Chapter Text
He'll be honest, Zhen and Xia's shocked faces are not what he was expecting, if he was expecting anything and perhaps kind of scare Karkat just a little-- only a little bit.
The only reason Karkat doesn't just balk from their reactions is that he's sitting, now nervous as he stumbles up to move closer to Zhen's recuperacoon, pendant gripped tightly but holding it out anyway. "I-I don't mind, if you hold it..," ultimately, Karkat is confused; why the fuss over his sign??
Zhen almost babbles, and Karkat would call her out on her panrot but she's too clear, despite rambling. Saying they were hatched under the same, green moon (which Karkat doesn't doubt, it's either pink or green), and they'd have the same sign; implying that his sign is so much more than it is, and Karkat doesn't know what to make of it.
Xia speculates that they very much could have been reversed, her being the blood mutant and Karkat being a caste that was wiped out.
Chitti makes a squee and a nervous chirr, probably picking up on Karkat not totally being at ease despite not knowing what was even going on, being petted and soothed at while Zhen looks over his pendant, turning to Xia; luck didn't even have much to do with anything.
Zhen continues, even saying such a thing as he's got an ancestor-- impossible --, and that there's history behind his own blood, not even swayed when Xia tries to have Zhen drop the subject.
Karkat is all ears for her to keep going it, more interested despite half the things she says feeling a little like there was at least some nonsense.
"..You....you're not being serious... are you??" he asks, feeling slightly dumbstruck, "I mean, I can't...I shouldn't have an ancestor..."
*
"But you do." Her smile stretches wide and sharp, and she drapes herself over the edge of her recuperacoon.
"Well, you did. He's dead. Very dead. When She decided She wanted him dead, all She had to do was snap Her fingers... and your Village Elder shot an arrow right into his pusher." Her smile is all teeth, but only for a moment.
Then, her shoulders drop, and she quietly hums.
"The Grand Highblood supported your ancestor. It wasn't like today, where we kidnap breeders; whenever they ran into each other, they courted. Flirted. The Grand Highblood won't ever say anything about it, won't say he ever laid eyes on your ancestor, but The Disciple's obsessive accounts say otherwise." She blinks her heavy lids, knowing this is hurting Karkat -- the truth is harming him -- but that's never stopped her, before.
"He disappeared for sweeps and sweeps after that. A lot of trolls thought he died. Some figured he was executed like a barkbeast -- because The Empress doesn't need two barkbeasts. She just needs the loyal barkbeast." She pauses, eyes glassy with -- something that isn't quite excitement, but agitation.
"There is nothing fair that The Executioner gets to live in a small, quaint village and pretend to repay his sins while all Indigobloods pay. While The Grand Highblood sleeps in tents like the rest of us, and lives uncomfortably -- I know he's your Elder, but there's nothing virtuous about him thinking he's righting some great wrong by hoarding you, hoarding breeders." She stands in her 'coon, slime dripping off her frail body.
"Did he forget?" She asks Karkat, eyes clearing.
"Did he forget that we aren't the monsters? That The Grand Highblood didn't loose the arrow that killed your ancestor? What right does he have to even draw breath?" When she snaps her fangs, Xia gets to her feet, forcing Zhen down into the slime.
"Enough!" She hisses, knowing Baizli's watching them, and Barzum's not shy about peeking over the lip of her recuperacoon.
"You're getting too worked up! You'll have an episode! Just lie back and go to sleep...!" The Indigoblood opens her mouth to protest, during which Xia immerses her in sopor slime.
For a moment, she struggles, but then her lungs fill with sopor, and she goes still, lids slowly falling shut.
Xia pulls her hands free, chirring to herself.
"I'm sorry." She flicks her hands into the cocoon, getting slime off her skin.
"If I knew this would happen, I wouldn't have asked. It was probably a rude question to begin with. Do you want to discuss it more, or...? I don't know as many details as Zhen. She's dedicated herself to books like a Tealblood. I'm also... not as upset about it. I'm barely upset that The Empress culled my entire caste. I'm too selfish, I guess, to really care about things like 'the bigger picture'." She turns to Karkat with clean hands.
"We can talk about something else, if you'd rather."
*
His mouth thins the more he hears, still disbelieving when Zhen says he has an ancestor-- there's no way. It's too coincidental, for there to be two mutants who are both Redbloods. Mutations come and go and show up in all kinds of ways, and while not impossible, the same mix can't be had twice like that, it just can't.
Zhen only goes on, and for Karkat she may as well be speaking in gibberish, for all that he doesn't understand anything she says, he doesn't know what to do with the information. On his shoulder, Chitti also seems to be fixed onto Zhen, but it's with a wariness, body bunched and clicking. Karkat doesn't recoil or move as she rises from the recuperacoon, slime trailing back down as her voice becomes almost frighteningly animated.
Xia ends up doing something, having had enough and saying as much, standing up to shove Zhen back into the slime. Karkat startling forward in concern when she pushes her into the slime, Zhen fully submerged and already fallen into sleep before he can do anything about it.
"..It's alright. I'm...not sure I even really understood all of what Zhen said..," not that none of it struck any kind of chord, because it did, Karkat just doesn't understand why.
Because it sounded like more of her accusing his village Elder, like another threat?
Perhaps, and perhaps it's something else.
"I don't even know what to be upset about, if I'm honest," Karkat laughs but the sound is short and halfhearted, "I've never had any notion that there might have been another Red mutant, so I'm....not sure yet how to process any of that, if I'm going to process it."
Chitti for the most part is calmer than before, but it refuses to untuck itself from Karkat's neck, Karkat faintly smiling before looking back to Xia, "I won't mind, if you want to talk about it some more. Though I'd rather know how you're doing. You didn't need to exert yourself like that. Even if it's to say things like that, I like knowing that Zhen's at least clear enough to say anything."
*
"I'm... fine." She sits back down, holding onto her thinly-veiled lie.
"Honestly, as someone who may as well be a blood mutant -- that is, I have no knowledge of any ancestors and haven't ever met another Limeblood -- it's easier to just remember they all died thousands of sweeps ago. No living troll remembers Limebloods. No living troll has ever met a Limeblood. Pretty soon, all trolls who had met your ancestor will be dead." She offers Karkat up a smile.
"That's probably not the most comforting thing I could've said, but it's true. I don't know much about it -- about The Signless and The Grand Highblood -- but I know Zhen knows what she's talking about. I've brought it up to my mate before. He denies it, says he couldn't have cared less for the rebellion -- it wasn't violent, it wasn't a fun affair -- but the way he talks about... The Signless... the way he talks about your ancestor... makes me think it's true." She sighs, slumping back against the cocoon exterior.
"As his current mate, it's not really fun to think he has unresolved feelings for a long-dead mutant. You'd be peeved if Gamzee held residual feelings for some red fling he had before you, wouldn't you?" She chuckles.
"I'm being selfish, again." Her gaze moves over the ceiling, smoothed down to make a proper block.
"Zhen has big ideas. Even if she won't live to see things, be able to do anything, she has big ideas -- and I'm just some breeder that wants to carry successfully just once." A short silence falls, her hands smoothing over the slight bump of her lower stomach.
