Cherubplay

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"Well shit," was pretty much the only thing that Karkat said to that effect, and would have slouched down the wall if Eridan hadn't shoved all four of them back into the cell and herded them to the opposite barred wall of tunnel leading out. He swore in a stream as he roughly shoved half of something in Tavros's pocket.

Using their surprised expressions to his advantage he shoved a small piece of something in both Tavros's and Karkat's mouths with a frantic mad expression on his face. "Chew and fucking /move/! The bars are small enough why the fuck didn't we do this before, Ahab's great white whale!" He gave the same treatment to Vriska only a moment later and shoved them all towards the bars away from the approaching guards roughly.

The thing was a familiar spongy texture. Karkat went ahead and swallowed, surprised when everything around him got huge. He watched as that seadweller shrunk last, agape slightly but not letting this opportunity go to waste as these were now obviously not people associated with the queen. He glanced back at the brown blood and ran through the small space between the heated bars, expecting they'd not be far behind. He needed them to lead him wherever their camp was, after all.

2014-08-15 02:26:50
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Eridan swore copiously as the guards appeared, pulling out his wand. It wasn't his preferred harpoon but it was light and shot energy bolts that were powerful enough to make it useful. The only reason he even had a magic weapon was that he'd found it in some wrecked ship and Vriska thought it was some poncy weapon for the delicate, so hadn't taken it herself. He shoved the small bags Gamzee had given him into Tavros's hands. No good the reds getting their hands on magic like that.

"Vriska and I are going to have to take care of the guards. You two need to get out as fast as you can unless there are more guards ahead in the tunnel. Stay close together and use those if you need to! Worry about getting back, not us, we can handle these chumps, right Hattie?" He was ready to fire into them as soon as Vriska was ready.

Not having a weapon Karkat stayed behind with Tavros, ready to follow the seadweller's instructions. Hopefully this brownblood would too...though he seemed like he might make a fuss about leaving his friends behind.

2014-08-15 18:59:09
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"No, but-" He knew arguing would be futile; they were pressed for time, the two guards with their scabbards would only hack them to pieces should they stick around. Tavros wasn't a fighter, either, and he would only get in the way. Reluctantly, he clutched the bags of mushrooms and, almost too quietly, he murmured, "Thank you, Hatter, Hare." He ran off in the other direction, then, the alarm breached and the other side of the tunnel open on the cell. Tavros had reviewed the maps, he knew what was on the other side if they followed the straight stretch of the tunnel. They'd end up in the other basement, and then it was just a quick run back to the apartments, back to Sollux and Kanaya and Gamzee.

But without Vriska or Eridan.

"Of course we can," She sneered, watching as the guards assessed them; a seadweller and what looked to be a blueblood; definitely not any such troll that should be in a secret place such as this. They squared off, the guards charging forth with their large swords, screaming that they needed to drop their weapons but Vriska wasn't having it. She charged forward, ducked underneath a guard's swing, and lunged forward to pierce the skin but was met with the clanging of armor underneath a uniform, "Shit-" She was apprehended quicker than she would have liked, her arms pulled behind her by the guard she had tried to kill. He knocked her out soon enough, swift and professional, stating, "Let's take them in for questioning." It wasn't just simple curiosity that the Queen would rule an execution over - this was a conspiracy, and the mutant they had so tried to keep hidden was gone. They'd need every bit of information they could get.

2014-08-15 19:50:23
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Eridan was quickly captured and incapacitated as well, their hidden armor having done sort of magical resistance; not all that surprising since they came out of magic portals. He was more difficult to knock out, struggling fiercely. His only hope was that somehow they could escape, or be trapped together. He'd need Vriska awake for any of that...He cursed the riddles and his intuition as they were dragged away.

Karkat quickly followed behind Tavros, and luckily enough they didn't face resistance on their run back to the apartment. He was surprised they were still in the city, and so near the palace. Surely this wasn't the safest place. He felt bad those two had gotten captured...they wouldn't go easy on them, and death was more than likely. If whatever they did they accomplished quickly....maybe they would still be alive to be rescued.

2014-08-15 20:15:29
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Tavros was in an absolute panic.

He rushed back into the apartment, panting and nearly hysterical, calling for everyone to come to him, to hurry. Kanaya scampered out towards him first, lifting up her skirt a bit to aid in her walking as she questioned, "Tavros, dear, whatever is the matter, are you hurt?" She immediately assessed what was going on and, when she saw neither Eridan nor Vriska, her brows furrowed, "Where is Hare, Hatter?"

