CC: O)(, good! It's been FOR-EV-ER since we were all toget)(er, and fis)( of a scale ought to swim toget)(er, don't you t)(ink?
CC: And I don't get to spend so muc)( time with YOU anymore, glub! W)(ic)( makes me a little crabby!

You then proceeded to have an inane conversation filled with fish puns, many of which were stretches at best, for the next half hour.

But you don't mind, because you love the shell out of her. Er, the hell out of her.

>Skip to the end. Also, be Feferi.

CC: Okay, I'll sea you LAT-ER Solomon! I glub you!
TA: glub you two
TA: oh goddamniit you've got me doiing iit two
CC: )(e)(e)(e)(e)(e! 3

--cuttlefishCuller [CC] ceased pestering twinArmageddons [TA] --

You are FEFERI PEIXES, heiress to the throne. That doesn't matter much these days, as most governments today are run by elected leaders, but tradition is a powerful thing, and the troll empress still holds sway in the minds of the people, symbolically, if not politically.

This would have made you sad if it weren't for Sburb transforming the world into everything you wanted it to be.

On Alternia, you wanted to unite sea and land trolls. On Alterth, an empress managed to accomplish this centuries ago. On Alternia, you wanted to care for the disabled instead of killing them. On Alterth, culling has not been practiced by trolls for over a millenium. On Alternia, you had grand plans to abolish the hemospectrum and the institutionalized discrimination in troll society that it enabled. On Alterth, the varied hues and shades of troll blood is little more than a curiosity that science has never quite been able to explain.

In short, even though your role as Empress will consist of little else than public appearances, officially, you're okay with it, because you've already done everything you set out to do.

Hey, one of your people is trying to contact you.

>Feferi: Answer your person.

-- caligulasAquarium [CA] began pestering cuttlefishCuller [CC] --

CA: hey your majesty just checkin to see if you needed a ride to kyls tonight
CA: sorry if im buggin you
CC: ---Eridan! Don't be so )(ard on yours)(ellf!
CC: I always )(ave time for friends, especially for my favorite butler! 38D
CC: And you don't )(ave to use my title, you know!

>Be Eridan.

You are ERIDAN AMPORA, and holy mackerel, things have changed.

In your old life, your ranking in the hemospectrum would have made you a general of the Alternian army and the empress's right-hand man. Your influence in politics would have been second only to the empress herself, and as top advisor to her, yours would have been the secret hand guiding Alternia.

In your new life, you still serve the empress directly... as a butler. A servant to a ceremonial post, devoid of any real political power. Your life will be spent waiting on her and assisting her in everyday life. Your name will not go down in history as a conqueror; it will be barely remembered in records few will ever see as part of the empress's housekeeping staff.

You feel it is better than you deserve, as the memory of your crimes in Sburb still haunts you to this day. It has been a while since the last time you awoke in the night, visions of Feferi's still-smoking corpse atop the horn pile, or Kanaya on the floor lifeless next to a destroyed matriorb, frozen in your mind. But not long enough. Never long enough.

You committed these murders, and not even the creation of a new universe and the resurrection of the victims can undo the memory of your bloodshed. So, when Sburb asked what you wanted for the new world, your only wish was for the chance to repent for your wrongdoing.

The weight of your guilt will remain with you until the day you die, even if Feferi forgives you a million times. Your mopiness sometimes grates on those around you, actually!

Your computer is beeping. You should probably resume your conversation.

>Eridan: Do so.

CC: You still there, -Eridan?
CA: oh yeah sorry musta spaced out for a sec there
CC: )(-E)(-E, you sound like Gamzee!
CC: Or... were you being depressed again? 38/
CC: I wis)( you wouldn't be so sad all t)(e time! T)(at's all ancient )(istory now, glub!
CA: its good of you to say so i suppose
CC: I know! You s)(ould come along tonig)(t!
CA: no wway
CA: i could almost see the wwaves of hostile feelins last time wwe wwere all together
CC: Oh -Eridan! Stop t)(is!
CC: ---EV--ERYON--E knows you're sorry by now, glub! ----Even KYL--E admitted you're "SORT OF AN OKAY GUY NOW, I GUESS", in )(is ---EXACT words before we made t)(is world, glub!
CA: he just said that so you wwouldnt yell at him
CA: wwhat am i evven doin here
CA: you guys shoulda left me back in the dreamscape i mean i deservved as such
CC: ----------ERIDAN AMPORA! 38O
CC: I wasn't s)(ore before but now t)(ings are most definitely CL---EAR!
CA: oh man here it comes
CA: wwere gettin to the part wwhere i get fired aint wwe
CC: No, -Eridan.
CC: I just realized somet)(ing...
CC: And t)(at somet)(ing, glub, is t)(at you need )(elp.
CC: I want to )(elp you -Eridan, because you are my friend.
CA: you dont mean that
CC: I do, -Eridan! For reel!
CC: You N-E-ED someone to )(elp you wit)( your problems.
CC: You need a moirail.
CA: wwhat
CA: no
CA: no wway
CA: Absoulutely not.
CA: I am dead serious about this, Your Highness.
CA: I can't.
CA: I just
CA: That's
CA: oh god
CA: im havin flashbacks
CA: oh god
CC: Are you okay?
CA: no
CA: im not okay
CA: i will never be okay jegus fuck
CC: Do you want to talk about it?
CA: no
CA: i wont do that to you
CA: its not fair to you and its not your fault i just
CA: oh god
CA: i cant i cant i cant
CA: im sorry
CA: so fucking sorry
CC: ----Eridan! Please, calm down!
CA: im tryin really i am
CA: its just
CA: we were moirails a long time ago
CA: remember
CA: before
CA: and everything spiraled out of control because i got jealous
CA: and now everytime i close my eyes i see you lyin on a pile of horns with a bloody hole in your chest
CA: and yeah it was all undone eventually
CA: but it doesnt matter
CA: i still did it
CA: i am the murderer
CA: its me
CA: i cant be trusted to fill a quadrant wwith anyone your highness least of all you
CA: and anywway i aint exactly in a position to be a danger to anybody anymore
CA: so the need for a moirail is kinda not a thing that evven exists
CC: That's not true! You may not be hurting anyone ---ELS---E, but...
CC: W)(at you are doing is incredibly self-destructive, glub! 38(
CC: And...
CC: I am going to save you from yourself.
CC: So as of t)(is moment, I am your moirail!
CA: damnit
CA: youre serious about this aint you
CA: not gonna take no for an answwer
CC: OF COURS-E, glub!
CA: wwell
CA: its good of you to havve faith in me i guess
CA: evven if theres wway better people than me to fill that quadrant
CC: So will you come to Kyle's tonig)(t?
CA: if your gloriousness wwills it then i guess i got no choice
CC: -Eridan. Please.
CC: When we are speaking like t)(is, I am not t)(e --Empress!
CC: I am just your moirail, Feferi. Okay, glub?
CA: ...okay fef
CC: Glub glub glub!
CC: Okay, sea you tonig)(t!
CA: sea you

-- caligulasAquarium [CA] ceased pestering cuttlefishCuller [CC] --

Maybe you can't ever forgive yourself for your crimes. But sometimes, its the smallest gestures of kindness that give you the greatest hope.

>Be someone else.

You're going to have to be a little more specific than that.

>Be... Equius? Is he still someone who exists?

You are now EQUIUS ZAHHAK.

You were the first among your friends to awaken to the truth behind your universe: that all of them, and yourself, were the ones to create it.

When you cleared the trials Sburb had set in front of you not once, but twice over, you had but one wish in mind, and the new world has surely delivered.

"equiusss!"
"Hello, Nia. How does this day find you?"
"*the cat girl springs at her best furriend for a tacklepounce hug!*"

In your old world, you had to be e%cruciatingly careful not to accidently harm your moirail when she got up to something like this, as your massive STRENGTH meant you could tear her in half just because your muscles twitched incorrectly.

But now? Humans are known on Alterth for being both resourceful and clever, which is why the planet is not populated solely by trolls. On Alternia, the solution to dealing with your freakish STRONGNESS was living alone and a hobby in robotics. Here, a human doctor designed a brace for you that allows you to go about your everyday life without fear of breaking things... or people.

So now, you can hug back the girl who is like a sister to you without worrying about snapping her spine.

A world where you don't have to worry about destroying everything in it with the slightest touch. Alterth is everything you could have asked for.

>Be Nia.

You are now NIA LEIJON. You live next door to your best friend, Equius. Sometimes other people wonder if there's more to it than that, but those people are silly! Equius is a brother to you and you wouldn't trade what you have with him for the world. Besides, you are well aware of the thing he has for a certain maroon-blooded troll girl.

You are uniquely qualified to make this assessment, being the Rogue of Heart and all.

It seemed like a silly request to make of Sburb when it created your new universe, but all you could think of was that you wanted humans and trolls to get along in the new world.

Blackrom is still a thing, trolls being what they are. But, because Alterth is a much gentler world than Alternia ever was, the ruthless aggression that was necessary to survive back then no longer influences the black quadrants. Kismesitudes still burn as obsidian as ever, but without thousands of years of violence behind troll society, casualties are an extreme rarity.

That, and humans tend to make EXCELLENT ashen partners. With not one but two races to consider, it is an endless world of shipping opportunities, and it makes you grin like an idiot.

Another thing that makes you grin like an idiot is the possibility that tonight is the night you will work up the courage to confess your crush to a certain someone! He has come a long way in the last five years, and you hope you will see him shortly.

>Be Aradia.

You are now ARADIA MEGIDO, and you are en route to Kyle's house. The gang has not gotten back together in quite some time, so you are eager to catch up with everyone.

Your PDA is beeping.

>Aradia: Answer PDA.

-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering apocalypseArisen [AA] --

TG: yo
TG: maid of time
TG: mistress of rhyme her beats are sublime
TG: rhythm so fine its a crime on the company dime
TG: sup
AA: haha s0unds like s0me0ne just g0t 0ut 0f rehearsal!
TG: yeah sorry about that those rhymes were pretty bad
TG: used up all my good ones fifteen minutes ago
TG: rapping on fumes now
TG: so im on my way to kyles or karkats or whatever the fuck hes gonna call himself after today
TG: johns thinking hell wake up tonight
TG: about fucking time i say
TG: how the hell did he end up being the youngest out of all of us anyway
TG: fucking sburb how does it work
TG: so anyway i wanted to know if you were going tonight
TG: seeing how youre the featured artist on the track im debuting there
AA: yes i will be there
TG: okay rad
TG: catch you later
AA: bye davide!
TG: ugh how about not calling me that again ever
TG: what the fuck kind of rule is that anyway
TG: hurr its not a proper troll name if it isnt exactly six letters long
TG: im dave regardless of what species i am
TG: because i am just that awesome
TG: see you at kyles aradia
AA: see y0u there!

-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering apocalypseArisen [AA] --

>Be Dave.

You are now DAVIDE SYPHER, and you hate your first name SO MUCH. At least DAY-vihd was tolerable, but dah-VEED makes you sound like you're some kind of snooty asshole. You will never understand why the length of a troll's name has to be so exact. Oh, as far as your lusus is concerned you're still DAVE STRIDER, but you know, tradition and all that.

When the game offered you a choice between remaining human or becoming a troll, your response of "yeah sure id love to be a candy corn horned asshole forever" was interpreted literally. So, you decided to roll with it. You and your friends get sappy-ass happy endings, you said. Everyone's guardians came back in some form or another. It was an ironic thing to want for someone as cool as you, though secretly it was something you genuinely wanted to happen, so maybe not so much. But no one has to know that.

Your lusus is an older human male. A human or troll being appointed as a lusus on Alterth is a somewhat rare occurrence, though not unheard of, when a lusus naturae never steps forward to claim a troll hatchling. You guess you COULD have brought Bro back as a lusus naturae instead of as a human. But it seemed like kind of a dick move.

Speaking of your Bro, not fifteen minutes ago, you were rehearsing with him, Jade, and the biggest tool this side of non-paradox space for an upcoming gig. The four of you are part of a band that intentionally produces the shittiest techno metal rap you've ever heard. Naturally, you have a bit of a following locally and on the internet. But your latest stuff is actually pretty good; Aradia approached the band recently about putting together a serious demo, and it turns out she has the singing voice of a fucking angel. You just finished mixing that track yesterday, and you can't wait to pop that shit in for everyone.

>Be the tool.

You are now TRAVIS NITRAM, though you may be better known by your stage name of GEROMY, drummer for THE SOCK RUSE DISTACTION. You are sort of a big deal because you lay down the freshest beats for the illest rhymes and sweetest riffs this side of any space, paradox or not, but you don't let that go to your head, because that's not the kind of guy you are.

You and your bandmates are going to spend some time at Kyle's place tonight, because it's his birthday, and that is a thing friends do. In fact, you're almost there now.

You'd like to see one of your best friends here tonight. Maybe you should give her a call.

>Travis: Call friend.

You dial her phone number. It rings once before she picks up.

"Hello????????"
"hEY, IT'S ME,"
"Traaaaaaaavis!"
"wHAT'S UP,"
"Not a lot, just out with some friends. What a8out you?"
"jUST ABOUT TO UH, PULL INTO KYLE'S, yOU SHOULD COME TOO, WE JUST FINISHED UP A BRAND NEW SONG WITH aRADIA AND ITS GREAT, wE'RE GOING TO SHOW IT TO EVERYONE,"
"Sounds interesting! I'll definitely 8e there then!"
"aLRIGHT, GREAT, UHH, SEE YOU THEN,"
"See you tonight!"
*click*

You stuff your phone back in your pocket.

>Travis: Reminisce.

You think back to five years ago, when you and your friends defeated the best Sburb had to offer and created this new world. All sixteen of you had some measure of influence in the way Alterth would develop. You wanted a world where a person didn't have to be a bloodthirsty monster just to survive, where it was okay to be different, to be weak sometimes, to have fun and play games and just enjoy life without having to kill or be killed.

This, you remember as you exit the vehicle, was Sburb's gift to you, and your gift to Alterth.

You knock on Kyle's door. He opens the door and...

"OH HEY, YOU JACKASSES ARE HERE SOONER THAN I THOUGHT YOU'D BE."
"uM, kYLE, YOUR FACE, ITS UH,,,"
"WHAT? THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH MY FACE, YOU SAYING I'M UGLY NOW?"
A voice shouts from further inside the house. "WHOS H3R3, KYL3?"
Dave starts laughing. "hahaha dude fuck, sorry bro, didnt know we were interrupting sloppy interspecies makeout time, we can wait out here if you want."
"THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABO---" Kyle's eyes catch sight of himself in a mirror by the door. His face turns scarlet when he realizes it's covered in teal lipstick.

The door slams shut in your faces and you don't even care. You, Dave and Jade haven't laughed this hard in a long time.

>Be Vriska.

You have been told to stop trying to be imaginary characters more than once. But addition is a powerful thing, it seems.

>Be Travis's moirail.

You cannot be Travis's moirail, because he doesn't have one, because he is not a troll!

>Be whoever it was Travis called, damnit.

You are now FRANZISKA SERKET, and you used to be a bad person.

Remembering the thousands who died by your hand on Alternia makes you cringe. When you recall your actions toward the boy you now consider your best friend, chills shoot down your spine. To think you were ever capable of such brutality is not something you want to remember, which is why you have sworn to never forget.