With Zhen out, she can relax a little bit.
"You know, The Grand Highblood's never bred a troll before. Not to quickening... Apparently, your ancestor was either carrying his grub, or had already birthed his grub, before he died. Zhen would know which is true. Either way, it's safe to say The Empress had the grub killed. She had to punish the disloyal barkbeast... but, Indigobloods are kind of like those rebels. They don't fear death. Burning their churches, scorching their land, driving them out; they know why they suffer. It makes death sweeter. That they have something to live and die for besides Her probably pisses Her off, but I think it's a good thing." She smiles softly.
"Sorry, I'm rambling. Are you going to be sleeping in the nursery? Filling the empty recuperacoons with blankets and pillows makes for a nice bed of sorts."
*
She says she's fine, but it doesn't feel like it.
Though even Xia acts like Karkat having an ancestor is true, even mentioning that The Grand Highblood has known of another troll with his color makes it feel less and less like it's some coincidence.
"It's fine, being selfish," he starts, "Stars and Messiahs know I want to be selfish," in how Karkat wanted things (to stay with Gamzee but also see his village-- the sister village now --every once in a while) (for everyone he loves, no matter what type of way, to get along).
Xia does, however, reveal a little of herself. Being The Grand Highblood's current mate, it does stir her heart around, whenever his past loves are brought up; he'd definitely be sulky if it turned out Gamzee had someone he couldn't get over, still thought of while Karkat was there with him-- for everything Gamzee has put him through, he'd better not.
"'S not even selfish to want to carry a successful term, you deserve that more than anyone." Karkat's heart hurts when she says that, being reminded that her first grub died, how much Xia must have hurt to be the one to live through it. His hand comes comfortingly down hers until Karkat can move closer, lightly rub down her back, ready to move off in case she's not particularly at ease with the touch.
To hear that just to be spiteful, the Empress would had killed the grub, if there was a grub, of his ancestor (who Karkat still can't believe is) and The Grand Highblood, her pettiness having no bounds.
It's from a time Karkat doesn't know, with a blood connection he doesn't rightly believe either.
"Ramble all you like. And I think so. I was going to watch Chahut make her 'coon, but I wound up with this little one," Karkat nudges at Chitti, "and someone told me my other pupa ended up coming here too," his head nods toward Baizli.
Karkat shares off the rest of the fruit between himself, Chitti, Baizli and Barzum and Xia, just to finish it off so he can clean the bowl. On his way back from the kitchens, it's a matter of finding a block no one is using and getting a blanket and pillow from there, Karkat almost unable to see from how much he's trying to carry, taking slow nudging steps into the nursery; wanting to be mindful and careful of any grubs that might have tumbled out to the floor.
*
Xia's quick to move a grub out of the way, just in case Karkat can't see -- and it doesn't look like he can very well.
"You could've asked me for help, you know?" Too late now, though.
There's an empty recuperacoon situated close to Barzum, Baizli still awake despite his lidded gaze.
Xia helps Karkat heap blankets and pillows into the recuperacoon, only stopping when Baizli quietly chirps for attention.
"Can I sleep with Karkat?" He asks, peeking over his twin's cocoon.
"Well, you should ask Karkat. Either way, you should try to sleep soon. It's getting early." Xia has no intention of sleeping, preferring to watch over the grubs and nursery; she even offers to take Chitti for the day.
Sluggishly, Baizli gets to his feet, dragging himself over to Karkat.
"I want to sleep in the cocoon with you." He whines in the way a tired pupa does; not upset but needy. A small, cool hand even grasps Karkat;s robes, giving the fabric a tug.
"The ground's cold and grubs keep trying to crawl all over me." He presses his forehead into Karkat, the absolute picture of a pouty, tired pupa.
It warms Xia's heart to see that -- that The Signless' descendant might have a different ending than his ancestor.
They've come a long way, anyways; Indigobloods are much more difficult to track down with their small, nomadic groups. The Empress doesn't even seem to know about Karkat. She definitely doesn't know about Xia; she has no doubt she'd be culled immediately.
Maybe, with the affection of so many strong trolls, Karkat doesn't have to repeat the tragedy of the past.
*
Even without asking, help is given anyway, Karkat more than grateful for it even if he tries not to need it, Xia unloading him of blankets and stuff into an empty cocoon, Chitti shifting back on the side of his neck rather than clinging to his back.
"Come here then," Karkat speaks softly, most of the nursery seeming down for the day, aside from the occasional grub crawling out of it's cocoon. Baizli is such a sweet thing, asking like Karkat wouldn't let him, coming up to Barzum's cocoon; as soon as she's all healed up she'll get to do anything and everything she wants, but for now he won't take her from the sopor.
Instead, Barzum gets a kiss, Karkat searching out the least sopor-covered spot on her face and carefully stroking fingers over the bandage on her eyes, "Better get some sleep, sweetness. Sleep is when you heal the fastest and the most, you know."
One pupa in sopor and the other clutching on his robes, Karkat meanders back to the 'coon that's set up, looking to Xia, "Thank you. Are you sure you want to take Chitti?" Though he wouldn't mind keeping Chitti, Karkat's not quite confident about sleeping with one pupa and a grub, worried about moving wrong and potentially harming both, "You're set up by Zhen, aren't you?"
Xia sort of seems like she isn't going to sleep anytime soon, which has Karkat frown, "Hey, you need to sleep too."
*
"I don't mind." She tries for a smile and partially succeeds.
"I'm a breeder too, you know -- and I'm not really essential to the caravan. I can take naps throughout the night. I'd rather be awake if anything happens." She holds out her arms, cooing to coax Chitti into them.
The grub settles at the nape of her neck, curling up with a huff that clears its nasal slits.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to get attached and steal Chitti from you. It just might not be the easiest to sleep with a grub and a pupa." She steps lightly back to Zhen's 'coon, just across the block from Karkat.
With permission granted, Baizli toddles over to the recuperacoon.
Despite being an Indigoblood, he's still a pupa, and it takes him some effort to get inside. He has to raise himself up onto his toes, hook his hands over the lip of the cocoon, and do some undignified wiggling to topple himself into a nest of softness.
He tumbles in with a sort chirr, peeking over the edge, evidently waiting for Karkat.
"Hey," he whispers, resting his chin on the cocoon's lip, "why do you call us 'sweetness' and 'sweet thing'? Are we sweet? Are you going to call Chitti that? What about your grubling? Are all young trolls sweet?" Without his twin to bounce off, Baizli's much more manageable; subdued and quiet.
*
Chitti takes some interest in Xia, inching off of Karkat to grip and cling onto her, crawling all the way up in a slow manner, full of sugary fruit and ready for a nice sleep.
"Just let me know if you feel like it," if Xia does get attached, Karkat won't mind if she ends up wanting to keep Chitti-- sure, he's only met them a few hours earlier and he's already attached and it'd hurt probably to let it go, but if she wanted it, Karkat wouldn't mind; knows that Chitti would get just as much care and affection from Xia, if not more.