"They took them," He blubbered helplessly, his hands having still clutched the bags of mushrooms. "Vr-Vriska, she broke the lock and then these guards came out a-and, and..."

Sollux came out a couple seconds later, regarding the scene of Kanaya now leading both Tavros and Karkat into the apartment, "What's going on?"

2014-08-15 20:23:02
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Gamzee came out and immediately went to Tavros's side, taking the bags from his hands and setting them aside before wrapping his arms around his panicking matesprit. He didn't say anything but could figure out what had happened. They all needed Tavros to not think on anything rash, and stay here with them to do what needed doing now that they had Karkat.

"They took the other two." Karkat took in the place and settled on Sollux. "When the lock was broken alarms were set off and portals opened up letting guards in. The pair stayed behind to fight them, covering our escape. Most likely they've been captured..." He didn't continue; the brown blood looked frantic enough already with out him elaborating on the implant details of what probably would end up happening to their companions.

2014-08-15 20:39:01
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"I see," There hadn't been this much of a hullabaloo in Starnette in ages, and Sollux doubted that Queen, nor Parliament, would allow anything like this to get leaked out. They'd want to do things quietly and swiftly, and just offing the two people that could lead them to their coveted prisonder seemed unlikely. "Noble of them, if not foolish."

"We have to go back!" He tried pulling from Gamzee's arms, but it seemed that no one was paying him any mind, "Aren't you listening? Maybe we can still, save them, maybe-"

Kanaya looked over at him with a frown, "Now, now, Tavros. We must think rationally here. One cannot just return to the crime scene, you know. We must approach things with a level mind. Why don't you take a seat at the table, perhaps we can get something warm in your stomach, hm?" Her frown let up some, and she smiled a bit then, directing some motherly guidance towards both returned males as she made her way into the kitchen, "Come along, now. I bet you would like some tea, wouldn't you, Mr. Vantas?"

He shrunk against Gamzee's arms, knowing just how useless it would be to try to get Vriska and Eridan. Too shocked to cry, he simply shooed Gamzee away so he could sit at the table. Sollux followed after Kanaya, stating, "I find it improbable that they would be killed, though.They're valuable in terms of information. If anything, they're being interrogated."

2014-08-15 20:48:22
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After being shooed, the people blood helped Kanaya out with making tea, upset that their companions were gone. It felt empty without them there to talk and tell then the spoils of their daring rescue.

He brought tea out when it was finished, sitting nearby Tavros if he needed him. Obviously he didn't want him now, though, to distraught by the loss of their colorful companions. He knew thinking back to it that this was hinted at in his riddle--Eridan had mentioned such suspicions himself when they had some quiet time and Tavros was busy otherwise. He didn't mention such a thing though, as it would be completely tactless.

Thanking Kanaya for the tea, Karkat sat too where he could see them all, not done being suspicious. "Interrogation is... pleasant. How long do you expect all of this to take? They could still be alive by the end of it. Though if they refuse to be helpful they might get rid of them, though not as quickly as they would if they provide anything." Not being as affected allowed Karkat to be more brutal about the situation, and think further on. They couldn't do anything about the pair right now, so it would be better to just to get on with what they could...whatever that was.

2014-08-15 21:09:58
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Tavros sat quietly, but he was not consoled by tea or thinking logically. He was upset and probably would not cease being so until they found Eridan and Vriska and had them safe. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, still itching to run back and find them, despite knowing that it would be worthless to do so.

"Perhaps a day or two," Sollux sipped his tea, preferring it without sugar, "Interrogations don't last long. Regardless, it's not like any of us could go barging in. At least our meeting is tomorrow," He tapped his fingers against the edge of the kitchen table, thinking, "We'll be causing hell, anyway. May as well make the biggest spectacle of it we can."

"And what exactly are we to do in the meeting with Parliament, Sollux?" She appeared a tad annoyed; things were unraveling, become difficult to contain, "Rant and rave that we are without two of our companions."