You think you are okay, now. You have had fifteen friends to support you since you made the decision to turn your back on the person you used to be, after all.

When Skaia demanded to know your wishes for the universe you and your friends had created, you had but one idea in mind: no one should have to grow up like you did. And when you were asked what form you wished to take upon joining the new world, well, you had the recommendation of a good friend of yours to guide your decision.

One of your friends is trying to get your attention.

>Be the friend.

You are now KANAYA MARYAM, and it's moments like these that you fought so hard for.

"Franziska, Look."
"Wh8t's up, Fussyfangs?"
"The Sun Is Beginning To Set. It Is A Sight I Will Never Tire Of."
"Ah, that which has inspired generations of artists to take brush to canvas."
"Well geeeeeeeez, Rose, it sounds so much less mund8ne when you put it THAT way!"

The sun of your old world, Alternia, burned red with such a harsh intensity that you were one of the few who could tolerate it, and you may have been the only troll who actually enjoyed sunlight. The yellow sun of Alterth, however, is much milder than its old counterpart. Those who spent part of their lives on Earth have compared it to their old planet's sun, and though you may never have seen Earth, if that planet's days were anything like this, it must have been a wonderful place.

It seemed like a silly request to make, a superficial influence on the world that would become yours. But a world where you could share moments like this with your friends was all you could ask for.

>Be Rose.

You are now ROSE LALONDE, and you have repaid your debt, with interest.

Five years ago, your plan to cross the gap between sessions ended in the death of one of the only four surviving trolls, sending the remaining three into despair. Your plan to reverse this turn of events would use a loophole in how the dreamscape worked to resurrect the fallen trolls as humans. There was not a guaranteed chance of success, as there would be no way to determine how Feferi, Daughter of the Horrorterrors, would utilize the power they themselves had placed within her.

But you could guess. And guess, you did. In the end, Feferi's shock at the horrorterrors' betrayal became a righteous fury that cleared the path to escape and ensure the mission's success. Ancient monstrosities from beyond time and reality cannot be permanently destroyed in such a manner, however, so the horrorterrors' influence could never be truly shaken.

Until the moment this new universe came into existence.

In return for having bested everything it could mount against you, your one desire for Alterth was that it was never to be disturbed by Skaia. Oh, you suppose a few copies of Sburb or Sgrub or whatever it ends up calling itself this time around might surface around when the sun enters its death throes. But you have ensured that this world will be allowed to run its course, without being prematurely ended at the hands of meteor strikes from paradox space.

You turn to Kanaya and smile. It IS a beautiful sunset.

>Skip ahead a bit.

Sixteen friends gather in the basement of a house of a quiet neighborhood to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of one of their own.

One of them attempts to get the attention of the others.

>Be that one.

You are now JADE HARLEY, and you have something to share with the group.

"hey everyone! remember how distaction and aradia were working together on a song??? well it's done!!! dave finished it and i want to give it a listen."

Murmurs of cautious agreement can be heard coming from the group. They are all too aware of the usual "quality" of a work by The Sock Ruse Distaction.

>Jade: Pop that shit in.

To say they are amazed by the quality of this track would be a gross understatement.

To describe this song as belonging to a particular genre would do a disservice to it, as it defies classification. All at once, it is rap and rock and chiptune and... opera? Such a combination would normally be unconventional at best, but Aradia's lovely singing voice brings the entire piece together in such a way that it commands the attention of your friends' ears for its duration.

>Jade: Exposit.

When you remember your old life on Earth, on the island with only Bec and the internet for company, you can't help but think it wasn't really a BAD life. You were taken care of, and you never really wanted for anything.

Except companionship.

It was a selfish request to make of Sburb when it asked what you wanted from the new universe you and your friends had created, but it was what you craved, more than anything else: to not be alone anymore.

You can't help but think, as Dave wraps his arm around your waist on the sofa and you rest your head on his shoulder, that the game has made good on its promise.

>Be... Gamzee, I guess? I don't think we've checked in with him yet.

You are now GAMZEE MAKARA, and you have come a long way in the last five years. You were pretty laid back until you awoke to the truth of the universe, and your memories of your time in the Medium came flooding back.

That was not a good night. If Nia hadn't been there, then... no, you'd rather not think about that. That girl has been your best motherfuckin' friend since that day, when she had more reason to despise you than anyone else. What is that, if it's not a miracle?

And this world's full of 'em. Fuckin' miracles, that is.

You haven't heard the voice in your head telling you to hurt things in years, and you know why? Motherfuckin' miracles, that's why. Okay yeah, it's the pills you started taking five years ago, and you don't really NEED them but Jegus do they help keep that bastard down. Science can maybe explain how that medicine works, but how did people find out those chemicals work together to do that in the first place? Miracles, that's fuckin' how.

How did the humans manage to rescue you and your troll buddies from the horrorterrors? Miracles. How did the sixteen of you take down Jack Noir? Miracles. How did the game know what everyone wanted the new world to be like? Okay, they fuckin' told it. But how did everything turn out so perfectly? Miracles.

So what did you want, in this new universe? Mother. Fuckin'. Miracles. It's a world where people still believe in them, because they happen every fucking day.

And that's the biggest fuckin' miracle of all.

Speaking of, your best friend wants to talk to you.

"hey, gamz33. you got a minute?"
"'CoUrSe i dO, cHiCa. AlWaYs gOt a mInUtE fOr mY FaVoRiTe lAdY."
"okay, um, come sit outside with me for a while, i have something i want to tell you about."
"HaHa nO PrObLeM, lEaD ThE MoThErFuCkIn' WaY."

>Be Kyle.

You are now KYLE VANTAS again, and you are starting to flip the fuck out.

It began when Terezi called you "Karkat" again, and you didn't notice until she pointed it out. Soon after, a vision of another world, entirely different from Alterth, flashed in your mind... and you recognized it, if only briefly.

More images enter your mind; it's a treehouse with plush dragons hanging from the branches and somehow you know it's Terezi's house. It's a world with bloody red oceans. It's Kanaya but she's glowing and holding a chainsaw and crying and apologizing for what she's about to do next. It's the sixteen of you and you're all humans except Aradia and Franziska and you KNOW you used to be different somehow and...

You look down at your hands and for an instant, they're the same gray as troll flesh. Suddenly, you understand everything.

"JOHN."
"kyle?"
"WE MADE THIS PLACE, DIDN'T WE."
"what do you mean?"
"WE PLAYED A GAME AND WHEN WE WON, WE CREATED THIS ENTIRE FUCKING WORLD."
"yeah. that's what happened."
"I REMEMBER GROWING UP ON ALTERTH, BUT I REMEMBER A LIFE ON ANOTHER WORLD, TOO. WAS MY ENTIRE LIFE UP TO NOW A LIE?"
"i don't think so. i'm pretty sure both sets of your memories actually happened! but weird time shit is dave's area, not mine."
"I AM SO FUCKING CONFUSED RIGHT NOW."
"haha so was everyone else when they remembered! but think back to when we beat sburb. we all agreed that we'd live in our new world for a while without any memory of what happened, remember?"
"I... THINK SO? BUT WHY ARE THE MEMORIES COMING BACK NOW?"
"because we wanted to remember, eventually. i guess we all just wanted normal lives for a while. but now that we all know the truth, i don't see how we can't just live our lives. i mean, the game even saw fit to ensure we'd all meet again, and even you and terezi got back together, after everything that happened!"

You punch him in the forearm, and of course he hams it up and acts like you've killed him. "HEY FUCKASS, NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, OKAY?"
"hahahaha you crabby asshole, don't ever change!"

Bunp.

Epilogue notes:

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You have NO idea how close Karkat's human name came to being Dan. Props to anyone who knows why!

This is probably the third revision of this. I still don't think it's great because when have I ever thought that about something I wrote? But there it is and people will like it anyway because apparently the things I write are never the garbage I seem to think they are.

I am beginning to think I have impossibly high standards for myself, and the only reason I ever get anything done is sheer laziness.

Trolls and humans living together was planned from the very beginning! I said more than once, way back when there were only a couple chapters, that I was building to an epilogue like this, and that never stopped being a thing. So was the idea that they would simply live in the new world, rather than become its gods, and so was what everyone's influence on this new universe would be, and what characters would elect to be trolls, and which would be humans (though admittedly this was damn near arbitrary. I remember wanting troll!Dave and hybrid!Sollux though).

Stuff not mentioned in-fic because I couldn't find a place to mention it: Troll Dave has a unicorn horn. Feferi's lusus this time around was a giant squid. Human Vriska keeps a pet tarantula; most of the trolls who became human either have something resembling their old lusii as pets, except Karkat who has a dad who's just like him.

End-of-series Notes:

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Holy shit, it's over. This was probably the longest thing I ever wrote. That is simultaneously the neatest and saddest thing.

The weird thing is, I was determined to hate this from the start. Looking back at it, maybe it wasn't THAT bad (there is nothing anyone can say that will make me happy with how chapter 8 turned out though, and Feferi's rescue was just deus ex machina every-fucking-where). Every time I thought "man fuck this, this is weapons-grade bullshit and I should just delete fucking everything right now and pretend this never existed" someone would comment and be all "oh man aC I totally can't wait for the next chapter, keep it up bro" so uh thanks I guess! Because I would have given up if not for some people apparently thinking this was not the endless parade of dumb I swore my brain was vomiting onto the internet.

So what's next? Don't know! I was totally planning to ride off into the sunset and just kind of stop doing this but hahahahahaha who am I kidding, I'm hooked and there is no going back and oh god someone take me out behind the shed

Marvelous. I think you really got the end tied up now. This is grade a stuff, clearly. I also now want to listen to the Sock Ruse Distraction.

Definetly looking forward to the next piece you write.

[battlerek]

Another Crew: Interrogation

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Inside an abandoned warehouse Problem Sleuth woke up tasting her own blood in her mouth and incapable of feeling her wrists. Some asshole must've tied the rope too tightly, the bastard. Thinking over the events that had transpired 3 hours ago, she remembered the bastard that tied her up in the first place. And he was standing right in front of her.

"See Droog, what did I say? Haha, it'll take more than a good hour spent flatenning her intestines to take out good ol' Problem Sleuth." Spades Slick slapped Problem Sleuth's shoulder and placed a pipe in his mouth. "How are you feeling, dollface? Haha, You've seen better days."

Sleuth spat a wad of blood on Slicks's shoes and gave him a shit-eating grin. "Whatever happened to chivalry, Slick? This ain't no way to treat a lady."

Slick laughed again. He sat down on a chair in front of Sleuth and took a deep whiff from his pipe before blowing a cloud of smoke into her face. "Although I whole-heartedly regret the measures used in your situation, dollface, I am afraid that my past engagements with you have taught me...valuable lessons."

Damn right she did. The first time Spades Slick got her tied up like this she escaped by asking him if he'd like to watch Con Air with her at the cinema, and the guy actually untied Sleuth and took her to the cinema. Since then he's gotten a lot more cunning, but Sleuth's always found a way out. This time around, she wasn't seeing any. "So I did. I don't suppose you'd let me go for teaching you how to be a proper gangster?"

"Sure, dollface, for all we've been through I'd spare your pretty little face." Slick smiled. "After you tell me what you're doing hanging around some cruddy hotel room setting some papers on fire."

Sleuth kept her grin."I ain't saying nothin."

WHAM.

Sleuth bit down the pain as Slick struck her right arm with a mallet. It was a light blow, so she could still feel her muscles spasm.

"I'll ask again, dollface." Slick lightly tapped his knee with his mallet. "Who gave you those papers you burned?"

She grinned. "I ain't saying nothin."

WHAM

Another blow to the right arm.

"Well?"

"I ain't saying nothin." She still grinned, although for a split-second her lips twitched, which was the only sign of pain she'd permit Slick to see.

WHAM

Another right arm hit, at the exact same spot Slick hit earlier. It was surprising how precise the bastard could be with a hammer.

"Asking you one more time, dollface." Slick smiled. It was a smile full of humor and mirth, although it was the kind of humor cracked by executioners before they pulled the lever of the electrical chair. "I'll be breaking bone with the next blow. Tell me who gave you those papers.".

Shit. If Sleuth was going to get out of this alive she was going to need both arms fully functional. Well, he was just asking for the guy who gave her the info, so might as well tell him. "Dunno who he was, Slick. Never met him before, looked like he was new to town. He just gave me the papers and told me to burn 'em afterwards."

There was a brief silence, until Slick laughed again. "Haha, a likely story Sleuth. How do I know you're not lying to me?"

Sleuth couldn't help but laugh as well. "Now why would I ever lie to you, Slick? Not even I'm lucky enough to risk something like that."

"What did the guy look like?"

"Trenchcoat, black fedora, purple tie. Your average mysterious drifter."

"Now that's not very helpful, dollface. Maybe a good blow to the head would jog your memory?"

For another second Sleuth's lip twitched. "That's all I know about the bastard, Slick. Believe me, if I knew more I'd tell you."

"Haha, that's the truth isn't it Slick? Alright, I believe you on that one."

WHAM

That one hit her left arm, harder than the blows to her right.

"Next question, Sleuth. What was on the papers?"

That one, she couldn't divulge. Sleuth was pretty skeptical about the whole 'world-changing, balance-breaking power' business, which meant that it definitely was world-changing balance-breaking power business. With her luck, it was going to be. "I ain't telling you that one, Slick."

WHAM

Left elbow. She was going to feel that one in the morning.

"What was on the papers?"

"I ain't saying nothin."

WHAM

Left arm, broken again. Pretty soon she'd need a robotic replacement.

"What was on the papers?"

"I ain't saying nothin."

Right hand, pinky finger.

"What was on the papers?"

"I ain't saying nothin."

WHAM

Right femur. She could still walk, but running would tear her leg muscles badly.

"Coooooooome oooooooon, Sleuth, tell me what does papers say. I really don't wanna kill you." Slick frowned, like a puppy that just got kicked real hard. The worse thing about it was that genuine. And he stretched out his 'o's at precisely 8 seconds. She had a weak spot for that sort of thing.

"It'll take more than this to get the info you need, Sleuth. Even if you set me on fire I wouldn't crack." She said. In all actuality, Sleuth was going to spill the beans after the next few blows, but she was good at faking she could take a beating forever. Now to see if she'd successfuly baited Spades Slick.

WHAM

Right foot. "Haha, that would definitely be throwing iron in the fire dollface." Slick put down his mallet, and picked up a jar of kerosene. "But I'm perfectly okay with giving my good friend Ms. Sleuth a roast she'll never forget."

Oh shit, he was really going to do it. Well, if her bluffs weren't working now, maybe raising the stakes would. "Let's not be too hasty, Sleuth. I ain't cracking now, but with me dead you'll never get the world breaking secret now."

Sleuth pondered this for a moment. He put down the kerosene, picked up his mallet again and-

WHAM

Sleuth wore she saw her life flash through her eyes, but instead of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, she saw Spades Slick laughing his ass off, and bits of squished watermelon all over the floor.

"Haha, oh I got you good, didn't I, Sleuth ol' buddy. Fine, you win for now Sleuth." He gave Problem Sleuth a smile and slapped her shoulders, as if they'd just finished a game of chess and Sleuth just narrowly beat him. "I'll see you later Sleuth. Maybe next time you'll be more cooperative."