Karkat lets Baizli settle in first, being nothing short of precious as he hoists himself inside, toppling right in before Karkat can be of any help. Smiling soft as he's bombarded with whispered questions, Karkat dusts himself off-- despite not exactly being couture, the fabric the Jade robes are made from are really something, stain and spill resistant, enough that whatever sopor may have been on him has simply dripped and dried off somewhere else --, and climbs himself into the cocoon, careful of Baizli as he settles next to him.
"Why, don't like it?" Karkat fake pouts, sticking his tongue out for all of a moment, "Too bad, that's what you two get for acting all sweet. Should we find out if you are?" Karkat takes a small hand and mocks biting into it, gasping falsely, "I was only kidding, but you are. Oh no, what're you gonna do if I eat you all up??" Proceeding to make fake claws and paw at Baizli's tummy playfully, tickling getting sleepy giggles-- stopping once he notices Barzum stirring, reminded to be mindful that somehow someway the two are connected like that --as he puts a kiss to a cool forehead.
"I had someone to call me that, when I was small. I'll probably call Chitti that at some point soon enough, and the grubling I've got in here," he pats lightly on his middle, shifting to lay down and tug Baizli next to him-- Karkat bets once Barzum is better, no longer needing to sleep or wrap her eyes in sopor, he'll want both of them to sleep by him like this......assuming Gamzee doesn't hog him like Karkat knows he will, never mind that Barzum probably wants to now.
"You'd better sleep now, or else you're gonna be too tired to play tomorrow, and then what?"
*
Baizli shakes his head -- he likes the nicknames the older trolls give them, whether it be Chahut, Marvus, or Karkat -- but he bursts into sleepy giggles before he can reply, Karkat falsely attacking his vulnerable stomach.
His giggling dies down as hot lips leave a brand on his forehead.
Things only get hotter as Karkat pulls him close, and he nestles himself right up against the breeder, cheek pressed to Karkat's chest.
"Then she'll make me stay awake all day... 'cause she's so bored...," It doesn't take much for him to nod off, or much for him to start up a high-pitch little pupa-purr.
Throughtout the day, Gamzee keeps an eye on Chahut.
It's something of a spectacle, watching her curl herself up comfortably, as if she might nap. Then, over the hours, strands of silk cover her like a fine down; the strings tether her limbs together, and attach firmly to the wall of the caravan.
When dusk hits, and Gamzee's finished recolouring the innards of the merchant caravan, Chahut's cocoon is nearly opaque. Her breathing had long-since evened out, and he can only make out the darkness of her hair, the brightness of her horns.
Marvus comes to relieve him, assuring him he'll watch over Chahut; Gamzee drags Diemen and Vianya a ways away, tossing them into a pile of prickly bushes that should serve to hide them from the Jades and from Karkat.
However much Gamzee would've liked to be the one to wake Karkat, Bronya comes swaying into the nursery, Karako attached to her skirts.
"Okay, girls -- and Karkat -- it's time for breakfast!" This early into the night, she already has a spark in her eye; Karako looks the same, offering up a honk.
Barzum is the first to stir, aside from Xia -- who hadn't slept -- her body feeling heavy, her mind bliss-blank. She licks her dry lips, and Bronya immediately gets her a glass of water.
"No fair, Baizli gets to sleep beside Karkat." She murmurs into the glass, feeling her twin slowly, reluctantly, wake up.
"Well, very soon, you'll be well enough to do everything you used to do." Bronya says, untying the sopor bandages.
*
Pupa-purrs are such a lovely sound, Karkat thinks. The noise travels through Baizli in a vibrating hum, to where Karkat can feel it through the Jade robes, through his skin.
Once Baizli drifts off, nuzzled right into Karkat, it's a little too easy to be lulled by his purring, letting Karkat doze off as well.
In sleep, Karkat sees that black door again. Even more locks have been placed and wrapped and bolted onto it, but still black threads lead out from the cracks, some have even woven together, all taut as if on the other end someone is pulling them tightly. That pupa is there again, this time though he doesn't acknowledge Karkat, simply continues playing in the grass.
That black door both beckons and has him wanting to get as far away as he can, but it's there all the same. Only when he nears an inky black string, apprehensively reaching out to touch, does the pupa turn toward him, getting up in a toddling fuss.
"Don't," he says, pacifier plucked out of his little mouth, cheeks round and rosy. "Don't touch it, you don't know what it does. It might come back," his little face scrunches, looking both cross and disgusted, "I don't want it back here."
Parts of memory fuzz, and Kanaya-- except not really, this Kanaya is from his memories, still a wriggler herself, even if older --comes to pick the pupa up, she's there to put the pupa level with Karkat; she's exactly how Karkat remembers her at this age, brows halfway set and mouth in a line, features not yet the intimidating beauty queen she is now. Her skirt isn't nearly as long as Karkat knows she prefers at this time, burns and scars coming down one of her legs. The pupa addresses him again, Karkat blinking.
"Is that guy gonna come again?"
The conversation is abruptly ended, Karkat jolting with a start, hearing his name called. Peeking blearily up over the edge of the recuperacoon to see Bronya, Karako at her skirts (on Bronya, the Jade robes certainly have a shape, complimenting her figure whereas everyone else has to try a little harder, even Lanque). Barzum is already up and sitting, having her bandages unwrapped; earning Karkat's pity first thing in the night.
With Baizli also waking up, Karkat gently combs through his hair, making soft chirrs, "Awake yet? Are you ready for breakfast?"
*
Baizli chirrs, hair sticking up more so than usual as weak limbs push him to sit. He nods, eyes still closed.
"I'm not going to help you cheat on the test." He says, keeping his eyes shut as Karako takes a sheet of paper and begins drawing out signs, shapes, and writing names -- the names of their caravan members, that is. Names Barzum would already know how to read.
He moves to the other side of the room, holding up the piece of paper.
Like before, Barzum looks at the page, answering questions about what is where; Bronya takes the pupa's face in her hands and gingerly holds open her eyelids, inspecting the pupil and sclera. She sounds pleased, even if Barzum immediately rubs her eyes, blinking until the foreign sensation goes away.
"I think you'll be able to leave soon!" The Jadeblood coos, Baizli finally opening his eyes.
Barzum climbs from the slime, and Baizli hops out, helping his twin slough off the excess.
Xia, green-tinged shadows under her eyes, gets to her feet.
"That's great. Would you mind checking Zhen's horn? She's been in sopor all day." With Chitti in her arms, the Limeblood crosses the block, returning the bright-eyed, plump grub to Karkat.
She's spent the day idly stroking its segmented back, its pathetic purr rumbling over her stomach; it'd be a lie to say she doesn't want to bring the grub along and call it her own, but it'd fare better with Karkat and his group.
"It slept all day. Chubby little grub. Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" She asks, sounding just a bit fatigued.
"I don't really have a preference for my own grubling. I just hope this one is healthy."
*
Once Baizli is out, gone to help Barzum, Karkat climbs out of the cocoon as well, folding up the blankets and arranging the pillows in a neat pile together. Should he take them back where he got them from? Maybe, might be good of him, even if he ends up sleeping in the nursery again.
Barzum being on the mend for the better is infinitely good news for everyone.
Xia comes to return Chitti, Karkat cooing a couple of chirps as the grub climbs up, figuring out where and how it wants to nestle on him.