The yellowblood rolled his eyes at her, "Don't be foolish. Parliament makes laws and legislation and all, but they have no legal power to just start some type of execution or anything of the sort. Only the Queen has power over something like that, so we'd end up seeing her if they thought us dangerous. Hauled out in chains, no doubt, but we'll get the chance to see her in all her reddened glory." He was as sarcastic as ever, not too keen on the idea of seeing Parliament at all, but they hadn't much of a choice. "And if they're feeling civil that day, then they'll escort us to her throne room. It's all simple procedure, Kanaya."

The rainbow drinker did not seem convinced, not to the fullest extent that she should have been; she then leaned back in her seat and looked over at Tavros, who had now looked less sad and more contemplative. She didn't disturb him, instead, she looked to Gamzee and offered, "Why don't you take him to the guest respiteblock, Gamzee? Last door on the left in the hallway, yes?" Some rest may do him some good, and it was getting late as it was. She hoped that she could talk to Karkat some more, make him feel at home since they hadn't exactly gone into formalities yet.

2014-08-15 22:02:02
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Kanaya's suggestion was probably for the best, but Gamzee doubted, even as he extended a hand toward Tavros, that the copperblood would want to leave the table at that moment. He figured his companion would want to be involved in whatever they ended up talking about while he would be gone.

"How do you expect to get anything done by being hauled in front of the queen? They could hush everything up and then nothing would change. A brown and yellow aren't going to change much, and I can't imagine you'd haul me along right away. Even if I'm supposed to be higher up than her parliament isn't exactly opposed to the queen's rule. Not with how much it benefits them," Karkat said bitterly.

"It does need to be as public as possible, though, possibly with as many people who dislike the current system as possible and are willing to gab about all the commotion. Probably not about your friends, though, knowing how they'll spin a couple of lowbloods breaking in under the palace. I'm guessing you know the political climate better than I do. So do you think there will be enough uproar to really send this into the ears of the masses?"

2014-08-15 22:19:30
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He almost didn't leave; he wanted to stay and argue, but it was like he didn't have much fight left in him, like he was exhausted. Tavros took Gamzee's hand and moved into the guest room sluggishly, then he shut the door and hissed sharply, "I am so angry I do not know what to do with myself."

"You don't know Alice," Kanaya interjected, "He is the type that refuses to be silent, Queen's influence or not."

To answer Karkat's question, Sollux continued, "Not unless it's as horrible as it can be. The only way to get anyone on our side would be to show how grotesque things really are. The people around here are pretty shitty, but a majority are actually just really ignorant. I'm not justifying them or anything, but the normal brown or yellow hasn't any clue as to how things are in other cities or even the mixed ones. They just assume that everyone else is a barbarian and leave it at that." He scratched at his cheek and neck with his fingers, thinking as Kanaya rubbed at her temples, feeling a headache come on. She spoke quietly, "This is a disaster. I believe we have been relying on Alice's intuition and that map for much too long."

"We can't just be idle, either. The first step is already completed and, if we think about red's brutality, on a pretty good note. The next is the meeting with Parliament, in which we'll all be there," He rested his chin in his palm, sipping his tea placidly. He wasn't one to get too attached or moved by much, "Request a meeting with the Queen that day. The higher in caste you go, the more the whole Alice thing is known. I hate to just rely on that one simple fact, but if we use that as a foundation, getting Tavros to speak with the Queen may not be as difficult as we assumed."

Kanaya frowned, "But what if they detain him? The White Rabbit searched for Alice endlessly, and once it is apparent that the fabled one is actually /in/ Starnette, the Queen will do anything to get him on her side, perhaps even forcefully. And what then? What about Karkat? What about Hare and Hatter?"

2014-08-15 22:37:17
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"It might be most worth while to make my blood color known as widely as possible. Quite a scandal to cover up having someone with technically more legitimacy to the throne wandering around. More so when he's been cooped up away for sweeps... and if they were willing to do that to a red then it might be easier for them to imagine what they might do to people who are lower."

Karkat sat and contemplated for a moment. "And if you can find records or photos or other documents from the time, I did live in the palace as a kid. There might still be some who remember from before. They stuck me in that cell just before she was sworn in, when my eyes started changing. I don't know how they covered the disappearance, or what lengths they went to to get rid of the evidence of my existence, if any."

"Would finding this white rabbit character be of any use? From what I'm gathering here he's given Alice these instructions, but shit isn't working as smoothly as the rest of it appears to have gone down."