"I suppose it wouldn't be too bad to ask you if to untie me, Slick ol' buddy?"

Slick smiled that murderous shark-grin of his. "Wouldn't want you to miss a memorable event, Sleuth. After all, it's not everyday you get to observe a demolition from the inside."

Problem Sleuth screamed. "You wouldn't dare, you bastard!"

"Aw, you know me, dollface. Anything for a good laugh. And trust me, Droog is finding your predicament hilarious!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Midnight Crew watched with some satisfaction as the building collapsed on itself through well-placed explosions. Having a demolition company as a front for more illegitimate businesses was very useful.

"Aww, poor Sleuth was caught in that big and pretty implosion!" Clubs Deuce chimed.

"Good riddance if you ask me. Too bad I couldn't cut her head off." Hearts Boxcars said.

"She'll live. She's too smart and too lucky to die now." Spades Slick added.

"I'll have to agree with you there, no matter how much I want her dead Slick." Diamonds Droog said. "Think she'll be more cooperative now?"

"Maybe. Hey Boxcars, Deuce. You searched the room?"

"Yep. Nothing but burnt paper and shitty motel smell."

"Aw, looks like a dead end."

"Or a diversion. For all we know this whole thing may be an elaborate gambit to throw us off the trail."

"Oooh, I see something coming out of the rubble!"

Something indeed was coming out of the rubble, and that something was Problem Sleuth, alive through a million-in-one chance. They couldn't see her well from afar, but it looked like she was rummaging through her pants.

"Well what do you know, Droog." Slick smiled. "Looks like you're right."

"Told you we should've checked her drawers."

"Haha, next time we interrogate her I'll delegate underwear frisking duty to you, Droog."

"Should we get her again, Slick?"

"Nah. She deserves a rest after being such a good sport. And besides." He walked back to the car. "We have other business to attend to."

A/N

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Wow guys, I didn't expect people to like this so much.

Unlike how Sleuth and Slick usually interacted in most fics, I tried to incorporate elements of John and Vriska's friendship into their antagonism. Who knew that resulted into good old fashioned hate flirting?

[ProspitDreamer]

Another Crew: Interrogation

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Inside an abandoned warehouse Problem Sleuth woke up tasting her own blood in her mouth and incapable of feeling her wrists. Some asshole must've tied the rope too tightly, the bastard. Thinking over the events that had transpired 3 hours ago, she remembered the bastard that tied her up in the first place. And he was standing right in front of her.

"See Droog, what did I say? Haha, it'll take more than a good hour spent flatenning her intestines to take out good ol' Problem Sleuth." Spades Slick slapped Problem Sleuth's shoulder and placed a pipe in his mouth. "How are you feeling, dollface? Haha, You've seen better days."

Sleuth spat a wad of blood on Slicks's shoes and gave him a shit-eating grin. "Whatever happened to chivalry, Slick? This ain't no way to treat a lady."

Slick laughed again. He sat down on a chair in front of Sleuth and took a deep whiff from his pipe before blowing a cloud of smoke into her face. "Although I whole-heartedly regret the measures used in your situation, dollface, I am afraid that my past engagements with you have taught me...valuable lessons."

Damn right she did. The first time Spades Slick got her tied up like this she escaped by asking him if he'd like to watch Con Air with her at the cinema, and the guy actually untied Sleuth and took her to the cinema. Since then he's gotten a lot more cunning, but Sleuth's always found a way out. This time around, she wasn't seeing any. "So I did. I don't suppose you'd let me go for teaching you how to be a proper gangster?"

"Sure, dollface, for all we've been through I'd spare your pretty little face." Slick smiled. "After you tell me what you're doing hanging around some cruddy hotel room setting some papers on fire."

Sleuth kept her grin."I ain't saying nothin."

WHAM.

Sleuth bit down the pain as Slick struck her right arm with a mallet. It was a light blow, so she could still feel her muscles spasm.

"I'll ask again, dollface." Slick lightly tapped his knee with his mallet. "Who gave you those papers you burned?"

She grinned. "I ain't saying nothin."

WHAM

Another blow to the right arm.

"Well?"

"I ain't saying nothin." She still grinned, although for a split-second her lips twitched, which was the only sign of pain she'd permit Slick to see.

WHAM

Another right arm hit, at the exact same spot Slick hit earlier. It was surprising how precise the bastard could be with a hammer.

"Asking you one more time, dollface." Slick smiled. It was a smile full of humor and mirth, although it was the kind of humor cracked by executioners before they pulled the lever of the electrical chair. "I'll be breaking bone with the next blow. Tell me who gave you those papers.".

Shit. If Sleuth was going to get out of this alive she was going to need both arms fully functional. Well, he was just asking for the guy who gave her the info, so might as well tell him. "Dunno who he was, Slick. Never met him before, looked like he was new to town. He just gave me the papers and told me to burn 'em afterwards."

There was a brief silence, until Slick laughed again. "Haha, a likely story Sleuth. How do I know you're not lying to me?"

Sleuth couldn't help but laugh as well. "Now why would I ever lie to you, Slick? Not even I'm lucky enough to risk something like that."

"What did the guy look like?"

"Trenchcoat, black fedora, purple tie. Your average mysterious drifter."

"Now that's not very helpful, dollface. Maybe a good blow to the head would jog your memory?"

For another second Sleuth's lip twitched. "That's all I know about the bastard, Slick. Believe me, if I knew more I'd tell you."

"Haha, that's the truth isn't it Slick? Alright, I believe you on that one."

WHAM

That one hit her left arm, harder than the blows to her right.

"Next question, Sleuth. What was on the papers?"

That one, she couldn't divulge. Sleuth was pretty skeptical about the whole 'world-changing, balance-breaking power' business, which meant that it definitely was world-changing balance-breaking power business. With her luck, it was going to be. "I ain't telling you that one, Slick."

WHAM

Left elbow. She was going to feel that one in the morning.

"What was on the papers?"

"I ain't saying nothin."

WHAM

Left arm, broken again. Pretty soon she'd need a robotic replacement.

"What was on the papers?"

"I ain't saying nothin."

Right hand, pinky finger.

"What was on the papers?"

"I ain't saying nothin."

WHAM

Right femur. She could still walk, but running would tear her leg muscles badly.

"Coooooooome oooooooon, Sleuth, tell me what does papers say. I really don't wanna kill you." Slick frowned, like a puppy that just got kicked real hard. The worse thing about it was that genuine. And he stretched out his 'o's at precisely 8 seconds. She had a weak spot for that sort of thing.

"It'll take more than this to get the info you need, Sleuth. Even if you set me on fire I wouldn't crack." She said. In all actuality, Sleuth was going to spill the beans after the next few blows, but she was good at faking she could take a beating forever. Now to see if she'd successfuly baited Spades Slick.

WHAM

Right foot. "Haha, that would definitely be throwing iron in the fire dollface." Slick put down his mallet, and picked up a jar of kerosene. "But I'm perfectly okay with giving my good friend Ms. Sleuth a roast she'll never forget."

Oh shit, he was really going to do it. Well, if her bluffs weren't working now, maybe raising the stakes would. "Let's not be too hasty, Sleuth. I ain't cracking now, but with me dead you'll never get the world breaking secret now."

Sleuth pondered this for a moment. He put down the kerosene, picked up his mallet again and-

WHAM

Sleuth wore she saw her life flash through her eyes, but instead of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, she saw Spades Slick laughing his ass off, and bits of squished watermelon all over the floor.

"Haha, oh I got you good, didn't I, Sleuth ol' buddy. Fine, you win for now Sleuth." He gave Problem Sleuth a smile and slapped her shoulders, as if they'd just finished a game of chess and Sleuth just narrowly beat him. "I'll see you later Sleuth. Maybe next time you'll be more cooperative."

"I suppose it wouldn't be too bad to ask you if to untie me, Slick ol' buddy?"

Slick smiled that murderous shark-grin of his. "Wouldn't want you to miss a memorable event, Sleuth. After all, it's not everyday you get to observe a demolition from the inside."

Problem Sleuth screamed. "You wouldn't dare, you bastard!"

"Aw, you know me, dollface. Anything for a good laugh. And trust me, Droog is finding your predicament hilarious!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Midnight Crew watched with some satisfaction as the building collapsed on itself through well-placed explosions. Having a demolition company as a front for more illegitimate businesses was very useful.

"Aww, poor Sleuth was caught in that big and pretty implosion!" Clubs Deuce chimed.

"Good riddance if you ask me. Too bad I couldn't cut her head off." Hearts Boxcars said.

"She'll live. She's too smart and too lucky to die now." Spades Slick added.

"I'll have to agree with you there, no matter how much I want her dead Slick." Diamonds Droog said. "Think she'll be more cooperative now?"

"Maybe. Hey Boxcars, Deuce. You searched the room?"

"Yep. Nothing but burnt paper and shitty motel smell."

"Aw, looks like a dead end."

"Or a diversion. For all we know this whole thing may be an elaborate gambit to throw us off the trail."

"Oooh, I see something coming out of the rubble!"

Something indeed was coming out of the rubble, and that something was Problem Sleuth, alive through a million-in-one chance. They couldn't see her well from afar, but it looked like she was rummaging through her pants.

"Well what do you know, Droog." Slick smiled. "Looks like you're right."

"Told you we should've checked her drawers."

"Haha, next time we interrogate her I'll delegate underwear frisking duty to you, Droog."

"Should we get her again, Slick?"

"Nah. She deserves a rest after being such a good sport. And besides." He walked back to the car. "We have other business to attend to."

A/N

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Wow guys, I didn't expect people to like this so much.

Unlike how Sleuth and Slick usually interacted in most fics, I tried to incorporate elements of John and Vriska's friendship into their antagonism. Who knew that resulted into good old fashioned hate flirting?

0_0 Wow. That was harsh. But when Vriska is your good guy, I suppose the story can't go any other way. Still written very well, and somehow you managed to incorporate John's pranksterism into a character as vicious as Spades Slick, and it just made him more evil. Well done.

On a completely different note, remember when I said the next chapter would have more plot? Nope, totally wrong. Here, have some plotless, squishy romance instead.

What It Takes
Chapter 5

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Jade watched with growing adoration at the way Karkat attended the scratch on her arm as she sat on top of her own kitchen table. First, he gently unwrapped the hasty bandage he’d put on her when they were out in the snow. Then he washed it very gently, dabbing at it with “disposable liquid absorbency sheets” (paper towels) and “basic microbe annihilating compound” (soap), and then very carefully re-wrapped it to his satisfaction.

He explained to her the reason the trolls had come, and how they’d managed to get here, while he worked, and then stated that they all needed to meet on the battlefield in about an hour. But after that, he fell silent, putting all of his attention onto her arm.

Jade took the opportunity to examine him while he was otherwise occupied. She studied the shapes of the side of his face; his angular jaw, his protruding teeth, his slightly pointed ears that were mostly buried by his very fluffy, unruly hair. She knew it was a sore spot for him, but she thought his nubby horns were adorable. She had also moved the eyepiece of her jacket on top of her forehead, so she could listen to his actual voice without the distraction of having to read what he said. She knew his grumbling was just a list of empty profanities anyway, and so she sat, and listened, while her cheeks grew warmer.

Karkat finished the bandage to his satisfaction, nodded once, and stood up. He was about three inches taller than her, even as she sat on the table. Jade could not help her smile. She also could not help her giggle.

He said something to her in his strange, spitting-like language and she did not need Pesterchum to tell her what he’d said.

“I’m giggling because you’re cute.” she said, a bright smile on her face. She blushed at her own candidness. She saw Karkat’s cheeks and ears flame red. This only made her giggle further.

He mumbled something else, which she was certain was some kind of argument.

“Yes, you are. I can’t help it Karkat, I have rescued princess syndrome!” she said, beaming.

His next sentence was a bit more pointed.

“Do trolls have fairy tales?” she asked, and then his response was very complicated. She sighed and pulled down her eyepiece so she could read what he was saying.

“YES WE HAVE FAIRY TALES FOR WIGGLERS TO BE SCHOOL-FED BUT THEY ARE ALL ABOUT THE HEROICS OF FINDING THE PERFECT LUSUS. IF YOU ARE CALLING ME YOUR LUSUS CONSIDER MYSELF INSULTED, BECAUSE TAKING CARE OF YOU LIKE A WIGGLER IS NOT WHAT I AM DOING.”

Jade giggled uncontrollably, and Karkat blushed heavily, and she somehow hadn’t realized before she’d met him in person what a terrible crush he had on her. Jade was absolutely enamored.

“No, human fairy tales are all about magic and princes and princesses.”

He looked at her quizzically, frowning angrily.

“WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WANT A STORY ABOUT ROYALTY? ALL THEY DO IS BITTERLY EXECUTE LOWER-BLOODED TROLLS FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND CALL IT CULLING AS AN EXCUSE. BLOOD COLOR ISN’T EVERYTHING. I COULD TAKE ANY OF THEM IN A FIGHT ANY DAY. I HAVE GOOD GENETICS, DAMMIT.”

Jade tried to stifle her next giggle because he looked truly offended.

“No, silly! Our royalty, at least in fairy-tales, is not like that at all! In all the stories, the princess is always trapped by an evil monster and the prince comes and rescues her, and then they get to kiss and fall in love…”

She found herself admitting to more than she’d intended to and let her voice trail off. She watched Karkat’s face as his eyes darted back and forth, squinting as he listened to the translation that Trollian gave him through his ear piece.

Then his eyes grew wide and he stammered.

“RESCUING A HUMAN FROM DANGER IS CONSIDERED MAKING A ROMANTIC ADVANCE?”

He looked ready to panic. Jade laughed.

“Not usually! But…sometimes.” she said, staring at her lap, suddenly shy. “Maybe, in this case…”

“JADE I AM COMPLETELY TERRIFIED OF WHAT YOU MAY BE IMPLYING. IT WOULD BE COMPLETELY HELPFUL TO ME IF YOU WOULD JUST BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE HELL IT IS YOU’RE SAYING.”

Jade sighed. She couldn’t be subtle with Karkat. Karkat and subtle were oil and water; if she was anything but perfectly direct she was sure it would only cause him to panic further. He might panic anyway; but if he was going to flip out, it might as well be over the truth.

She inhaled deeply, lifted her head, and looked him in his eyes.

“Karkat, I’m attracted to you.”

He opened his mouth to say something, stopped, closed it, and stared. She watched him think before he spoke; something she wasn’t aware he was capable of before that moment. And then when he did speak, his voice came out softly. Quietly. That alone was enough to make Jade nervous. But when she looked at the text that displayed on her eyepiece, her heart fluttered. He had taken his caps lock off.

“Jade please tell me you mean that, because that’s exactly the thing I want to hear, if it means what I think it means; you do mean matespritship attraction, right?”

His barking voice was barely a whisper now, and Jade giggled, partially from nervousness but mostly because he was just so impossibly cute.

“Yes, silly! That is the only kind of romance humans have.”

He only let out a very quiet, very weak sounding squeak. Jade giggled.

“I DON’T SEE WHAT’S SO FUNNY.”

“Shhhh, stop yelling.”

He paused in the middle of opening his mouth and closed it.

“I’m giggling because you’re so cute!” she said, smiling from ear to ear. His face of disbelief was priceless.

“Being called that should infuriate me. Why doesn’t it?” he asked, and Jade smiled. She reached out a finger a poked him softly in his chest.