"Mmh, I don't really have a preference either. It'll figure out what it wants to be at first pupation. Of course I want it to be healthy, though...I suppose, if anything...I really hope they'll be Purple," Karkat thinks quietly for a few moments, before speaking in a much quieter voice, "....I don't want them to be a breeder.."
Of course Karkat wants the assurance of his grubs-- any pupae of his --to be protected, but he doesn't want them to always need that. Always needing protection, not being able to do anything that strains them, always feeling useless because of that inability.
Even if they're mutant Red, at the least they won't be double-downed.
Karkat offers Xia a half smile, "That might sound a little strange, probably.."
He gives her a proper look-over, lips pursing at the green under her eyes.
"C'mon, let's see if Zhen's alright to come out, and then we're going to eat. And then you are going to get some sleep."
*
"I don't think it's strange at all." She says, keeping her voice just low enough to not pick up the attention of the twins.
"The only time I feel right as a breeder is when I'm carrying. That's why I trained my strutpods. My old caravan used to call me 'Speedy Strutpods', because you really need to keep at it in order for the muscles to stay. Everything wants to be soft. Of course," she sticks her tongue out briefly, "someone always had to watch me to make sure I wouldn't take off -- as if I'd leave Zhen behind, and somehow be quicker than an Indigoblood." She sighs, shrugging.
"Anyway, I get it. It's not pleasant to have everyone else do all the fighting for you." Even with her crass attitude and her strong legs, Xia's still a breeder.
She doesn't doubt that anyone Olive or above could really do some damage to her.
"Anyway," she clasps her hands together, "I'll eat before sleeping. I think I'll take a nap in that merchant caravan if Zhen's doing better tonight."
Both Bronya and Karako haul the slight Indigoblood from the slime, Bronya slapping her back with an open palm in order to get the sopor out from her lungs.
When her eyes open, she looks drowsy, climbing out to be cleaned of excess slime.
After a while of catching her breath, she wraps herself in the innermost layer of her dress, and plops onto a stool, letting Bronya take a look at both her stump and horn.
Her eyes narrow in the direction of the two breeders.
"I have sources to back everything up." Her wrist is bandaged first, used to point to Karkat.
"Don't doubt me. Booknerd Tealbloods have nothing on me. I got a little passionate, but I'm allowed. Besides, you need to be able to educate your grubling -- it'll be a descendant of The Grand Highblood." She winces as her horn is unwrapped, but the pain is nothing like it had been previously.
Xia's expression goes blank for a moment, then she chitters a laugh.
"You're right! Oh, I hadn't even thought of that -- The Grand Highblood will have two successive lines of descendants. Isn't that neat, Karkat? He's surely going to want to see the grub, Purple or otherwise."
*
Counting on Xia to know better than anyone, to relate, seems like something that should have been plain common sense to him. That she knows at all seems to settle something in his head.
Zhen, to Karkat's surprise, is very much lucid when she awakes, after coughing out slime-- which Karkat feels a little bad for, his not knowing about his supposed blood and sign history getting her worked up and passionate about Purple history, which she is allowed by all rights, and then making Xia uncomfortable to the point she shoved the Indigoblood down into the sopor.
Although feeling like he should have expected her to still be on the topic, something like 'of course she is' mixed with 'at least she's okay'.
He'd put his sign back into his bag, Karkat hoping that it'd lessen the chances of the topic resurfacing; it's not quite something he's ready to deal with just yet.
It doesn't hit him until after Xia says it, Karkat blinking a couple times before it really sinks-- Gamzee is The Grand Highblood's descendant. Their grubs are going to be his descendants-- f*ck. No f*cking pressure or nothing.
"A..ha....," Karkat manages a nervous, awkward laugh, as if he could have gone without remembering that he'd meet with such a storied troll, gone without knowing he's about to be responsible for a bloodline-- and Gamzee's Messiahs must have thought that this would be some big ol' joke to have a giggle about later, putting a blood mutant in charge of such a thing (at least Xia was an original, actual caste, and all Karkat has to go on for the viability of his own is Zhen, if he wanted to believe her).
"That's so neat. I can't wait." Karkat has the smile and tone of a dying troll and poor Chitti must pick up on something for all that it nudges under his chin at him.
*
"What?" Zhen's tone picks up, her ears flicking in annoyance.
"Did you just remember you're not mated to a no-name troll?" She asks, flinching again as Bronya reapplies her bandage.
Xia also seems confused, but tries to smile for Karkat's benefit.
"Clowns don't have the same expectations as traditional royalty, Karkat. Don't sound so desolate." That said, the rules of royalty might be more palatable to Karkat. At least, with Ampora, the mutant wouldn't be carted all over Alternia.
"Anyway, you'll probably meet him whenever you drop me off with him. He actually checks in with his descendants, even Kurloz." She doesn't know what part of all this is making Karkat sound so... dead, but she tries to cover all the bases before the twins come to huddle around Karkat.
The Limeblood nods to Karkat, crossing over to Bronya, Karako, and Zhen.
The twins tug Karkat along, making idle banter with one another.
Gamzee meets them partway to the consumption block, his hands cleaned in the cool river.
"What's up?" He chirrs a quiet greeting, face paint concealing any signs of fatigue.
"You worried 'bout Sister Chahut? She's spinning just fine. Her 'coon'll probably be done 'fore daybreak. Marvus and Chixie're sitting up with her, now." He notes Chitti trying to all but burrow under Karkat's neck, the twins hanging off his robes.
"Something else happen?" He asks, wondering how much the stress is impacting the grubling inside his mate.
"You're looking a lil' pale, mate of mine."
*
Xia says there's no expectations, and Karkat trusts Xia as much as his own gut-instinct...which differs on a case-by-case basis. He's thought as much himself, that he shouldn't put so much stock in stories, especially stories that have already been proven, for the most part, false. And yet he can't help but feel he's already failed to live up to some unknown prior expectation-- everything Zhen's said aside.
Katkat's head sticks to the thought the whole way to the dining block, more or less being dragged along by the twins. Meeting up with Gamzee and softly chirping in greeting as his mate has updates on Chahut, Karkat nodding with some piece of relief-- because he is relieved, to know that her cocooning is going alright.
It's noted that he looks pale, and he supposes he does, stressing himself out. Karkat shakes his head and tries not to make such a dead expression, "Nothing, really. I'm stressing myself out over things that I don't actually need to stress about." In trying to not sound like he's dying on the inside, Karkat ends up sounding a bit too cheery, like there really was absolutely nothing to be worried about.
Which, really, there isn't, therefore there's no good reason for his own head to do this to him.
"I'll be fine..," another few moments pass where Karkat is quiet, "...in a bit."
*
Something almost definitely happened, Gamzee's smart enough to know that, but he's not one for prying -- at least, not right now.
"If you gotta stress, then stress it out. Better than keeping all your feels to yourself. Now," he holds out his hands, and it takes more chirping, but Chitti eventually rolls into his palms, "I'll look after these motherf*ckers for a while. I know you're a breeder, but you can't wanna be with grubs and pupae all the motherf*cking time, right? Makes eating difficult, too." Chitti's much less active on Gamzee, although the grub still clings to him, seeing the world from a new height.