Gamzee didn't know really what to say to that. Obviously he didn't want Tavros to get any angrier... He hadn't any idea what he could do. There really wasn't anything comforting to be said that was going to help that much. He stayed quiet; maybe Tavros would go on and he'd be there to listen, at least.

2014-08-15 22:59:55
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"I was too irresponsible," He went on, pacing around the room as he held his chin, more lively now behind literal closed doors, "There must have been something I could have done, to prevent this! I was careless, I should have known that there would be, some type of alarm or system on the cell Karkat was in." Tavros was angrier with himself than he was with the situation, and he was inwardly kicking himself for being so haphazard, "I just went in without thinking. Ugh, it was so stupid and now..." He stopped, his back to Gamzee as he bent his head, his hands clenched by his side, "And n-now they have been captured and it is my fault."

"Members of Parliament may still remember you," Sollux offered, "They're all old reds. It would probably be best to go back through whatever records I have, just in case. I don't have much pertaining to people though, usually just buildings and structures."

Kanaya looked over at him, "Where can we go to find out that type of thing?"

He was quiet for a couple moments, trying to think of where the White Rabbit could possibly be. It wasn't like Sollux had ever actually met him or her; it was just a title that meant lots of traveling, and he was in his own section just outside the palace working, anyway. "The White Rabbit is probably with the Queen. As for finding records, I haven't any idea. There's a few libraries around here, it'd be best to check those. And I think it would be best to lay low - they're looking for you, so you can't go parading your color, they'll just grab you up and probably kill you, no long elaborate schemes this time around."

2014-08-15 23:20:13
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"Yes, but when the time comes you'll need it. Otherwise you'll just be put in the cells as dissenters and nothing will change." That was all the talking on the subject Karkat thought was likely to be of any use. So he'd be holed up for longer, but it was a much nicer place, and having people around was kind of nice.

Gamzee listened to all this and shook his head, standing in front of the closed door where he'd ended up. "Even if you did, there probably wasn't anything that could have been done... messing with one spell coulda set off a different one. Don't know much about magic, But it was gonna be high level stuff if there was any." He paused, not feeling he was doing a good job and feeling miserable for it. It wasn't like he'd ever had to comfort anyone before. "And they knew what they were getting into. Vriska was the expert about those sorta things, and Eridan talked to me about it before...thought it might have been part of what needed to happen."

2014-08-15 23:35:37
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His pointed ears flickered up, and Tavros turned slowly, unsure if he wanted to know what Gamzee meant by that, but morbidly curious all the same. "What...what do you mean?" What /needed/ to happen? How could this help anyone? "Gamzee, this couldn't have all, uh. Been fate, right? Don't I have some semblance of choice, of free will?"

"Perhaps it would be best to play it by ear," Kanaya mused, "We can go to the meeting and see how things go there. We will just burn out our thinkpans if we try to go over every single detail of what will happen next when there is so much that couple happen."

2014-08-15 23:42:32
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"Eridan just....wondered what you'd need to thank them for. He just had this feeling. But he's been kinda like that the whole time, you remember his outbursts. And...I don't know, I think you do. I think you've chosen this path, kinda. You didn't want to go with what the queen wanted, and you've dealt with the Jabberwocky friendly like, probably not really 'meant' to go that way..."

Karkat nodded, sipping his cup of tea. He hadn't had tea in... he couldn't remember how long it had been. It was pretty good stuff, and he planned to enjoy it for a while. "So... gonna guess this is your house, thanks for risking your neck like this," Karkat said randomly to Sollux. He supposed he could try and get to know the people he'd be around.

2014-08-15 23:49:48
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"I don't know," He said at last, staring down at the floor, "I feel helpless like this, suspended. I want to do everything and anything I can, but right now, what am I to do?" Tavros wasn't sure what to make of the news of Eridan; he had known, all this time? It kind of hurt that he hadn't thought to tell Tavros, but he didn't mind, necessarily. He couldn't hold a grudge against something that was meaningless in the grand scheme of things - it wouldn't have kept them out of the guards' grasp. "All I can think of is to go to the meeting with Parliament tomorrow, but what will happen if we bring Karkat along? Will they take him away, and me, too? Before, I always had such a clear idea as to what I was supposed to be doing, but, uh. But now. I feel lost."

"You're welcome," He pulled a slight face, "As far as company goes, I didn't think it would be so many of you."

Kanaya smiled some, a little strained, "Pardon him, if you will, dear. He is a grouchy thing."