“Maybe cause I’m your matesprit.” she said. Karkat swallowed. He reached up and took the hand that was poking his ribs and held it gently. His hands were cool and his skin oddly smooth, and Jade observed him being very careful not to scratch her with his claws.

“This is a pretty serious thing, Jade.” he said. “I mean, everything I do is serious but this is a fucking really big deal to me, I mean, I never had a matesprit before. Well I thought I had a thing with Terezi and that probably would have worked out except then we started trolling you guys and all of a sudden it was DAVE FUCKING STRIDER OH HE’S SO DREAMY I CAN’T KEEP MY TONGUE OFF OF HIS CONSTALTY SMUG IMAGE ON MY FUCKING SCREEN…”

Jade reached up with her free hand and put it on Karkat’s cheek. He stopped yelling. He stopped talking. He stopped breathing.

“I guess I owe Dave one more thing than I thought I did.” she said, smiling brightly. Karkat’s angry face twitched. He closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry, talking about other girls I’ve been attracted to is probably the worst possible thing I could say right now.”

Jade giggled.

“You can talk to me about whatever you want, silly troll boy. I know you can’t help your impulsive mouth. And to think, everything about you that once drove me crazy are exactly the things I find adorable now.”

Jade leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

Karkat let go of Jade’s hand, wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers. She squeaked from surprise, then giggled, and then finally, moaned. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers up in his hair. When he pulled back his eyes were half closed, his cheeks flushed deep red.

“Jade, I have the flushest, most pitiful, reddest emotions right now…”

She slid her hand from his hair and down to his ear, gently removing the earpiece he had in it. He grunted with surprise, but didn’t move to stop her. She then reached up and removed her own eyepiece, and without any distractions, looked into his face.

“I love you, Karkat.” she said, and though she couldn’t tell the exact meaning of the string of words that came from his mouth, she didn’t need to. There was one word that he said which she could understand, and it was worth the loss of meaning to hear it in his voice, the way he said it.

“Jde.”

She giggled and twirled her fingers in his hair.

“Karkat.”

He kissed her again, and at that moment John started to pester both of them, but the messages went unnoticed as their computers lay useless on the table.

[Path]

"Well what do you know, Droog." Slick smiled. "Looks like you're right."

"Told you we should've checked her drawers."

"Haha, next time we interrogate her I'll delegate underwear frisking duty to you, Droog."

Noir gangster Rose/Vriska? Hhhhhhhhuh

You did get Slick and Sleuth's names swapped on at least one occasion, so I might recommend going back over it. That being said, altogether enjoyed.

[Summergale]

People seem to be looking at the Scratch right now, and that's fine. But there was something in those updates that made me wonder...

Eternal

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John has just buried the last of his friends.

Physically, the Heir of Breath is still thirteen years old, but mentally? He sometimes feels closer to a hundred. He walks away from the funeral slowly, pulling awkwardly on the somber black tie draped about his neck. This will never feel right, ever. He's basically immortal, has been ever since Jack stabbed him in the heart ninety years ago.

He first realised that he'd never age when Dave started growing stubble and he didn't; when Dave's voice broke and his didn't; when Dave started kissing Jade whenever he could and John was still wondering why Rose liked him so much. He still doesn't know how to feel about her - he's stuck in the emotionally awkward stage of a thirteen-year-old boy.

When his friends went out to a bar, John had to stay behind.
When they went to college, John couldn't.
When Jade and Dave got married, John couldn't be the best man as planned.

When Rose died, John, Dave, and Jade attended her funeral.
When Dave died, John and Jade attended her funeral.
When Jade died, John attended her funeral.

John won't have a funeral.

He wishes he could.

[Rimbaum]

People seem to be looking at the Scratch right now, and that's fine. But there was something in those updates that made me wonder...

Eternal

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John has just buried the last of his friends.

Physically, the Heir of Breath is still thirteen years old, but mentally? He sometimes feels closer to a hundred. He walks away from the funeral slowly, pulling awkwardly on the somber black tie draped about his neck. This will never feel right, ever. He's basically immortal, has been ever since Jack stabbed him in the heart ninety years ago.

He first realised that he'd never age when Dave started growing stubble and he didn't; when Dave's voice broke and his didn't; when Dave started kissing Jade whenever he could and John was still wondering why Rose liked him so much. He still doesn't know how to feel about her - he's stuck in the emotionally awkward stage of a thirteen-year-old boy.

When his friends went out to a bar, John had to stay behind.
When they went to college, John couldn't.
When Jade and Dave got married, John couldn't be the best man as planned.

When Rose died, John, Dave, and Jade attended her funeral.
When Dave died, John and Jade attended her funeral.
When Jade died, John attended her funeral.

John won't have a funeral.

He wishes he could.

OHGOD. *sobs*

[wilySubversionist]

People seem to be looking at the Scratch right now, and that's fine. But there was something in those updates that made me wonder...

Eternal

Holy shit, that's brutal. Is it weird that I felt worst for Rose? Being in love with an immortal child and then dying first, bitter medicine, man.

[Red Pen]

You have NO idea how close Karkat's human name came to being Dan. Props to anyone who knows why!

Dan vs. Sgrub?

This whole thing was wonderful, by the way. I think it deserved the length you gave it.

[-Benedict]

Holy shit, Eternal. Ouch. Yeah, that's... that's pretty rough. Way to remind us that these guys are kids.
Speaking of pretty rough, Another Crew is nuts. Good nuts. John Slick breaking Vriska's limbs with a hammer one by one. If it weren't exactly how a John Slick would do that sort of thing I'd be freaking out, but I don't know whether to laugh or cower now.

Anyway, OC Scratchfic. Basically the story I wanted to tell with my old overreaching forum adventure in shorthand. The reveal of the Scratch's purpose was pretty much exactly what I needed to tie this together.

Knave

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In a laboratory lost to fate, a girl investigates the trappings of a plot lost to the past. A screen displays the surface of a world lost to the game, dotted by hundreds of flames meant to fall. She sees what is to fall to this place. She pays no attention to the remainder of that screen. In another part of the screen, a session begins.

Elsewhere, a young man installs a game early in the morning. A friend takes him away from that place before the game assaults it.
Later, the friend arrives at the scene of the assault. He installs a game as the noonday sun is blocked out by meteors. A young woman takes him away from that place before the game annihilates it.
In the ruins of untimely annihilation, the young woman connects, and the young man brings her into the game before the game ends all that is.

The young man arrives in the Land of Pulse and Stars. A building drifts aimlessly in a sea of light and flowing energy. His guide, shed from the skin of a serpent long since dead, whispers fate into his ears. Knowing, he goes to sleep.
The friend arrives in the Land of Blaze and Fields. A damaged building sits among the dancing rivers of flame, growing by the activity of an unseen hand. Looking forward, he goes to sleep.
The young woman arrives in the Land of Chalk and Shine. A ruin lies smoldering, bathed by the glow of endless white. She hears, she sees, she wonders, and she brings aid to a friend. Her first task complete, she goes to sleep.

Two awaken from slumber amidst a golden city. The friend marvels, the young woman rejoices. Unbound by flesh, they descend to checkered fields. They fly, they dance, they revel in the freedom of the dreaming world.
Red runs swift across the shifting plains of a battlefield. The friend and the young woman, agape, fly away from war and death, away from those who descend to battle. They return to a queen who gives them no ear, a kingdom consumed with war.

He awakens from slumber amidst a dark city. The young man ascends, rising above the silent din of a kingdom consumed with war. He hears and he understands, and he deems it necessary to once again descend. He chooses a champion. An archagent, who rallies the people against a monstrous queen.

They meet within the city, and choose a champion. A courier, who rallies the people against a stubborn queen.

Two kingdoms, overthrown. A party, united. They rejoice, and black meets white amidst a Medium of peace.
Armies below, enraged. Soldiers, united. They scream, and black joins with white in hatred of peace.

War and peace clash. A golden dreamself dies, blood trailing from her wounds. A black traitor, his destiny of betrayal once again fulfilled, flies to lead the armies of hate. An Ace ascends.

The friend claims his place as the Knight of Light back in a world of blazing fields. He rejoices, and takes up the mantle of the paladin.
The young woman claims her place as the Seer of Time back in a world of shining chalk. She sees what is to come, and screams, screams, cries, wails, screams, mourns. And then she is silent. There is only one thing left to do.
The young man claims his place as the Knave of Space back in a world of pulsing stars. His guide whispers the will of the Noble Circle, and he knows what must not be.

Amidst the chalk, the Seer waits for the Knight. He flies to bring from his world a long nail, ripped from the helm of Hades himself. A vast sheet of green shale dominates the horizon as she waits, and a figure approaches. She hopes, she prays that it is the Knight, but her hopes go unfulfilled and her knowledge is answered in the positive. A Knave approaches, brandishing spear at she who would scratch the Board of Chalk and erase their legacy.

The young woman, the prophet, the Seer of Time cries, pleads, tells that only doom awaits. The Knave objects. The Seer attacks.
Again blood trails from the wounds of a Seer. She falls, the chalkboard unmarred. No noise will rend the world now. The young man, the Knave, finds the sacrificial altar meant for the Seer of Time. Knowing, he goes to sleep.

The friend, the paladin, the Knight of Light brings the nail to a place where salvation was meant to be found. Salvation's herald lies dead upon the cold chalk, unable to do that which could not be done. Vengeance is sworn.

The young man, the usurper, the Knave of Space in dreaming garb flies to the Noble Circle and past. He speeds for a pinprick of green. The creatures of the Furthest Ring give chase, scream curses in his ear. He pays them no heed and plunges into a vast fire.

The friend finds the young man asleep on a bed of red stone. Vengeance fills his heart.

The young man is engulfed, swallowed, filled by a raging green fire. It flashes, warps, and takes him in, as the horrorterrors cry out. His dreamself is consumed.

The young man is slain, cut open, pierced by a sacred nail. The friend breathes, cries, and closes his eyes, as on a distant battlefield a Knave of Space and Time rises amidst a growing army.

He opens his eyes and sees green, and then he is many and an army is slain by one young man. An Ace begs before he is executed. The Knave becomes one with the universe and then is one with himself again, watching him who weeps for his fallen comrades.
A friend looks up. He sees the usurper, in the regalia of a god. He fears for his life but for an instant before he is elsewhere, surrounded by fire. Fire falls to a ruined world amidst flaming brethren. For an instant, green washes over the planet and then fire falls to an empty world amidst flaming brethren. A paladin is exiled.

And the Knave of Space and Time watches and waits, understanding. A nail is retrieved from an old shell, coated in red. The power of Time finally flows through it, and a plan is hatched. A screech pierces LOCAS and time begins to come undone. He absconds, flees backwards in time as it rolls back to its origin.

SCRATCH

A friend claims his place as the Knight of Light back in a world of blazing fields. He rejoices, and at his own command takes up the mantle of the paladin.
A young woman claims her place as the Seer of Time back in a world of shining chalk. She sees what is to come, and rejoices. She goes forward into a future of hope and rebirth.
An old man reclaims his place as the Knave of Space back in a world of pulsing stars. His guide whispers nothing, for it is silent before he who has returned.

[anonymousComrade]

You have NO idea how close Karkat's human name came to being Dan. Props to anyone who knows why!

Dan vs. Sgrub?

This whole thing was wonderful, by the way. I think it deserved the length you gave it.

Ding ding ding we have a winner

I mean seriously, Dan is basically human Karkat

[Tenebrais]

Barricade: Chapter 2

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The Alternian fleet was largely undecorated, save for the insignias identifying each. There are, however, exceptions to every rule. This particular craft was richly, if bizarrely, painted in an uncoordinated cacophony of colour. Reds, yellows and purples were swirled and smeared over the hull, with the bulbous nose painted the brightest red of all.
The clownish craft flew, with purpose but not grace, toward a far larger ship, one of the crown jewels of the fleet. This was the Imperial Dungeon, home to anyone that got on the wrong side of the Empire but was just a little too powerful to kill. Guards on the ship were mostly short-lived, but the inmates tended to keep each other in check anyway. No one who entered could leave again.
Contact. The two ships met at the airlocks, and a small party boarded the gaol.
“I don’t want any motherfuckin’ mistakes, invertebrothers,” said their leader, the tall, stocky one wielding a scythe. “Ignore the other motherfuckers. If they attack us, kill ‘em.”
“You told us a hundred fuckin’ times,” said the one with bad teeth and an iron rebar.
“Like you were fuckin’ listening,” the leader retorted. “Let’s just fuckin’ find him and get out of here.”

The four of them stayed close, ready to fend off any attackers. Visitors to the Dungeon never lasted long, as most of the inmates saw killing them as a way out. And yet, as the trolls in clowns’ makeup made their way cautiously through the complex, they found it to be deserted.
“Where the fuck is everyone?” cried the short one with the hammer. “A motherfuckin’ joke is what it is!”
The complaint echoed through quietened halls. Laughter echoed back, deranged and maniacal. The intruders steeled themselves, but nothing came. Cautiously, they headed toward the source of the sound.
“It’s him,” the leader said. “Fuckin’ certain of it.”
Round the corner lay the body of some sea-dweller. He had been dead a long time, by the look of it. Whoever had killed him hadn’t cared enough to airlock the body as was usual in the fleet. Other than the eerie quiet, this was the first sign that something untoward had happened here. Corpses may not be uncommon, but by now someone should have objected enough to remove it.
A faded trail of purple blood could still be made out on the wall, leading along the corridor, painted by hand. It was soon joined by others, in a variety of colours, though mostly more blue and purple. The path lay ahead; a challenge to all that came to the ship.
The man they were searching for sat in a dimly-lit room, surrounded by corpses in varying states of decay. The walls were painted in their blood in intricate fractal patterns, which converged around him. He had thick, shaggy hair and long, twisted horns.
His face was unpainted. This would not do.
“You better be here to tell me a motherfuckin’ joke,” the man said.
“What do you call the head subjugglator?” the leader said.
“What?”
“I was hopin’ you could motherfuckin’ tell us.” he proffered a pot of white face paint.
The man took the pot, and put his face back on.
And he grinned.


Much as this is not a story about love, this is also not the tale of Gamzee Makara. The subjugglators would return to Alternian society in force and shake up the political system, depose the Grand Highblood to put Makara on his throne, and gradually take over the fleet. Thus was their plan. But since you are here, reader, and not reading their story, I invite you to draw your own conclusion of its fate.
In search of the story, we should perhaps draw our attention back to Battleship 612, to the upper decks that served as the home for those of rank and nobility.

The Blue Bar was a distinguished establishment, and a mark of pride for the battleship. The drinks were high quality, the waiting staff polite and well-behaved, and the clientele had class. Your blood must be at least this violaceous to enter. Equius, as a solid blue, was welcomed into the tavern, though he sat low on its stratum of the hemospectrum. This suited him perfectly.
Clients were allowed to bring a guest, though few did. Equius regularly invited Nepeta to drink with him - he had trouble making friends, even among his own kind. She had held fast as his moirail and closest friend since they were children.