He pats his thighs and clicks, the twins sharing a look before scuttling over.
Without Chahut in the nutrition block, Daraya tries her best -- Lanque and Wanshi in turn making idle comments that aren't exactly nice while she brings out food. Neither offer to help, either.
Wanshi only shuts up with a squeak when Daraya mentions Karako and Bronya put in work before dusk.
The twins are seated around Wanshi, and Gamzee settles down, not dragging Karkat with him like he normally would. He wants to, but Karkat can choose where to sit.
Chitti cheers up considerably when Gamzee holds up a large berry and lets it stuff its little cheeks full. He's assuming trying to get the grub to drink would just end up badly, so the concoction of sugary-sweet swill meant for Karkat and Xia goes untouched by him.
*
He's thankful for Gamzee not trying to figure out what' up with him just yet, and Karkat would rather deal with it on his own and quietly if he can.
With Chitti and the twins alleviated from him, Gamzee settling Barzum and Baizli by Wanshi while he takes the grub with him, Karkat feels himself deflate more, at least physically. He ends up sitting by Xia, which makes it easier for the broth and other breeder-specific things to be passed, quietly trying to figure how best to bring up his concerns.
"....Xia..what you said earlier, about clowns' expectations..," Karkat goes on to ask about how it is; even if Purplebloods aren't thought of the same way seadweller royalty is, there must still be some kind of expectation held up, because they are still highbloods.
Asks about her mate specifically, "Gamzee says he's not massive and all that, like stories say he is, is he?" More or less, Karkat ends up rambling on about the details he's stressing over, though much calmer than earlier, thanks to sugar-broth.
*
"Massive... how?" She keeps her own voice low as well, sipping on sugar-broth.
"Oh! Do you mean that old sketch of him in the ancestral tomes? That's just what that distressed Oliveblood drew up. He looks like an absolute brick sh*thive in that. He's more like... your mate, I guess." Her gaze flickers over to Gamzee, then back to Karkat.
They do have a lot of similarities, even down to their scent.
"He's slender, like your mate. The biggest difference would be that he's a full adult, so he's taller. A lot taller. He can bend at the waist and be eye-level with me. Oh, he keeps his hair long, too. Actually...," She pauses, thinking to herself.
"If he didn't have the history that he does, I don't really think you'd be concerned -- besides the general rumours about clowns and what they do to other trolls."
Cheekily, she leans over, whispering into Karkat's ear.
"He likes to straighten his hair and tie it up with a Purple ribbon." She leans back, trying to imagine Gamzee with his hair pulled back.
"It makes him look handsome, in a sort of posh way... with the knowledge that he could slap me so hard my neck would break and I'd die -- but I've seen him handle trolls from all castes, and all ages. He was even careful with our grub. It's not like he's going to pick you up and start tossing you around. He might just pick you up for a squeeze -- not enough to damage your innards, or anything. Especially not your gestation sac." Talking of her mate brings out a subtle, youthful joy in her, and she soon forgets her slight embarrassment on the topic.
"Anyway, you're expected to be loyal and supportive to your mate and posse. That's an expectation for every Indigoblood, not just breeders. You're not expected to wear face paint, or to become accustomed to violence, or to pray to The Mirthful Messiahs -- they know you're not an Indigoblood." Her own face is only occasionally painted, but she'd mostly grown up with Indigobloods.
"As for the whole 'descendant' thing... it's less about land and title than it is as a sort of guide for all other Indigobloods. The head of the caste. As far as I know, male and female trolls are both viable. I know it's also customary for descendants to kill one another, but Kurloz's brighter blood makes him inferior to your mate -- but that doesn't mean it applies to trolls that come from a breeder. I'd assume not, but I'll need to ask him about it."
*
Gamzee mentioned his ancestor had been drawn up like that-- in the tome Karkat hasn't read yet --, and disputed it too. With Xia saying his looks are similar to Gamzee's, looking cheeky as she does too, talking about her mate gets a real smile out of her, the kind that makes her features young and it's clear on how she feels.
It's infectious enough to make him want to smile too.
She answers something that he wanted to know too, in the case of Karkat having more than one Purple grub, more than one Purple descendant-- more than one grub in general; if Gamzee and Kurloz were made to fight each other, would their grubs have to as well? It's not a thought he's fond of.
He'd rather no pupae from him go through that, rightful or not, blasphemous or not.
"Y'know, I had that thought too," Karkat whispers, "I've been wanting to see how he looked with his hair straightened. He looks pretty posh disguised as a Navy, wouldn't he look like a noble troll with it straightened like that?"
Karkat imagines, if Xia says The Grand Highblood looks handsome like that, that Gamzee would too-- looked good with his hair tied back, but straightened?
The moment Karkat gets a comb and some product to his mate's head, he'll be unstoppable.
*
Xia holds back a giggle -- she doesn't remember the last time she had to do that.
"When you take off all the paint and make them dress up like other castes, they really look like they could run an entire Kingdom. It's not always easy, though. I mean, Kurloz obviously went out of his way to grab his own clothes. I suppose, when you're not extinct or a blood-mutant, you get attached to your blood colour." She shrugs, spooning a soft and lightly sweetened grain gruel past her lips.
"I think he'll like you." She murmurs, hearing Wanshi and the twins bickering over who gets to be which purrbeast -- apparently, Wanshi's having fun finally not being the smallest or youngest.
"The Grand Highblood, I mean. You need to be tough to survive with Indigobloods, and I think you're tough. Not physically, but emotionally and mentally. He likes my attitude, and almost every highblood I've met looks at me like garbage because I don't immediately start prostrating myself to them -- like they all deserve it. None of them have followed through on their threats to kill me, anyways." She goes back to her food, offering a bit of everything she has to Karkat, as well.
Although he feeds Chitti, and himself, it doesn't escape Gamzee's notice that the two breeders are gossiping.
It doesn't escape Zhen's notice, either, but she's beaten to the punch by Polypa, who slings a strong, muscled arm over the Limeblood's shoulders.
"What are you two gossiping about? I haven't seen Xia this relaxed in sweeps. Mainly because I haven't seen her in sweeps." The Limeblood's shoulders handle the weight comfortably, although, rather than answer, she fills her mouth with simmered tubers.
Polypa's gaze moves to Karkat.
"I'm going to guess romance. Am I right? Don't feel the need to leave me out in the cold -- I've read my fair share of romance. Most of it was trash, but my wriggler-pan didn't know any better."
*
"I mean," Karkat speaks especially hushed, "I don't think anyone would agree to it, but I'm pretty sure if we got some fake fins on Kurloz we could probably infiltrate a castle," he shrugs, but if they really wanted to pull a thing like that, then that would be Karkat's suggestion.
Karkat's never been 'tough' in his life. Called a crygrub and a brat, loud and annoying, but that Xia thinks so makes him beam up at her, "C'mon, I'm at least a little physically sturdy," If he is liked by The Grand Highblood, Karkat thinks he'd like it to be for being tough.
The early evening chatter picks up around the table, Karkat and Xia going on while Xia shares things from her plate and vice versa. It feels a little like talking to Chixie, at least while she isn't holding back and hiding herself. But that sense of ease is there, and if not for being a village troll, then for Xia being a fellow breeder.