Today Equius was joined by a man named Perseus, a few sweeps his elder, and a cerulean-blood - the lowest caste allowed into the bar unilaterally. Equius found his attitude grating, but they generally got along.
“You heard the news?” Perseus asked.
“What news?” Equius asked back.
“’bout the break-in on the Imperial Dungeon.”
“I haven’t, no. You will elucidate the matter.”
Nepeta interrupted. “Someone broke into the dungeon? Not out?”
Perseus gave her a condescending look and ignored her. “’pparently when they got there everyone was already dead. Most of ‘em for seasons, maybe even sweeps, last I hear. Must’ve been a right bastard to take out most of them guys.”
Equius gave a thoughtful hum. Nepeta turned to him. “Wasn’t Gamzee on the dungeon? Do you think he’s-“
Perseus butted in. “Shut up, green.”
Equius frowned at him. “She is here by my invitation. You will let her speak.”
“Control her, then. I don’t wanna have to hear from her sort.”
“You will not tell a superior what to do.”
Perseus snorted. “I’m older’n you and I’m higher rank. I’m your superior, Zahhak. Don’t you forget it.”
“I do not acknowledge your superiority.”
“Well that’s a fucking shame, isn’t it?” He turned to Nepeta. “You. Get out of here.”
“Don’t go anywhere, Nepeta.”
Torn between two orders, she stayed put.
Perseus spoke again. “I don’t like your attitude. You aren’t so high and mighty.”
“And I take exception to yours. Your bearing does not befit your status, and you do not acknowledge your true place.”
“Shut the fuck up, Equius! No wonder no one likes you! You hang around with filth and you put on airs. Don’t forget you’re a marked man, friend of Feferi.”
Equius got to his feet, knocking the table over by accident. Perseus took this as aggression and attacked.

In a hand-to-hand fight, Equius would be a challenge to the strongest of the imperial drones. Toned as he was, an archeradicator stood no chance without his bow. Equius tried to pull his punches, but the floor was soon coloured with azure blood. Perseus’ skull had caved in. He was dead.
Equius called over a waiterrorist and paid his tab, with a heavy tip. “I apologise for the mess,” he said. “Nepeta, we’re leaving.”

As he reached the door, a sea-dweller cleared her throat loudly. She approached the two.
“Be careful, Zahhak. He was right, you are a marked man. Further indiscretion may see you in front of his Noble Tyranny.”
Equius started sweating profusely. He bowed deeply. “I apologise, madam. I did not intend for our encounter to end that way. I accept any punishment you deem me worthy of.”
The purple-blood laughed, and smiled at him. “Stand up straight, you look ridiculous. For what it’s worth, the Inquisition sees you as very low-risk. But you understand we have to watch all of your circle.”
He straightened his back by her instruction, and immediately started to bow again, which made her laugh again. It was not entirely cruel, for a sea-dweller.
“My name is Charon Anubis. Pleased to meet you.” She held out her hand to shake. Equius instead took it in both hands and kneeled before her.
“The honour is mine.”

Charon laughed again.


-- caligulasAquarium [CA] began trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] --
CA: hey kar
CG: HI ERIDAN.
CG: I HAVEN’T HEARD FROM YOU IN A WHILE.
CG: ARE YOU DOING OKAY?
CA: yeah im alright
CA: lost another girl yesterday though
CG: THAT SUCKS, MAN.
CG: WHAT DROVE HER OFF? I THOUGHT YOU WERE FUCKING GOOD AT THIS NOW.
CA: inquisition killed her
CA: thought she wwas fef
CG: FUCKING SWINEBEASTS.
CG: WE’RE PROBABLY PRETTY OVERDUE FOR A CHECK-UP HERE.
CG: IT MUST HAVE BEEN AT LEAST TWO PERIGEES.
CA: dont fuckin say that you knoww theyre listenin
CG: TRUE.
CG: HOW’S THE AQUARIUM?
CA: livvely as evver
CG: CAN I COME SEE?
CA: sure its safe
CG: ALRIGHT. I’LL BRING SOLLUX ALONG TOO.
CA: that fuckin nubsucker
CA: are you serious kar
CA: is that a thing youre seriously sayin
CG: HE’S MY FRIEND AND YOU KNOW THEY’RE BOTH GONNA BE PRETTY HAPPY ABOUT IT.
CG: SUCK IT UP.
CA: fine wwhatevver
CA: see you soon
CG: YEAH SEE YOU.
-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling caligulasAquarium [CA] --

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The actual plot starts next chapter.

I don't subscribe to the idea that all trolls have 6/6 letter names, much like not all humans have 4/6-7 letter ones. Charon Anubis just came out that way.

[sebastian]

So, remember when I said I'd try to keep this short, but I'd probably fail miserably?

Yeah, I was right

I think I'm finally satisfied with it (as satisfied as I'm going to get, anyway) so I'm throwing it out there now, before I look at it again and scrap the whole thing.

Gonna warn you now, this is sappy as fuck. If the last chapter was a good end, this is a titanium-reinforced good end, so ready your insulin, because here comes:

Crossing Over: Epilogue

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>Epilogue: Start.

It don't matter how bad do you think this is. Just the reason why Dave become a troll make it all worthy.

[Stormrunner]

Got this idea based on the first result of a generator posted on the MSPA forums. Vriska Sekret/John Egbert – Swimming.

Where Storm does silly mushy stuff at the end because she can't think of a better ending.

I was afraid of posting it due to morbid views on immortality. But then I saw Eternal, and that is brutal as well.

So here you go, bad fiction number 2 one shot.

Swim and Drown

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As she tumbled down through the empty space of the meteor she realized that this was the end and she would die alone.

John had been her last hope of a real friend, but he hated her now. And, even if he didn’t, John would soon forget her – the Scratch would see to that.

She supposed the Scratch could be a chance to try and work everything out with him – start from the beginning – but it wasn’t worth it to her. Her trust in him had faded. That, and she didn’t want a different John as her friend, she wanted this one. He would be different after the reset.

When he told her to leave him alone and that he hated her, she had just been rejected by Kanaya. She was so enraged she didn’t even check where in the time line she trolled the Heir of Breath when she cursed him out and threatened to kill him. She immediately regretted it, and was glad he would not remember it properly.

She tried to contact him again later in his time line after his initial hate rant hoping he had calmed down. It seemed however, that his thoughts about her had only gotten worse. She had told him everything that happened between Tavros, Aradia, Terezi and herself, so she had thought he was alright with it. She trusted him with her deepest regrets – and he thrust them back on to her due to things his friend had told him about her second hand from Terezi.

The fall felt as if it was going on forever. Noir had ripped her wings out broken her glasses and cast her into this pit. She wondered if it even had a bottom.

Thoughts went through her mind quickly, her life in flashes, and she began to cry. Everything was her fault – she should have told John about his guardian once she knew how John felt about his dad. She should have been nicer to her friends on Alternia despite the stupid hemospectrum. She should have done a lot of things, but now it was only regrets.

It felt as though every bone in her body would break when she hit the icy water at the center of the meteor. Her hair and limbs lifted upward due to the pressure of the impact.

She couldn’t move and she couldn’t see. Blind, cold, and wet – the worse way to die.

She regained some feeling in her limbs but didn’t even try to swim to the surface. She might have, if she knew how to swim at all. Because of Eridan being her pirate partner she had never really had to learn.

She could feel the water filling her lungs and her breaths became harder to come by, the pain was excruciating. This was the worst way to die, it was taking forever and the pain wouldn’t go away.

She closed her eyes when her back hit the bottom of the pool and hoped it would end soon.

~~~

After what seemed like forever she felt a pull on her body. She was so tired and in so much pain she just didn’t care anymore. She must have been in what humans referred to as Hell.

The pull grew rather insistent and she was shaken a few times, but refused to open her eyes. She didn’t want to imagine the horrors she would see.

She was pulled out of the water as suddenly as she had hit it. The water in her lungs came out in a rush before the water and bile from her stomach purged itself.

She coughed and finally opened her eyes.

Looking down she could see a black inkiness that she assumed was the water she was in, and she was suspended above it by some force.

She looked around her before turning toward a face beside hers. A pale human face.

Vriska tried to say John’s name but it only came out as a rasping noise. He just shook his head and pulled her to a platform nearby and laid her on the cold slab of rock.

She shuddered involuntarily, the cold was getting to her more then it had in the water. A large blanket was draped over her and tucked against her sides. Vriska looked over to John and tried to say something else, but he only put a finger over her lips and then gently pulled down her eyelids. She took that as an indication she should sleep, so she did.

~~~

Vriska jumped out of the water with her eyes closed. She smiled as she listened for the faint sound of breathing or at least a movement of water. Her nostrils flared at the smell of chlorine around her.

Slowly she stepped forward and heard a movement to her right. She dived that way but missed.

Pulling herself from the water again she shook her head to clear her ears. She pushed her hair off her face before listening again.

This time her target was closer, much closer then she thought he would get to her in this game.

She smirked and dived for him again and they both went tumbling into the deep end of the pool.

Vriska opened her eyes. They stung for a moment from the salt in the water getting in her goggles but she didn’t mind. The fish that swam around her in schools were quite a sight to see and she didn’t want to miss it.

A squeeze on her hand made her look toward the person holding it.

John held out a camera to her and she shook her head. She could barely swim let alone take a picture and keep herself mobile.

The boy gave her a smirk before grabbing her by the waist and holding her up. He held the camera to her again. This time she took it and began to take pictures of the wonders around her.

The birds flew over head as she snapped photo after photo. This place was magnificent.

Someone laughed behind her and she turned to see John stripped down to his swimming trunks.

Vriska licked her lips and smiled. He did some of the goofiest things sometimes. She looked down at herself. Then again she was in a bathing suit herself.

She sat her camera near their bags and walked up to him.

He grabbed her hand and started running toward the fresh water pool. The waterfall got louder as they got closer. He grabbed her and flew up before diving them both into the water.

The water was everywhere and Vriska could see no bottom or top to it, it seemed to be never ending and she got dizzy at the prospect.

John came up in front of her and smiled before swimming off a distance.

Vriska remembered she couldn’t swim, but for some reason she was following him with great ease. She relaxed as she realized she did know how to swim, it was just her silly imagination telling her she couldn’t.

She followed John into an underwater cave, and as he swam up so did she. The light at the top of the water heaven sent to her lungs.

She breached the water and took a breath.

~~~

John pulled her into a sitting position as she woke up.

Vriska panicked and looked at her hands-troll hands not human ones. This was wrong all wrong. She was living a nightmare. She shook her head in an erratic manner. She just wanted to sleep again and go back to her dreams.

She then began wondering out loud why she wasn’t dead, what was wrong with her? Noir had killed her right? Why was she still alive?

The Thief heard John saying something about immortality and heroic or just deaths. She yelled out something about being a hero, and he retorted that she went after Jack to die and get away from everything.

Vriska was going mad, she tore at her hair and cried out in frustration. She couldn’t die going after Noir, all the hopes had been a lie. She held herself as she sobbed. The pain had been worse then death, and being shown a life she couldn’t have even worse.

She heard John say something about her wings growing back, but she didn’t give a damn. She growled and swiped at him all the while asking him what the justice in immortality was. She yelled how she would rather die then endure anything in this life anymore – let alone forever! No body cared about her no one!

John pulled her into a tight embrace and told her that wasn’t true and that he cared.

Vriska tried to struggle free of his grip but she was still too weak. She told him not to lie, that he hated her, and to leave her alone.

The Heir had replied that he was not lying, and he understood everything. That he had slept and talked to his dad, and that everything was fine. He wasn’t angry at her anymore.

She shoved at him harder. She didn’t want to hear this, she didn’t want anything to do with what he was saying. She was angry and she was scared of the implications.

Vriska yelled at him to go back to his Scratch and just forget about her.

He softly told her the Scratch was already said and done, and the earth session of Sburb was already reset. He had traveled alone to the trolls session not long before it, so that in the future he could help those in the next earth session remember. Jade, Rose, Dave and the five remaining trolls that were not god tier (Karkat, Terezi, Kanaya, Sollux and a hog tied Gamzee) had joined the reset – even if it meant the trolls would be human this time around.

Jack Noir was long dead, killed by the tumor pulled to the Green Sun by Aradia.

She asked him why he stayed.

He told her he had to.

Vriska didn’t understand.

He tried to explain the situation as best he could. How they had figured out that the descendants of the kids had to meet him eventually, how it had to be him now and not a reset version of himself. He was the one who would tell them about the original session and what needed to be done. They had also decided it was best a God Tier player remained since time would not effect them as much as a mortal player.

John rambled about how he was scared of losing his friends because they would change, and how he wasn’t sure what to do now. He told her how he cried for days after the scratch and how he had thought she had died. How he had found out from a dream the Thief was alive, and got a visual of the area he needed to look. He had searched for days before finding her at the bottom of the water not breathing but still alive.

Vriska didn’t know what to do except to return John’s embrace. She felt alone because of things she did, but John – he was alone against his on violations. She apologized for how she acted, and apologized about his friends, and telling him she’d help him. She felt stupid for sobbing through the exchange, but couldn’t help it especially after he started crying as well.

She closed her eyes and they both sobbed against the other in what may have been hours. He broke the close contact and she looked up at him. This alien human boy who she understood so well, but didn’t understand at all. His eyes said the same back to her.

Together they asked the other not to let them be alone, then stared at one another waiting for whatever was next. They were both too young to be saddled with the weight on their shoulders.

She didn’t know when they kissed, but she could feel his mind open to hers.

They were swimming. Drowning in the closeness of the other.

A friendship set to last immortally.

[Megafire]

Kismesis: the Snake: Loyalty is up on AO3.

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Okay, no more three letter words for Robras. Goddamn autocorrect and my laziness for not shutting it off.

Other than that, yeah, Egnaro and Vorron are basically having a 'who can be the biggest asshole' competition at the moment.

[crash826]

YET ANOTHER BLOODSWAP, part uno

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-- antipodeCollider[AC] began trolling capturingAnarchist[CA] --

AC: 88) < hey eri-dude! 88D
CA: oh heey
AC: 88) < what’2 kickin’?
AC: 88) < what’2 up with my choicest buddy??
CA: neep
CA: I appreeciate your frieendlineessss but you reeally havee to sstop talkin likee that
AC: 88) < my 2peech i2 the coole2t 2peech.
AC: 88) < you don't even know, bro.
CA: okay look
CA: it wass cool likee tweenty-threeee ssweeeepss ago
CA: now
CA: it’ss jusst ssad
AC: 88) < you’re one to talk, mr. virtual chick2. >8>8|
CA: touchee
CA: but you deefiniteely don't lissp
AC: 88) < but my CHARACTER doe2.
AC: 88) < and I am 2o good at 2taying in character.
AC: 88) < the BE2T.
CA: yeeah yeeah
CA: thee audieencee at homee doeessn't neeeed to know about your RP sshit
AC: 88) < you could not be more wrong, dudeski.
CA: leet'ss geet off thiss ssubjeect
CA: i meean I don't talk to you about my dating ssimss or my lovee lifee
AC: 88) < uh, yeah, you do. 88/
CA: weell I talk about it leessss
AC: 88) < no, you talk about it con2tantly. e2pecially the first one.
AC: 88) < bro, you're just too caught up with virtual chick2.
AC: 88) < never 2earching for a real one!
AC: 88) < 2ound2 like a bad TV 2how.
CA: comee on neep sstop
AC: 88) < what are you doing with the Feferi 2itch?
AC: 88) < have you worked your rad magichi2mo on her?
AC: 88) < the old eridan chick-wizardry? ||>
CA: okay sshut up neep
AC: 88) < or did you just 2quish your little portable grubbing device and pretend?
AC: 88) < “ooh mr. ampora ooh”
AC: 88) < “my pixel2 long for your electronic fakey fake fake touch”
AC: 88) < “enter ‘KI22 GIRL’ into the game par2er, you fool”
CA: for thee lovee of gog sshut up neep
AC: 88) < fine, ya old drag. 88P
CA: sso why aree you trollin mee anyway
AC: 88) < Oh! 88O
AC: 88) < I got a ton of junk code or 2omething from that total weird2ville kiddo with the 2pooky crud.
AC: 88) < and long 2tory 2hort
AC: 88) < it i2 now a totally rad game!
CA: okay
CA: sso what doeess thiss havee to do with mee
AC: 88) < 88o weeeeeell…
AC: 88) < I thought you might want to play!
AC: 88) < we’re all getting into team2 and playing again2t each other.
CA: what no
CA: you’ree cool eenough neep
CA: but ssomee of theessee guyss aree jusst pssycho
AC: 88) < well, you can ju2t make u2 that much more choice!
AC: 88) < come onnn, eridannn! XXO
CA: …
CA: finee
CA: but only beecaussee you askeed
AC: 88) < Radical! 88D
AC: 88) < 2o I gue22 I’ll 2ee you later, bro!
CA: ssure
CA: sseeee you lateer

-- antipodeCollider[AC] ceased trolling capturingAnarchist[CA] --

-- antipodeCollider[AC] began trolling capturingAnarchist[CA] --

AC: 88) < "and I will leave my power up2 on"
AC: 88) < "OOH MR AMPORAAAAA"
CA: dammit

-- antipodeCollider[AC] ceased trolling capturingAnarchist[CA] --

A/N

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You just KNOW Mustard Nepeta owns a pinball machine, and plays it all the time.
Might follow this up, might not!

[SkaianRedeemer]

@ceruleanTresses: Still really enjoying this!

@Mayor: Yup, I can see it.

@Doodled: this commant dunp goes into... FOREVVER

@anonymousComrade: Loved how the "player" kept losing track of the plot. "Is he someone who still exists?" Great.

@ProspitDreamer: Afraid I haven't read Early because I've had my fill of AUs for now, but as for What It Takes that was adorable. I guess you'll have to get to that plot later!

[anonymousComrade]

@Stormrunner: welp, I ship John/Vriska now

I hope you are happy with yourself

[ProspitDreamer]

Thanks, SkaianRedeemer ^_^ Sometimes a thing just makes you write it and you don't have a choice : P

Got this idea based on the first result of a generator posted on the MSPA forums. Vriska Sekret/John Egbert – Swimming.

Where Storm does silly mushy stuff at the end because she can't think of possibly write a better ending.

Swim and Drown

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As she tumbled down through the empty space of the meteor she realized that this was the end and she would die alone.

John had been her last hope of a real friend, but he hated her now. And, even if he didn’t, John would soon forget her – the Scratch would see to that.

She supposed the Scratch could be a chance to try and work everything out with him – start from the beginning – but it wasn’t worth it to her. Her trust in him had faded. That, and she didn’t want a different John as her friend, she wanted this one. He would be different after the reset.

When he told her to leave him alone and that he hated her, she had just been rejected by Kanaya. She was so enraged she didn’t even check where in the time line she trolled the Heir of Breath when she cursed him out and threatened to kill him. She immediately regretted it, and was glad he would not remember it properly.

She tried to contact him again later in his time line after his initial hate rant hoping he had calmed down. It seemed however, that his thoughts about her had only gotten worse. She had told him everything that happened between Tavros, Aradia, Terezi and herself, so she had thought he was alright with it. She trusted him with her deepest regrets – and he thrust them back on to her due to things his friend had told him about her second hand from Terezi.

The fall felt as if it was going on forever. Noir had ripped her wings out broken her glasses and cast her into this pit. She wondered if it even had a bottom.

Thoughts went through her mind quickly, her life in flashes, and she began to cry. Everything was her fault – she should have told John about his guardian once she knew how John felt about his dad. She should have been nicer to her friends on Alternia despite the stupid hemospectrum. She should have done a lot of things, but now it was only regrets.

It felt as though every bone in her body would break when she hit the icy water at the center of the meteor. Her hair and limbs lifted upward due to the pressure of the impact.

She couldn’t move and she couldn’t see. Blind, cold, and wet – the worse way to die.

She regained some feeling in her limbs but didn’t even try to swim to the surface. She might have, if she knew how to swim at all. Because of Eridan being her pirate partner she had never really had to learn.

She could feel the water filling her lungs and her breaths became harder to come by, the pain was excruciating. This was the worst way to die, it was taking forever and the pain wouldn’t go away.

She closed her eyes when her back hit the bottom of the pool and hoped it would end soon.

~~~

After what seemed like forever she felt a pull on her body. She was so tired and in so much pain she just didn’t care anymore. She must have been in what humans referred to as Hell.

The pull grew rather insistent and she was shaken a few times, but refused to open her eyes. She didn’t want to imagine the horrors she would see.

She was pulled out of the water as suddenly as she had hit it. The water in her lungs came out in a rush before the water and bile from her stomach purged itself.

She coughed and finally opened her eyes.

Looking down she could see a black inkiness that she assumed was the water she was in, and she was suspended above it by some force.

She looked around her before turning toward a face beside hers. A pale human face.

Vriska tried to say John’s name but it only came out as a rasping noise. He just shook his head and pulled her to a platform nearby and laid her on the cold slab of rock.

She shuddered involuntarily, the cold was getting to her more then it had in the water. A large blanket was draped over her and tucked against her sides. Vriska looked over to John and tried to say something else, but he only put a finger over her lips and then gently pulled down her eyelids. She took that as an indication she should sleep, so she did.

~~~

Vriska jumped out of the water with her eyes closed. She smiled as she listened for the faint sound of breathing or at least a movement of water. Her nostrils flared at the smell of chlorine around her.

Slowly she stepped forward and heard a movement to her right. She dived that way but missed.

Pulling herself from the water again she shook her head to clear her ears. She pushed her hair off her face before listening again.

This time her target was closer, much closer then she thought he would get to her in this game.

She smirked and dived for him again and they both went tumbling into the deep end of the pool.

Vriska opened her eyes. They stung for a moment from the salt in the water getting in her goggles but she didn’t mind. The fish that swam around her in schools were quite a sight to see and she didn’t want to miss it.

A squeeze on her hand made her look toward the person holding it.

John held out a camera to her and she shook her head. She could barely swim let alone take a picture and keep herself mobile.

The boy gave her a smirk before grabbing her by the waist and holding her up. He held the camera to her again. This time she took it and began to take pictures of the wonders around her.

The birds flew over head as she snapped photo after photo. This place was magnificent.

Someone laughed behind her and she turned to see John stripped down to his swimming trunks.

Vriska licked her lips and smiled. He did some of the goofiest things sometimes. She looked down at herself. Then again she was in a bathing suit herself.

She sat her camera near their bags and walked up to him.

He grabbed her hand and started running toward the fresh water pool. The waterfall got louder as they got closer. He grabbed her and flew up before diving them both into the water.

The water was everywhere and Vriska could see no bottom or top to it, it seemed to be never ending and she got dizzy at the prospect.

John came up in front of her and smiled before swimming off a distance.

Vriska remembered she couldn’t swim, but for some reason she was following him with great ease. She relaxed as she realized she did know how to swim, it was just her silly imagination telling her she couldn’t.

She followed John into an underwater cave, and as he swam up so did she. The light at the top of the water heaven sent to her lungs.

She breached the water and took a breath.

~~~

John pulled her into a sitting position as she woke up.

Vriska panicked and looked at her hands-troll hands not human ones. This was wrong all wrong. She was living a nightmare. She shook her head in an erratic manner. She just wanted to sleep again and go back to her dreams.

She then began wondering out loud why she wasn’t dead, what was wrong with her? Noir had killed her right? Why was she still alive?

The Thief heard John saying something about immortality and heroic or just deaths. She yelled out something about being a hero, and he retorted that she went after Jack to die and get away from everything.

Vriska was going mad, she tore at her hair and cried out in frustration. She couldn’t die going after Noir, all the hopes had been a lie. She held herself as she sobbed. The pain had been worse then death, and being shown a life she couldn’t have even worse.

She heard John say something about her wings growing back, but she didn’t give a damn. She growled and swiped at him all the while asking him what the justice in immortality was. She yelled how she would rather die then endure anything in this life anymore – let alone forever! No body cared about her no one!

John pulled her into a tight embrace and told her that wasn’t true and that he cared.

Vriska tried to struggle free of his grip but she was still too weak. She told him not to lie, that he hated her, and to leave her alone.

The Heir had replied that he was not lying, and he understood everything. That he had slept and talked to his dad, and that everything was fine. He wasn’t angry at her anymore.

She shoved at him harder. She didn’t want to hear this, she didn’t want anything to do with what he was saying. She was angry and she was scared of the implications.

Vriska yelled at him to go back to his Scratch and just forget about her.

He softly told her the Scratch was already said and done, and the earth session of Sburb was already reset. He had traveled alone to the trolls session not long before it, so that in the future he could help those in the next earth session remember. Jade, Rose, Dave and the five remaining trolls that were not god tier (Karkat, Terezi, Kanaya, Sollux and a hog tied Gamzee) had joined the reset – even if it meant the trolls would be human this time around.

Jack Noir was long dead, killed by the tumor pulled to the Green Sun by Aradia.

She asked him why he stayed.

He told her he had to.

Vriska didn’t understand.

He tried to explain the situation as best he could. How they had figured out that the descendants of the kids had to meet him eventually, how it had to be him now and not a reset version of himself. He was the one who would tell them about the original session and what needed to be done. They had also decided it was best a God Tier player remained since time would not effect them as much as a mortal player.

John rambled about how he was scared of losing his friends because they would change, and how he wasn’t sure what to do now. He told her how he cried for days after the scratch and how he had thought she had died. How he had found out from a dream the Thief was alive, and got a visual of the area he needed to look. He had searched for days before finding her at the bottom of the water not breathing but still alive.

Vriska didn’t know what to do except to return John’s embrace. She felt alone because of things she did, but John – he was alone against his on violations. She apologized for how she acted, and apologized about his friends, and telling him she’d help him. She felt stupid for sobbing through the exchange, but couldn’t help it especially after he started crying as well.

She closed her eyes and they both sobbed against the other in what may have been hours. He broke the close contact and she looked up at him. This alien human boy who she understood so well, but didn’t understand at all. His eyes said the same back to her.

Together they asked the other not to let them be alone, then stared at one another waiting for whatever was next. They were both too young to be saddled with the weight on their shoulders.

She didn’t know when they kissed, but she could feel his mind open to hers.

They were swimming. Drowning in the closeness of the other.

A friendship set to last immortally.

*squeaks from cuteness*

I already shipped John/Vriska. Now I ship it harder.

[SkaianRedeemer]

So like, remember this? Remember when I posted this, and then it disappeared? Well we still can't work that out, but Lexxy did say that I could post this without most of the original censoring! Only one line of Karkat's, and Kanaya's immediate response to it, are cut in this version now.

A Hand in Holding Hands
Part 14b Again (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, recap1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11a, 11b, 12, recap2, 13, 14a)

This has already been on A03 for a week, just so we're clear. Sorry about that.

--Censored Version--
While there are less cuts than I said in Thread V thanks to our local moderator, there is still one cut line in this version compared to the A03.

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Rose woke only a few moments later, though did so only to silence and a leering Troll face.

"Hi Rose," Terezi said, her smile not breaking even when she tapped Rose twice on the nose with the red-bloody tip of her cane. Rose tastes the now-putrid taste of Gusher still lingering in her mouth. "How many fingers am I holding up?" Terezi asked, raising her blurry free hand.

It was three, but Rose was having trouble getting that information from her eyes to her mind. "I… I don’t… what?"

Terezi immediately slapped her. "How many fingers this time?"

"Well it’s not going to be any easier now!" Rose snapped, trying to force herself to a sitting position only for Terezi to slam her back to the ground.

"…oh," Terezi said, mindless of her own actions. "Do Humans not get more focused when you’re in pain?"

Somewhere in the distance, Rose heard Jade's voice. "No!"

And Terezi began to chuckle. "Oh. Heh, sorry Dave."

Dave answered, though he sounded sort of busy while he was saying it. "Yeah, it explains a lot, doesn’t it?"

At the sound of his voice, Rose realized what direction it was coming from. "…Gamzee!" she shouted and lurched up again. Terezi grabbed her hard and pinned her down a second time. "…Where are my wands?" Rose asked instead. She could smell it. Rubber and meat. She could smell rubber and meat.

Terezi outright laughed. "Not with you!"

Rose looked to her left and realized she was on the transportalizer in the main lab, head facing toward Kanaya's side of the room. The others were all standing about, looking at her or toward the horn pile, where she saw John working for a moment. She could not see past him but she could see Gamzee's arm, or what she thought was. Purple-black. John shifted him and she was sure. Something purple-black sticking out near where his shoulder should be. He was conscious, and he smiled up at John and then to her.

"Oh… heya gally," he said, before Rose's view was cut off by a boot.

"HOW THE HELL LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TALKING TO THEM?" Karkat dropped down next to the platform and grabbed her face, slamming her head to the ground once for good measure. "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PUTTING EVERY SINGLE FUCKING PERSON IN THIS BUILDING AT RISK FOR YOUR OWN GODDAMMED JOLLIES?"

Voices. The faces of the God flickered past Rose's vision in pain, and worse: a hissing voice in the back of her mind. Karkat's voice was breaking, like Eridan's and Tavros' and Vriska's before him. While the others had passed in time, Karkat's was fresh and new and the undercurrent hiss spoke to her of hunter and death. Karkat had her surrounded all at once, and her body screamed that it could not move and its back was against the wall. She began to hyperventilate again.

And more voices, voices that immediately spoke out against Karkat. Rose was able to make out Terezi best of all, since she was still sitting on her chest. "Hands off my prisoner," she said, and was the one to free her face from Karkat, a little more indignantly than just out of procedure. Kanaya was the one that pulled him off of her entirely, and Jade who pulled her off of him. Dave came in their wake, looking haggard but alert. Rose did not know what was going on any more.

"Gamzee," she sputtered. Dave shrugged, and Rose's breath was cut short again. Something primal cut through her confusion as the scene moved on around her. A little voice, an impulse at the back of her mind, spoke up with the only clarity she had left. Dave keeps me safe, it said. In better days it just a fact in her brain, a memory outlining his patrol, normally bundled with Aradia. Dave and Aradia keep us safe. But Aradia was not there, and this little line was all Rose had in sanity. "Dave," she repeated. "…help."

From his crouched position, Rose could see over the top of her friend's shades, and saw scared red eyes beyond, but he nodded. "Pyrope," he said. "Truce?"

Terezi looked about. "Yeah, okay," she said. She jumped to her feet and lifted Rose up with her. She was already one step away before Rose spoke again.

"Not the trans… not the…"

"Of course we're not using the stupid transportalizer," Terezi said ash she hefted Rose to her shoulder. "Come on." Up ahead of them, Dave started toward the main door. They passed so close to Gamzee, but Dave made a point of interposing himself as Terezi led the way out. Instead, Rose had to settle for Kanaya. She looked like she was waiting for Karkat to make another move, to tear his arm off, but her eyes were not watching Karkat, like they were going to cry. But she stayed. Terezi looked up at her and she stayed.