He hasn't seen Polypa in a while, and the Oliveblood comes right over to drop an arm around Xia, striking up conversation-- saying that it looked like they were gossiping, of all things.
"Oh," Karkat muses, tone going playful, looking up at Polypa at the mention of her reading trashy romance. "I see you too have read the garbage books."
*
"Of course I have," Polypa says this like it's a normal thing every troll does, "I even used to hand out romantic advice like I had any idea what was going on. I still don't know what's going on, honestly."
Xia's brows knit.
"So, you and Tegiri aren't -- "
"Not in a million sweeps. He's a loser devoid of friends, and I'm a loser who kills too many trolls to make friends. Also, he sometimes keeps me from burning up under the Sun. It beats sleeping in the trash... barely." Polypa's mostly straight-faced, although she relaxes around Xia.
The Limeblood stifles a chuckle, turning to Karkat.
"Tegiri's this Tealblood who is absolutely obsessed with Beforian culture. Most trolls we met just say I have a weird name from 'across the large body of water', but Tegiri immediately started talking in broken Beforian. It would've been cute if he were a pupa... It wasn't cute that he kept saying Zhen looked like one of his..." She blanks on the word, looking to Polypa.
"Figurines." Polypa supplies the least offensive word she can think of.
"Right... Anyway, Karkat, if you want to meet a real conniseur of the written word, he'll probably make your pan drip right out of your ears. Not to mention, he can recite local laws whenever someone pisses him off. The best part is probably that he still thinks I'm an Oliveblood."
"He thinks you're dead." Polypa grabs a baked grain roll, biting into it.
Xia sighs, "You told him I died, didn't you?"
The Oliveblood hums, swallowing.
"Yeah. Besides, I met this f*cking obnoxious Blueblood looking to get into my pale quadrant around the same time. It was so much easier to say 'f*ck off, my palemate just died' than to explain all the reasons why that Blueblood should've just f*cked off." That, at the very least, finally makes Xia crack.
She giggles, prompting Zhen to come over.
"Aren't you three friendly?" She nudges Polypa's arm.
"Try to run off with her, I'll personally slice you open and boil your gastric sac." She clicks to emphasise this, although Polypa -- while short -- looks like she could and would punt Zhen across the block.
"Firstly, she's probably quicker than both of us. Secondly, go f*ck yourself." Polypa wastes no time with clicks, preferring to hiss.
Zhen looks like she's considering skewering Polypa with her remaining horn, although the sharp look Xia sends her way keeps her from flinging herself onto the Oliveblood.
"You can sit and eat or you can go back up to the nursery to sleep." Xia scolds Zhen like a caretaker would.
The Indigoblood clicks again.
"It's not my fault she has her arm around you -- Gamzee!" She seems to startle the other Indigoblood, who was engrossed in watching Chitti nibble on a tuber.
"What's up? You're looking all hackled." He doesn't know if he could bring himself to get upset with Chitti clinging to his arm.
"What do you think is up? Polypa's basically getting pale with your ancestor's mate." She plops down atop a seat, halfway between pouting and glowering.
"Yeah, I see that... If it was my mate, I'd get that arm ripped right the f*ck off -- but it ain't. 'Sides, my mate'd argue it's all clade." His gaze moves over to Karkat, his smile sweet.
"At least you're looking better, mate of mine. Zhen seems real lively, too. sh*t's working out for once, ain't it?"
*
"Oh no," Karkat's brows knit even as he snorts; Tegiri sounded like another troll with a fetish, if anyone asked him-- and he's pretty sure they just got rid of one of those.
There's a familiarity and a sense of ease between Xia and Polypa, different from how her and Zhen act with each other (there is a familiarity and ease, but a different kind than what he's seeing now).
Polypa easily gets Xia to laugh in spite of her holding out, and just like when she smiles she sounds so much younger than how she acts.
Zhen comes over, though it's to make a threat at Polypa, clicking in warning whereas Polypa takes it in stride and hisses, positing that Xia is much faster than either of them. As he'd thought, Xia interjects before anything escalates, chiding Zhen like a misbehaved wriggler that she can either stay and eat or go take a nap.
And like a misbehaved wriggle looking for justification, Zhen calls out on another source of authority, Gamzee who seems more interested and invested in feeding Chitti than the conversation across from him.
Sitting down like a pouty wriggler who's not getting their way doesn't help the image, and neither does Gamzee, simply on the basis of it not being Karkat. He returns the sweet smile, though his comes with a hidden look that might read as 'better not rip off anybody's arm if they don't legitimately deserve it'.
"Mmh, looks like we're on our good streak for a while, yeah?"
*
"Yeah," his smile widens a tick, "better hope no one gets it in their pan to interfere where they don't belong." He returns Karkat's warning in syrupy-sweet tones.
Gamzee's on duty with Lynera, clearing away the dishes, bringing everything to a tub of hot, soapy water. The taller Jadeblood tells Wanshi and the twins to get some schoolfeeding done while she's gone, and the look Wanshi gives her makes her cheeks flush a ruddy green.
Stalking past Karkat, she stops briefly.
"Would you mind making sure those wrigglers at least attempt to be schoolfed? I swear, I'm going to lose it!" Her shriek, as she follows Gamzee off with her arms full of bowls, plates, and cutlery, doesn't seem to go noticed.
If anything, it'd be abnormal for her to be quiet.
Daraya rolls her eyes.
"Don't take her seriously. If it were up to her, we'd all be cloaked up to our eyes and schoolfeeding daily." Daraya snorts.
"Daraya!" Bronya warns, eyes thinning.
"Wanshi had the privilege of being schoolfed nightly, but the twins don't. This is a rare opportunity for them to catch up."
Both twins groan.
"I'm too blind and sick to learn." Barzum whines, although she'd happily been eating moments before.
"Yeah! She'll just expire if you make her sit in the schoolfeeding block!" Baizli chimes in.
Wanshi's no help, stifling her giggles behind her hands.
*
It seems Gamzee's on the rotation today, Chitti being returned to Karkat so he can help clear the table. Lynera is also on cleaning duty, her shrill voice sounding like it could give Karkat's loudness a run for his money.
Blinking in surprise as she asks him to, at the very least, get the pupae to the learning block, not having the chance to refuse or even question what exactly she wanted him to schoolfeed them. Daraya more or less waves her off though Bronya is quick to chide after her dismissal of learning, the twins bemoaning the very idea.
"Oh? Too blind and sick for schoolfeeding but not too blind and sick to play?" Karkat asks teasingly, bag located and slung across his shoulder, giving Barzum and Baizli a meaningful look. "You'd all better be down there by the time I get there," he warns, hoping he actually remembers the way without help.
Karkat starts on his way, thinking he should get a chance to work on the things he wants later on, before he lost too much of the day-- and since he's going to be mostly by himself he thinks. A thought snaps into his mind before completely leaving; he'd wanted to ask Bronya something, didn't he? Karkat had completely forgotten yesterday, occupied with Chitti and worried about Chahut, and then Zhen going on about his sign.