"Where the hell are you going?" Karkat shouted at them, and Terezi laughed again.

"INT3ROGAT1NG THE PR1SON3R!"

Rose felt the eyes on her as she left, and even felt the tickle of Vriska's mind on her own, but Vriska had never been able to probe further than that. It smelled so awful, even into the hall. Rose shut her eyes in a flaccid attempt to shut out the scent, and she let Terezi guide her into the hall and duck down into the access tunnels.

"S-shut the hatch," Rose pleaded once they were all in. Dave did so as requested and they pressed on. At the first ladder it seemed like they had given up, but Rose found the strength to climb it unassisted. She was surprised it was even there, but the weakness was self-imposed and deep down she knew she could still climb. She asked that Dave go up first. Dave keeps me safe. She wanted him to be there when she got up.

"Ow," Terezi said as they passed down another nameless passage. "Have to excuse a poor blind girl, Rose, I've never been here before and it's really musty."

"I'm so sorry," Rose said. "I…" And then she stopped. She had to put out a hand to force Terezi to stop with her, but her legs were so tired. Her hand caught on a rusty beam and she slipped down, pulled up against the pipes that ran against the back wall and began to cry. "So sorry." The others exchanged glances and, Terezi first, sat down beside her.

"Gamzee?" Rose repeated as the words found their way back to her lips.

"John thinks he can replace the arm," Dave said. "He's got some weird ecto-healing plan he came up with Karkat that just might work. I mean, if he doesn't Equius probably can, but you know."

But Rose was not listening. "Oh god, I took off his arm. I… Oh no…"

Rose felt an arm on her back as she started to cry again. A small hand: Terezi's. She rubbed her back gently for a moment before pulling close, and Dave did the same. Her friends did not speak to her and certainly not to one another, but Rose felt snug held between them. She wiped her eyes and nose against her sleeve.

"Rose," Terezi said when it seemed that there was a break in the tears. "How long have you been talking to them?"

Terezi, her mind said, still confounded and lost. With Terezi, things are normal. "I don't know," she said honestly. "He shows up in the transportalizer."

"Ugh, of course," Terezi said. "That's why you kept avoiding them. I figured you were just being 3CC3NTR1C!" And she flashed a smile, and Rose felt a laugh in spite of herself.

"And today he was just there." Rose shook her head. "I hadn't seen him in weeks, and he was just there."

"Were you asleep?" Terezi asked.

"I don't know," Rose said honestly. "I mean, after he started talking to me, yes. He told me to kill Jack, that I couldn't do it without his help because we had been ignoring the game."

"Did he make Gamzee look like Jack?" Dave asked.

Rose clung closer to Terezi. Normal. She could speak here. "No. I was trying to kill him."

"Well," Terezi said, "Karkat will approve of that, if nothing else."

Rose buried herself closer to Terezi. "I'm so sorry," she choked out. "He's right, I put everyone at risk… 'm so sorry."

"Shh," said Dave, and adjusting his hand to account for her position, held her arm. So gentle. Thank god, so light. And Terezi, if reluctantly at first, held her firm as she needed.

"Do you have any idea why he just showed up?" Terezi asked, almost professionally. Rose shook her head.

"Well," said Dave. "There was a lot going on last night. I mean…" Flounder, recover, sweet catch: "…on the sensors."

"Dave," Terezi cut in. "I know."

"Oh," Dave said. He sheepishly pulled back in an attempt to recover his cool, but Terezi caught his arm and gently pulled it back to Rose, where she brushed it lightly with her fingertips as the only thank you she had the pride to give. Perhaps humbled, Dave began to give out some of the details of the night before. His story ended abruptly, after ten minutes or so when he got back to his feet.

"I'll have to leave you with that gripping, mutton-filled break for a bit," he said. "But I've run out of seeing-my-friends-and-girlfriend time and have to get to work. I'll send someone back to get you both out of here, if you want."

"Go," Terezi said, and Rose nodded. For a while, they were left alone there in the dark, before another sound called their attention and another friend approached.

"Dave needs to, I don't know, make a map to where he wants people to go instead of letting them get lost and stuff." John's head popped up by the nearby ladder. "Oh hey, there you are!"

Rose looked up at him, breathless, but her mind was still too fogged. It was Terezi who had to ask the obvious question. "John," she said only as a cursory greeting. "Gamzee?"

"He's okay," John said at once, and Rose felt tears slipping out onto poor Terezi out of sheer relief. Terezi reached up a hand to John, who took it in surprise and got a squeeze from the Troll girl for his efforts. "Kanaya had to amputate, though, but it's going to be okay!" He clapped his hands together and rubbed them with the fervour of the mad scientist Rose used to tease him that he would become. "We're going to have a new arm cooked up for him in no time! Right now he's got his best friend bitching him back to health in the proud Troll medical tradition, but— H-hey Rose."

Rose clung her arms around John's neck, still crying. John's my leader. If I trust him… it will be okay. It was childish, but childish things were so much easier to grasp. John broke out of the hug and cupped Rose's face.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She shook her head. "Dave says you were trying to attack the bad guy. I don't really blame you for that."

"You believe me?" she asked.

"We all believe you!" he insisted, but Rose did not believe him even as lost as she was. Terezi changed the subject quickly, perhaps detecting John's utter inability to lie for long.

"Can we see him?" she asked.

John hesitated. "I… don't see why not."

Rose did not much remember the visit to Karkat's ecto laboratory after the fact. Almost everyone else was there, but Rose was not prepared to count. She knew that Dave was not there, or Kanaya. Everyone looked up at her cautiously as she came, worst of all Nepeta, who hid behind Equius. Jade came up to hug her, she remembered, and Karkat was silent and Rose was not listening. The only speaker she remembered was Gamzee.

"Hey Rosie," he had said. He had burns on his face, and the rest was covered in a blanket. There were things bubbling in nearby canisters. "You've got a good mad face but I think I'd prefer not to see it again, eh gally?" It was too much. John led her away, and she trusted him to make things okay.

"Do you want someone to stay with you?" he asked he settled her on her bed. Her things, which they had found dumped by her modus at the foot of Aradia's transportalizer, were gathered on her desk.

"No," Rose said. "Sleep."

"Okay," he said, and smiled at her, but as he headed through the door, he stopped. "Rose? I'm going to lock you in. It's no biggie, anyone will be able to let you out if you call."

"Yes," she said. "Yes you should."

It was surreal to undress and shower in her mood. Rose almost did not want to risk the latter, but she felt filthier than she could truly comprehend and it did what it could to help. Her mind turned to literature for analogues, but found no comfort. She soon curled up in bed with a soft shirt and panties and settled in. She did not look at her clock, too aware that it was only morning.

She woke some time later to the sound of voices at her door. She could not make them out and did not dare stare at the neon on the opposite side of her room to tell the time. She could identify Kanaya, outright screaming, and Karkat, screaming right back, and Jade and John and Dave. As her ears focused, she only picked up one thing of value.

"She was possessed!" It was Kanaya. Her voice, too, was moult-breaking, perhaps thanks to her utter fury. Rose heard her hiss behind her ear, cornering her like one of Nepeta's ratlings. Even Kanaya. Even her voice was a torment. "Isn’t that obvious?"

Karkat. "She was not fucking possessed, she said so herself! I want those things gone!"

"Karkat," John. "If Equius can't snap them, what do you want? Jack's destroyed the Forge."

"She should give them back!" Kanaya. "Don't you trust her?"

"You just trust her because she's your matesprit!" Kanaya hit the wall hard, but Karkat was not done. "You think I don't want to trust her? I trusted her and she blew my best friend's arm off!" Karkat said. "What the fuck do you want me to do?" Silence. "Huh, Kan?"

"…I want to see her," Kanaya said.

"Like hell."

I'm hot, Rose's body said, not interested in the shouting that followed. Her conscious mind, just as uninterested in something not related to survival, confirmed and agreed. Fever, it decided, or certainly enough like it. She kicked off her blankets and immediately fell back to sleep, undisturbed by dreams or voices: real, hissing or Horrifying.

When Rose woke up, she lay in one critical moment of silence where she did not remember what had happened before and simply existed in drowsy normalcy. In that way, sleep had done its job: when her memories came back, she was back in control. She reached up and checked her forehead, but her fever, if any, had passed. Relieved, she rolled over and briefly considered returning to sleep before she discovered that she was not alone.

"Kan," she whispered. At once she pinched her own arm, wanting to be sure this was really Kanaya and not the God again, but the pain was real and Kanaya smiled to her from the desk.

"…Hi," she said.

"Hi," Rose replied. She did everything she could to bury the echo that came to her, that undercurrent hiss. She reached down and pulled up a sheet from the foot of her bed, suddenly aware that she was under-dressed.

"Sorry about that," Kanaya said, and the noise was still there. "I realized you would not want to be disturbed." Stop it, Rose told her instinct as it squealed on about the predators voices surrounding it. This is Kanaya, she is not going to hunt me. Kanaya set down the book she was reading on the desk, next to the items from Rose's sylladex that were now neatly stacked in piles.

"It's all right," she said. "…Why are you here?"

"Because I trust you," Kanaya said. "And so do the rest of us." She reached over to the desk and picked something up. Rose could not help but notice her lipstick, clearly on display by the other side of the desk, functionally out of Kanaya's quick reach. Solemnly, Kanaya handed her the Thorns of Oglogoth.

"Wh—no!" Rose pulled back from the needlewands. "These should… Kanaya, these should be destroyed, Kanaya!"

"We tried," she said. "And failed. Your dark friend has seen to that. I said I wanted you to have them back. Many of the others agreed."

"Kan…" Rose said, breathless. "…No."

"Please, Rose," Kanaya said. "This is what we decided."

Rose shook her head. "Who…?"

"Myself," Kanaya started. "John, Dave, Jade, Terezi, Eridan—"

"Eridan!" Rose could not even imagine it. "Why?"

"He was very impassioned," Kanaya said. "Said he was already trusting you with his life so he could certainly trust you with 'a bunch of crazy advanced science sticks.'" Rose shook her head again, but Kanaya continued. "Equius seems to trust you as well, and Feferi, and Tavros."

"Tavros! But… his moirail! Kan." Rose's mind shifted, and she pushed aside the wands. "How's Gamzee?"

Kanaya looked for a moment like she was thinking, and Rose worried about her response at first, until she heard it. "He is… in a vat. I do not quite understand the procedure, though John tried his best to explain. Something about cloned stem cells and a number of game things I did not follow with my mastery limited to Space. John is monitoring him closely, but if anything goes wrong he has promised to allow us to proceed with a robotic arm at once. Either way… he is going to be all right."

Rose slumped back to bed, relief pouring over her like a wave, but when she looked up she remembered the wands.

"Why is no one mad at me?" she whispered.

"Several people are mad at you," Kanaya said. "I never said otherwise. You didn't tell us about these frequent visits from your tormentor, and Karkat in particular is furious. But he has calmed down. As a matter of fact, I got my first 'Are we still friends?' plead today, after he accused us of…" Kanaya coughed. "Well, suffice to say you missed an excellent show."

Kanaya leaned in. "What I said was that they trust you. The only votes against you were from Aradia and Karkat, for strictly technical reasons. Urm…" Kanaya shrugged. "And Vriska. She was trying to spite Eridan, though, I think. As I said, he was adamant."

"Why not give them to someone else?" Rose asked, though somehow knowing that her friends would not have ignored such a simple solution.

"Because as loath as I am to lay this on you, we believe you may be our best defence against your tormentor," Kanaya said, and while Rose could appreciate her honesty, the rock in her stomach was not getting any smaller. "While you have proven susceptible to this 'Terror in the past, we realize that the risk that the fifteen of us could easily be worse is be very high. There is an ugly fear that Feferi may have been seeded for this purpose via her Lusus, though we did… not exactly broach the subject in front of her."

The wands were made of carved oak, Rose saw. She had never bothered to look at them before. They had so quickly become absorbed into her plan that they had become common and normal, just like her tormentor would have wanted, no doubt. Lines were wrapped about them, carved like tentacles and thorny brambles at once. "He wants me to… open the universe," Rose explained, the words slipping out. "Anyone could do that, though it'd probably kill them. If… If Terezi hadn't hit me…" Kanaya did not react, which Rose found impossible. How could she know this, if Rose had not known it herself until this very moment? Dave? Dave seemed the best answer. If she had already done this, for some external reason, he might have already had to clean up after her. An uncomfortable feeling began to well up as she considered the possibility until it seemed like an almost certainty. Rose imagined the bramble carvings writhing under Kanaya's hands. She would have to speak to Dave, and soon.

Kanaya again raised the wands towards Rose. "Rose, these are terrible things, but… they are a gift from your allies. Please. I know you'll keep them safe."

The echo, that sound that spoke in Kanaya's voice and frightened Rose on such a primal level, was like a shriek in context with the wands. Voices and dark magic. Rose had had her fill of them. But Kanaya held out her hand firm, and what could Rose do if not trust her? She sighed, but she reached out a hand. Please, she prayed, to she could not imagine who or what, don't let me regret this.

And she took back the wands. Kanaya smiled to her, as reassuring as she could be, and then handed her back the items from her sylladex, one by one, until it was buried once more. It became a routine, over the hundreds of items she had to replace, to take them mechanically from Kanaya such that when the last was placed, she did not notice until Kanaya reached out and took her hands instead.

"Now," she said, "I think a walk would do you well."

And it did. Except for a dismal moment where Rose insisted to Kanaya that the lock be kept on her room during the night, Rose changed in private and headed out with her girlfriend to lead her. Many of the others were back in the lab when they returned.

"Rose," said a tiny voice. She looked down and saw Nepeta on all fours below her, playing with a small stuffed toy. All sign of the damage to the horn pile nearby had been removed, and Rose could not help but notice that Nepeta had stuffed a number of stuffed toys under it to inflate its size. Kneeling, Rose sat down before her and waited for some response, only to be overblown as Nepeta tackled her with a hug. "I was so scared!" she sniffed. "I know you didn't do it," she said. "I know… Jade says you didn't do it. Equius says you didn't do it. Karkat says you're—"

"'Negligent,'" said the man himself. "Hey moron."

Rose looked him in the eye. "C'mon, Karkat. I deserve more than that."

"Like hell," he said. "I know the difference between fucked over and fucked in the head, now that I've… thought about it." He harrumphed, not even passing off the blame to his past self. Nepeta gave Rose another squeeze. "But if you so much as smell this guy I want a full report first damned thing, you understand? If you talk to anyone but me or Egbert first I'll have your tongue."

"Yes sir," Rose said.

"…Day off for work," Karkat said. "I'll see you first fucking thing in the morning, of course." Rose nodded. She could not believe it.

She could still not believe it when they went to the ecto lab. Eridan was there when she arrived, to support Tavros as he waited by Gamzee's side. The lab was quiet, except for Tavros, who was softly reading a story to Gamzee from a book. "I hear you're my champion," Rose said sheepishly as Eridan approached.

"Bah," was all he had to say. "I was just backing up Kan is all."

"You really…" Rose tried to remember Kanaya's exact phrasing. "You really trust me with your life?"