Before he can get to far away from the dining block, Karkat turns back around, locating Bronya before she goes on with her schedule, getting her attention without seeming like a total wriggler-- which is kind of hard, for all that she reminds him of Kanaya and always feeling like that around her.
"Miss Bronya..? I had something to ask you, before I forgot..," Oh stars, like saying it like that didn't just make him feel like a pupa. They're not completely in private but with everyone beginning to bustle around, it feels like they've got a quiet moment despite Karako not too far from her skirts.
"I figured it might be best to ask you rather than Daraya or Lanque, as the Matron," Karkat really thinks it over before saying anything, looking back up at her, "....I wanted to know..what would be some reasons, if any, that a cloister wouldn't take in a Jade pupa, from outside a cavern." When he was old enough to understand, Karkat noticed that, Kanaya being a Jadeblood, and yet instead of being in a cloister she lived in their village. Whenever he brought it up, she tended to not give him a straight answer, or even redirect his attention onto something else.
*
The Matron turns her attention to Karkat, hands clasped before her.
Karkat's question, however, has her expression dropping.
"In order to answer that," she places her hands on her hips, "I'll need to know why you're asking such an odd question. First off, let me share some of my knowledge with you.
- The twins speak of a 'bad Jade'.
- I'm assuming this 'bad Jade' to be the reason you're consulting me.
- I can assume that Jade had some part in the grevious injuries sustained by the pupa, who appear to have the most negative opinions of them.
- Whether or not this Jade is truly 'bad' is subjective, I am merely repeating what I have heard through the incessant gossip which occurs in the cloister." After listing everything off with a speed and tone which gives absolutely no time to interrupt, Bronya takes a breath a continues.
- "Cloistered Jadebloods do not leave the caverns. We are laid, hatched, and pupated within the caverns by other cloistered Jadebloods. Most Jadebloods are not cloistered. They do not meet the requirements. If a pupa from another cavern were to seek refuge, that is the basis for a culling of the entire cloister." Her smile widens, hands clasping before her again.
"We seek to avoid all strife and live in harmony with the Mothergrub we serve!" Karako honks in agreement, Bronya beaming -- before she remembers that Karako's presence is grounds for a culling.
Her single eye fixates on Karkat, smile never leaving her face.
"Please refrain from mentioning Karako. Before joining your posse, he had never left the caverns, so he was unable to invite outside strife. Technically, there is no reason to say he was not allowed in here." She nods to herself, hands on her hips.
"There is reason to say that none of you are allowed in here, but,
- My affection for my charge is irrational.
- I am very aware of your mate's ancestor.
- I do not wish to see myself or any of my girls -- and Lanque -- being culled because we did not take in your injured posse.
"So," she finally takes a proper breath, "am I correct? That you're enquiring about some Jadeblooded acquaintance of yours?"
*
Karkat infers that she did know everything, had been told everything from those left here at the cloister, their side at least. He won't sugarcoat or lie that Kanaya (himself) did cause this, so Karkat steels himself from being cowed, his expression and tone firm and steady (as much as he can manage anyway) despite the swift change in Bronya's.
"Yes, that's correct," though, Karkat has the inkling that Kanaya didn't hatch or pupate in a cavern, nor in or anywhere close to their village more things he guessed from asking questions that she wouldn't answer. Bronya's answer doesn't really make him feel any better, though he supposes they would have to uphold rules like that, serving the Mother Grub with such strict requirements under the Empress.
"When I was old enough to understand, I asked her why she wasn't. My caretaker either would dodge my questions or redirect my attention entirely-- it was a lot easier to do that when I was smaller," Karkat lets out a short chuckle before schooling his features back down. "Asking around our village, what I learned for sure is that she was a few sweeps after first pupation when she came, and she didn't gain a Lusus until after coming to our village. I just never thought it was strange until I heard others say it was."
Karkat glances down, distracted by his own head bringing things up before giving a slight shake and returning his gaze to Bronya, "Thank you, for your answer. Would you humor another question?" His mouth quirks, wary of the answer he might get.
"Is it possible...has a cavern...been raided and kidnapped from, before?" Karkat is quick to add, "Not by clowns or Indigos, but by other castes?"
*
"I will say that this is a topic I'm not exactly fond of discussing.
- My charge came to me in considerable distress.
- I have been unable to entirely alleviate that distress.
- You're now divulging information pertaining to the perpetrator which I have absolutely no sympathy toward.
- You assume cloisters have contact with one another, which would violate our rules of remaining cloistered.
"In short, it is possible, in the way of any troll entering any space to do anything is possible. However, I would ensure the swift death of anyone or anything posing a threat to The Mothergrub, my Jades, or Karako." She takes the small Indigoblood under her arm, still smiling.
She's Matron for a reason; unlike Lanque or Daraya, she's not obviously insulting. Unlike Wanshi, she's truthful. Unlike Lynera, she doesn't point knives at everyone.
"1. I am quite strong for a Jadeblood.
- That is a requisite requirement for being deemed Matron.
- I am only aware of this due to the very tests and trials which determined my suitability to become Matron.
"To answer any additional questions you may have, no eggs, grubs, or pupae have ever been stolen, and this cloister has not seen a raid in approximately six-hundred sweeps. If your theory is correct, then it is almost impossible for the Jadeblood you speak of to have originated in these caverns." It's a wonder Karako doesn't speak like Bronya, laying out her points in that odd, fast-paced fashion.
"Is there anything else I can help you with? I'd prefer to end discussion on the matters of your Jadeblooded... troll... However, I understand if that is my only use to you at this present time." Karako honks, looking away from Karkat, slightly hiding behind Bronya.
He doesn't like the topic of conversation, but he's also stubbornly unwilling to leave Bronya's side -- he doesn't get to see her regularly, after all, and he knows too well that he might die while travelling.
*
If he didn't prepare himself or understand the possibility, Karkat might have been put out or offended, of which he is neither, Bronya saying things the way she says them he doesn't ask if she'd do the same for Karako, and Karkat thinks he already knows the answer-- she can't; it's not a matter of would she or wouldn't she, from what she says, she cannot and therefore will not. On that, he supposes he's a little glad that Kanaya was afforded that freedom by not being taken in by a cloister. Karkat's lucky to have afforded being protected all his life by a troll who can do that.
Karkat matches Bronya's smile-- not out of anything okay, maybe just the smallest, barest, particle hint of spite for her tone, but really nothing! --and shakes his head, "No. Thank you for your time. You answered everything I wanted to ask," he says, lowering his head respectfully (because she's a Matron), ending the unpleasant discussion.
He waits until Bronya's gone on her way, Karako at her heels; apologetic towards him, not quite thinking through how the topic might affect him (Bronya had said she wasn't able to fully alleviate his distress, and for that Karkat feels he owes Karako until those feelings have been lifted).
But, Bronya also said another cavern being raided was a possibility, even if their own hasn't heard of it, nor been raided themselves (oh, no, did it sound like he thought the caverns were all in contact with each other?? He hadn't meant it like that, more like some newsing troll would've told them of such a thing happening? Karkat doesn't know, he must have looked really stupid for not correcting it).
But, it was still possible something like that had happened.
Chitti clicks and chitters, getting Karkat's attention; poor thing had gone and slipped into the neck of his Jade robes at some point, probably didn't like the topic of the conversation either. The grub tucks itself back into the warmth of his neck, the rest of it's segmented body under the neck of the robes, sweet little face chirping against his skin.
Karkat smiles apologetically, petting gently at Chitti's body, "Sorry, sweet thing. Do you think she's bad, too?" He gets a chirred answer that sounds neither negative nor positive, nuzzling carefully over Chitti's head. "Let's go find those overgrown grubs, hm? I bet they didn't even step foot into the schoolfeed block."
*
"Good-bye, then." Bronya's quick to leave, the atmosphere now unpleasant and heavy.
The twins aren't in good spirits, either, waiting so long in the schoolfeeding block; Wanshi's turning out to be a bigger and bigger liar, concealing things under her robes and conspiring against her fellow Jadebloods. It makes the both of them sick.
Luckily, for them at least, Wanshi's snuck off.
"Is she a heathen?" Barzum asks.
"She's a lying heathen." Baizli confirms.
"Should we cull her?" Barzum whispers.
"Probably." He says, and they both nod to one another.
"She's not even fun to play with anymore." Barzum adds.
"No fun at all." Baizli amends.
They continue to conspire in quiet tones until Karkat comes into the block, at which point they look up to the mutant.
"Wanshi left." Barzum starts.
"She's no fun anymore, anyway." Baizli adds.
After a moment of silence, the twins sharing a look, they speak out together.
"We're going to cull her."
*
To Karkat's surprise, the twins are in the block, no Wanshi in sight. Further to his surprise, the twins have somehow come to the decision that they are going to cull her.
"All because she's no fun?"
Karkat finds that hard to believe, when earlier they were all too happy to call the little Jade pupa their friend. Had something happened? Did they have a fight? And really Karkat absolutely cannot let them kill her for a large variety of reasons; he has to handle this carefully.
"Do the both of want to tell me what happened? Besides, I don't think you should; it wouldn't be good to do that, after the Matron and everyone letting us stay in the caverns. It'd make us look rude, y'know?"
He walks further in, hands firmly but gently on either twin (in case he needs to grab them from running off), getting them both to sit at the desktables set out for them, Karkat grabbing a chair from one to sit in.
"C'mon, tell me what happened. Maybe I can help-- we're not culling her, but maybe we can do something else. You don't really want her dead, do you? You don't even want her to feel sorry and apologize for what she's done?"
*
They shake their heads in unison, little mirror versions of one another.
"She's a liar." Baizli speaks up.
"And a Jadeblood." Barzum adds.
"Nothing really happened," Baizli begins, "she just keeps sinning." Barzum finishes for her twin, both of their ears alert for passing trolls.
Maybe they shouldn't have told Karkat about their plan.
"Can we talk about something else?" Baizli asks.
"You're supposed to schoolfeed us." Barzum swings her legs lightly.
"Lynera talks about things like addition and subtraction,"
"What a cloistered Jadeblood is supposed to do,"
"And the heretical history of The Empire." They swap who speaks with comfortable fluidity.
"Sometimes, we thought about culling her," Barzum admits, "but she's too big, and she has a pointy knife in her block." Baizli, more or less, admits to stalking Lynera.
"Besides, she's not that bad." Barzum says.
"We think she's the best Jadeblood here." Baizli gets up, grabbing a pair of old, worn tomes.
"Even including Karako's Lusus -- but don't tell him that, he'll get mad." Barzum whispers while Baizli grabs their textbooks, and then takes his seat.
"She'd make a good clown, I bet." He says -- probably basing his opinion of her on her prickly attitude and her penchant for knives.
*
Karkat purses his lips, looking between the twins suspiciously, how they suddenly want to drop the topic.
"Well, alright...," he says, looking over the tomes they bring-- Basic Mathmetrics, Reading & Writing Arts & Comprehension, Central Alternian Histories, that book especially is embossed with the Empress' sign and Karkat can guess why.
"Though...," he continues, making it sound like he's talking to himself than the twins, flipping one of the tomes open, "..culling wouldn't be any good anyway; the only way to deal with a liar is to catch them in the lie...or tell on them," Karkat sighs, as if the twins hadn't heard him, looking back up at them and giving a slight smile. "You think Miss Lynera's the best? She might be pretty pleased to hear that."
First things first, Karkat skims through the pages of each tome, seeing if they're things he already knows or not-- Basic Maths, yes, Comprehensions, of course, and then the Histories...it's a bit iffy for him, being that Karkat only learned what was necessary for him to know about. More than half of this tome is unknown to him.
Looking back to the twins, Karkat asks them about their workbooks, "To start then, why don't the two of you tell me how far in your Maths you are."
*
"Wrong!" Both twins burst out, ignoring the instruction to open their workbooks.
"You cull liars!" Barzum hisses, her eyes slits.
"How are you supposed to teach us if you don't know basic things like that?" Baizli looks like he wants to cry, crossing his arms and slumping in his seat.
"You cull them, even if they're Indigo or part of your posse, and then you use their blood to make special elixirs, and you grind their bones into special stardust!" Barzum continues, displaying a nasty pair of fangs for a pupa.
"We wouldn't use them, though, if they were from a Jadeblood." Baizli mutters, looking down to the floor.
Barzum's anger is enough to keep the tears at bay, just like Baizli's sadness is enough to keep Barzum from throwing their workbooks at Karkat.
"I never trusted Wanshi, anyways! I don't trust any Jadeblood!" To compensate, Barzum knocks her workbook off the small, wooden desk.
"They're all bad, but Wanshi's too bad to let live." Baizli sounds on the verge of tears, Barzum getting to her feet and grabbing her twin by the arm, leading him from the block in a huff of anger and sadness.
*
Chitti is as startled as Karkat from their outburst, curling right up into the robes.
They're so upset they won't even give Karkat a way to wedge in wordwise, Barzum especially enraged while Baizli is more distraught that Karkat doesn't know something that's obviously common sense to them, which is apparently killing liars because that's what they deserve.
It breaks his heart, when Barzum says she doesn't trust any Jade-- and of course he knows the reason why, of course, at the root of it, it's all his fault, shoves her workbook off the desk and takes off with her brother.
Why is it every time Karkat thinks things are looking up they find a way to come crashing down.
Why is it for being so weak Karkat sure has a count of hurting those around him.
Why. Why. Ẃ̴̛ ͟͏̕h̷̶ ̵̷̧y̶̢͏͢͞.
He's done that to them. Kanaya attacked them, yes, but because of him. Karkat may as well have dragged them out to the sun himself for how they've been affected.
His legs feel weak, like they don't want to hold him up anymore, his chest hurts like someone's gone and reached their hand in and they're squeezing his heart fit to pop. Tears are welling hotly in his eyes-- but Karkat doesn't deserve to cry, doesn't deserve to feel hurt because it's not him that's hurting like that.
He wants to let all of those sensations take him at once, it's so very tempting in the same way it was tempting to simply die every time death had been offered to him.
Instead, Karkat picks himself up and out of the block, robes gathered in his hand to run down the tunnels, knows he should look for Gamzee, *is*, but calls out to every troll he passes anyway, "Find the twins! Find Wanshi! Hurry, please!!"