"What?" Eridan was confused, perhaps even a little angry. "What do you call this shit with me and Vris? Because if you don't have my fucking back, Roz, I swear…"

Rose smiled to him, genuinely like she had never done in her auspisticeship, and hugged him. "…Thank you," she whispered. "I don't deserve it."

"Fuck, there's no sense in arguing that," he said. "… 's just silly."

"How's Gamzee?" Rose asked after a time. She could see him, floating there in the vat of strange fluid mixed with a light but colourful touch of sopor slime, dressed in a bathing suit from who-knew-where and a breathing mask. His arm was already half grown back, if Rose understood it, and she began to wonder just what time of day it actually was. If it was just the afternoon, like she seemed to think, John had done remarkable work. She even admired the setup. John would have appreciated any Star Wars comparisons, so she intended to make them, secretly hoping there'd be some way to work the Christmas Special into conversation since she knew that was his favourite.

"I think he's gonna be okay," Tavros said, his eyes not actually leaving his moirail. "Thanks for, uh, coming Rose. I know he'd appreciate it."

"Tavros," Rose said, "this is never going to happen again, I swear I will not let it happen."

He smiled. "Aw, I know that, Rose. I know you wouldn't hurt him for real." Rose looked up at their suspended friend and wondered that same thing over in her mind. Through the translucent plastic of the mask, Rose noticed that even in unconsciousness, Gamzee was grinning like an idiot.

"I don't deserve this," she told Kanaya later that night. She was smiling again, and had even been laughing with Jade before they had separated at the transportalizer.

"It was never your fault," Kanaya insisted. "What more can I say?"

"Nothing," Rose said. She sat next to Kanaya on her bed and kissed her cheek. The echoing hiss on Kanaya's voice was worse at this private volume, but Rose was already ignoring it. It was her girlfriend's voice. If this is how it has to sound for the next few weeks, Rose was not going to hide from it. She pulled closer, ready to dive into it. "T-thank you."

Though they sat in silence for a time, the couple soon began to talk, and things were almost wonderful. Rose honestly believed that if Gamzee was back among them, she would feel all but free. There would still be guilt to work off, but she was as happy as she could have hoped, considering. Kanaya nestled up against her.

An errant question drew Rose's attention to the book Kanaya had been reading when Rose had woken up. It was one of the books Rose had hoisted on her in the past, and they soon began an eager discussion. As they began to discuss the early story, Kanaya kissed Rose casually on her cheek. When it was Kanaya's turn to talk, Rose felt well obliged to return it and followed with another towards her ear. When they turned to the second chapter, which was markedly dull but important to the plot, Kanaya settled in on Rose's shoulder. From there, she would stroke her cheek or arm, or kiss her lightly from time to time. In a pause in the discussion, Rose turned about completely and nuzzled her nose against her girlfriend's.

"You've been so wonderful today," she said. "All of you have been wonderful, but you…" She felt Kanaya's breath tense on her lips. "…I can thank you." Rose had planned on kissing her, she wanted to, but some hesitation or cowardice pulled her aside, emotionally and physically. Instead, she planted a kiss just to the side of Kanaya's lips and began to trail them down her neck. If Kanaya had detected the sudden change in plans, she did not well reply, and rather gave a happy murmur as Rose kissed her in the curve of her neck, as she might well have predicted.

Somehow, the conversation continued. Rose supposed they honestly did want to talk about the book on some level. It was not a cover for what they were doing as much as it was a parallel activity. They were still eagerly discussing characterization when Kanaya drew a finger down Rose's side, errantly to her waist, cold fingers warming against her skin where her shirt was cut too short, but going no further than to just that far. There was still a line, a strict and even dangerous line that neither of them would dare cross, and they approached so warily and preoccupied in simple things that it seemed they might never know where to find it, but that was the wonderful game. Their whispered conversation assured that Rose was haunted by the undercurrent whisper at all times, and despite her fantasies it never became a welcome force, enwrapping her in "Kanaya." She ignored it, and its pestilent tearing at her primal instinct. Besides, Kanaya was well enough obliged to hold her on her own, pressed to the bed and one another.

The feel was surreal, as they never admitted what they were doing in conversation. The closest they came was when Rose whispered Kanaya's name involuntarily as her girlfriend kissed her just behind the ear. Kanaya left not long after that. It was late, and technically the book had run out of its topics long before, and they out of excuses. Their lips had never touched; their hands never more than brushed bare skin. While Rose would not have stopped for the world while she was there, after Kanaya had said goodnight she was left with her thoughts and emotions, wondering what on earth had just happened. Contrary to what had just passed, Rose could not shake old feelings of guilt and cold that snuck up from the morning, certainly, and wished Kanaya was back, so they could speak about it. Unfortunately, Rose suspected that if Kanaya returned, conversation and psychology would not be on their mind. The room seemed suddenly musty, enclosing, and Rose took to her feet, feeling it would be best to step out to get some fresh air.

As she explored Aradia's section of the lab, she passed by the transportalizer. She almost wished she could use it, re-embrace the old days and see the face of Dave's late older brother to taunt her again about Lust like some old, forgotten childhood crush given demonic teeth. But she knew she would never again see the simple seven sins personified. She knew that the game between her and the Outer God had changed, forever, like so much else.

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While writing this, I was enjoying the rough mental picture of Aries as a big, multi-legged, fluffy Arceus. I think that says more about me than I really like.

So who forgot about the Troll's undercurrent hiss? I forgot, that's certainly who. So now it's temporary, instead of being a permanent thing like I had originally planned. I'll probably work it into a few more chapters while colouring them just so it doesn't pop up suddenly in this chapter like it does, same with the False Derse. I'm sorry, I'm actually kind of sloppy over here!

I finish this chapter with much trepidation (apparently justified. Hey look at me, it's a week and a half with no updates!), because it means I'm bearing down on the dreaded 16/A03 18. The forum crowd knows I look on 16 like "a nut that needs to be cracked" because it's... well, complicated. There's so much left to do before then, and only three chapters (two of The Dargon Arc) to use to buy time without looking like I disappeared off the Internet. Like fruit carts. The intermediary chapters are like fruit carts to throw before my, uh, pursuers. I think it's time to stop writing, maybe. My metaphors are broke.

[Doodled]

GEEZ, Skaian! Can you not be awesome for just one day?

Wow...

Awesome work right there!

Also...

There are currently 500 fan-fictions on AO3 right now...

[SkaianRedeemer]

There are currently 500 fan-fictions on AO3 right now...

Whoa, hey, look at that! Congrats to Lantadyme!

[Nox]

The Long Wait: 1/3

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Eternity is boring. This was a lesson Vriska had learned well over the... over a very long time.

She sighed and gave up her attempt to count the atoms in the planetary ring she floated above. She could count them with blinding speed and flawless accuracy, and it would still take her about 2.7 years to finish. She didn't feel like going any farther with it, and she had only been going for eight months.

Once upon a time that number eight would have been special to her, but like everything else superficial from her old life it had been worn away. All that remained was her core, the distilled essence of what was and is Vriska. Not Vriska Serket, or Vriska the troll, or arachnidsGrip, or Marquise Spinneret Mindfang, or even Vriska the goddess.

She was just Vriska. THE Vriska.

Thinking about herself like that, she found herself mentally going back to the beginning as she often did. Even if it was only the smallest fraction of her history, it was without a doubt the most important.

The troll and human sessions became one in the end to facilitate the birth of the new universe. The remnants of the two teams flat-out refused to use the scratch or destroy the Green Sun once they learned what that would mean. Instead they found a way to initiate a partial scratch to make it so English never got into the universe to begin with...nor would he ever get into the new universe. It was a good plan, but it meant that they had to fight Noir directly.

That was the hardest fight of their lives. Even with partial suppression of his connection to Green Sun via JadeSprite's power and Rose's spells, he was still six times the strength of a God Tier. And they only had three. It was a fight that pushed them all to their limits, and for many beyond it. Nepeta perished when she blocked a blast meant for Karkat. Kanaya and Jade both died when they got too close, but managed to lock Jack in space so he could not teleport around anymore. And John...

John saved them all. He froze the bastard in place with Fear no Anvil after it was supercharged with Dave and Aradia's time power and Vriska's own luck. That gave her the opening she had needed to roll my new dice, the Devil's Luck, and roll a perfect string of Eight 8's. John took a sword through the torso right before the hammer connected, however. And that met the requirement for a God Tier death.

They had won, a new universe that English could never touch was born. But the price had been high. It took a long time to get over the loss, and it would be one of their greatest regrets. But at last they entered the door of a merged symbol with sixteen squares upon it, ten of which were dimmed.

And they beheld their creation.

When they passed through the door, all the remaining players gained a power like that of a god tier, minus the immortality. Thus the six came to set the nature of the universe into it's new order so it could grow and thrive. Trolls and humans both existed on many worlds, but so spread apart in the massive expanse that none would ever meet. They figured this was for the best, the thought of the two being at each others throats didn't sit well with either of them.

Other races lived in this universe, in all shapes and sizes. It was beautiful and diverse, and just went on and on forever. Sadly four of the six would not be able to see it all. Dave, Rose, Karkat, and Terezi had lived for about 4,130 years before their bodies finally gave up the ghost and they died. They were not God Tier, and were afforded only so much time.

They knew when their time was up, could feel it coming. It actually was a happy time, since at that point all of them felt like they had overstayed their welcome. In fact after so long the only thing the six of them found sad was that two of them would not be following.

Vriska and Aradia then had the issue of what to do with their time. Apparently being a god lost it's novelty after a while. Neither of the two could die, although not for lack of trying at times.

They had even set up what was to be a final confrontation on a world full of myth and magic. The clash between two goddesses, one good and one evil, ending in a double-death SHOULD have let them both die at last. But apparently neither of them could die at all now. Beating the game had raised them up even higher, and if they could die it was not by any means they had.

Over what must have been around seven billion years by now, they had done...well, everything. Literally everything, this is not an exaggeration. They had been the greatest of heroes and the darkest of monsters in many worlds. They fell in love with each other, broke up, became moirails, then developed hate for each other, and so on. They had actually made up extra quadrants just so they could play around in them. Vriska had even auspistice'd between Aradia's past and future selves when she started arguing with herself to pass the time.

They were good and they were evil, or both or neither or something else all together. They went insane, went sane, redefined what sanity was and then went crazy all over again. It never ended.

They did everything together, and everything apart. So much changed about them they were all but unrecognizable from who they once were if not for the distilled core of what was the Vriska and the Aradia.

And through it all, they fought the never-ending fight against boredom.

Vriska shook her head, then realized she had not seen Aradia in nearly ten years now. It was not that long a time, but she might as well check in.

Vriska willed herself to know the other god's location, which was approximately a third the length of the universe away. She was in a nebula just outside a black hole. Vriska briefly wondered if Aradia was trying to get a buzz by charging the singularity head-first again.

Figuring looking any closer without visiting in person, she folded the universe around her.

Then she was elsewhere.

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Notes: This is the first of a three-parter. I was gonna do it all at once, but this thing got to be just a touch longer then I planned, and I wanted some feedback before I went in with it.

Expect the next part in a day or so.

[Graven_Image]

That's pretty good. I like the part about going insane and sane again. I once read about an immortal character having gone all over the spectrum of good, evil, crazy, sane, chipper, depressed...

I like the concept of being an abyss of time. I just wouldn't want to be one myself.

[catastrophicGenesis]

...Oh hey more random altblood pesterlogs whatever.

...I don't even have a title for it.

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======>BE THE MUTANT TROLL

Your name is, as of today, FEFERI PEIXES. That's right, today is your 13th wriggling day, a day you have looked forwards to for a long time. It's also a day you weren't sure you'd ever see, due to your MUTANT BLOOD COLOUR. It sure was handy being friendly with those SEA-DWELLING TROLLS, especially the one who is the FUTURE EMPEROR.

Speaking of which, maybe you should talk to Eridan. It's not often you get the chance, between his feeding of his lusus and all the things he has to learn as the heir to the Alternian throne. Still, you need to ask him about THAT THING, so Trollian it is.

carefreeCephalopod [CC] began trolling captiveAutocrat [CA]

CC: }{ey~!
CA: fef
CC: W}{ere }{ave you been~?
CC: You're never online any more 8:O
CA: yeah I'm busy
CA: most of the time
CA: wwhat's up?
CC: Silly Eridan~!
CC: I just wanted to say }{ello~! 8:)
CC: And ask if Tavros }{ad spoken to you
CA: oh that
CA: yeah
CA: but i don't knoww if this is a good idea fef
CC: It doesn't matter if it's a good idea~!
CC: We }{ave to play t}{e game 8:/
CC: It's not an opcean~!
CC: Don't you talk to your lusus~?
CA: ...yeah
CA: just wwondered if there wwas a wway to stop this
CC: Nope~!
CC: Don't worry about it
CC: It'll all turn out fine~! 8:)
CA: hmm
CA: got to go
CA: being called again
CA: see you soon fef
CA: oh yeah
CA: happy wwriggling day

captiveAutocrat [CA] ceased trolling carefreeCephalopod [CC]

CC: 8:D You remembered~!

carefreeCephalopod [CC] ceased trolling captiveAutocrat [CA]

Well, that was a pretty good conversation. You understand his fears, of course, but... the Horrorterrors are pretty clear on this one. The game is already here, and if you don't play it, someone else will and then all your friends will be dead.

Speaking of friends, you guess maybe you should try that one friend again. You used to talk a lot seeing as he lives quite near you and you quite liked watching movies together, but he stopped pestering you a while ago, just after that FLARP accident. Stupid Karkat. 8:(

carefreeCephalopod [CC] began trolling calamitousGermination [CG]

CC: }{ey~?
CC: Karkat~?
CC: Come ooon~
CC: Talk to me 8:(
CC: I t}{oug}{t we were friends
CG: FEFERi
CG: WHY THE FUCK D0 Y0U KEEP PESTERING Me?
CC: Because~!
CC: We're supposed to be FRIENDS 8X(
CC: And you never let me come sea you anymore
CC: Or talk to me
CC: Or anyt}{ing 8:/
CC: Even t}{oug}{ you're being all friendly wit}{ Tavros
CC: And I like talking to you for some reason
CC: Liked 8:(
CC: Well, fine
CC: Be all alone and miserable
CC: Sea if I care~!
CC: I was going to ask if you wanted to be on the RED TEAM wit}{ me
CG: ...THAT'S 0KAy
CG: I D0N'T CARe
CG: I D0N'T CARE AB0UT MUCH ANYM0Re
CG: S0RRy 0_0
CC: You're not sorry at all~!
CC: Jerk~!
carefreeCephalopod [CC] ceased trolling calamitousGermination [CG]

Well, that went about as well as you expected, really. You probably should have left that conversation well alone.

You decide to leave Pesterchum alone for a while. Maybe in a bit you'll talk to your moirail. That usually cheers you up. Right now, though, you're going to go outside and sulk watch the ocean..

A/N

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...Yeah, it's basically shunting all the trolls one step over - bright red Fef, maroon Karkat, and heir apparent Eridan. Mostly bits of backstory for the Feferi I play elsewhere.

[Decker]

There are currently 500 fan-fictions on AO3 right now...

Whoa, hey, look at that! Congrats to Lantadyme!

Grats Lantadyme!
It's a great site, but I can't help but notice all the word porn that's popping up there all of a sudden.