2014-08-15 23:57:54
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Tavros's despondency was depressing to behold. The purpleblood fiddled his fingers together while he spoke, wanting to hold Tavros to maybe relieve some of the other's tension but not thinking that's what his matesprit wanted right now. "Maybe there's more to know first. It wasn't the plan to take Karkat the first time, anyway; just you and Sollux tomorrow, right? Anyways, not much we can do now...can think of those things in the morning some more. It's been a hard day and you'll need rest to be all up and going to that meeting tomorrow."

Karkat actually laughed a little. "That hardly seemed grouchy. I'm sure having so many around is quite an experience. Especially with such a rainbow of characters." Surely Karkat was hellishly more grumpy when he felt like it. He'd certainly given Tavros a hard time in the tunnels.

2014-08-16 00:09:28
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Giving an almost imperceptible nod, Tavros plopped down on the bed like a lifeless doll. "You are right, I should get some rest." He undid his boots and laid on his back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling before asking softly, "Will you hold me, for a little while?" He shut his eyes, feeling a quiet break in his voice, "I think I am going to cry..."

Kanaya leaned over to pluck up the kettle and pour herself more tea, placing in sugar cubes as she spoke, "I do not see why he would be opposed to it in the slightest. It would do him well to have more people around."

"And then everything will be disorganized," He replied simply, giving a harsh look to Kanaya, which she returned with a playful stick of her tongue out, "You see, Karkat, when she called me not too long ago, I was under the impression that they would be, more or less, in the background. Instead, they're running my life."

"He knew what he was getting himself into, do not let him trick you."

"She's spouting lies and slander."

2014-08-16 00:19:45
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Before he'd even finished speaking Gamzee was next to him, pulling the blankets up around them before settling next to him. Lying on his side he hugged Tavros close, curling around him protectively with one leg over Tavros's own. He'd easily move to suit his matesprit, especially if he needed someone to cry on. He was in his dark sweater so it wouldn't even show.

He grinned a little at their obvious fondness. "You agreed to let people on a quest of epic proportions into your home, you didn't really expect they'd let you do your own thing, did you? One of the only things I've been doing is reading and whenever there's some innocent bystander that gets mixed up with the heros they get swept along by it. Not all that surprising real life is the same way. And now you are in the midst of it you're probably never getting out of it... after all I plan to remember you after all this if it works out." Karkat's grin turned mischievous.

2014-08-16 00:35:36
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He completely broke down, the tears falling from his eyes as he sobbed against Gamzee's chest. Tavros had tried speaking between his weeping, but to no avail; he opted for soft whimpers and warbles of anxiety. He was fearful of all types of things, but what stuck out the most was the idea that he would fail. Perhaps the fates wouldn't allow him to and perhaps they would, he had no idea as to what could happen and it felt like everything was, ultimately, out of his control.

"Don't remember me," He groaned, "I'd much rather stay as inconspicuous as possible. A shadow, if you will. Alice and company can soak up the limelight if they like, I'd like to be put in history books as 'that asshole that never existed.' "

Kanaya offered him a pat to the shoulder, but she did not help much with Sollux's grief, "Think of it this way, dear. If you have all of this heroism going on with you swept up in it, why, you will make yellowbloods across Wonderland rethink their life choices!"

"That's bullshit," He dismissed, finishing off his tea, "So. They actually let you read books, huh? I thought they'd keep you blind, deaf and dumb if they could at all help it. You seem pretty well adjusted to me."

2014-08-16 00:44:33
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Shooshing occasionally and rubbing the copperblood's back, Gamzee tried to be as comforting as possible. He nuzzled the top of his head a little, just holding him close and surrounding him with the little warmth he generated. He let Tavros cry, figuring it would be good for him to get some stress out that way, and start a little refreshed in the morning.

Karkat scoffed at the last comments. "I got shoved in that cell because I /wasn't/ blind, deaf, and dumb. If I had been as ignorant and self-centred as all those other royal bastards without proper bloodpushers to shove the blood to their thinkpans don't you think I would have been sitting pretty on their disgustingly decorated throne?"

"...They didn't actually give me anything quality to read, mostly just shitty romance novels. But they were better than staring at the wall and ripping my hair out."

2014-08-16 01:01:06
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He didn't know how long he had cried or how long he had wallowed in his own self-pity, but Tavros eventually fell asleep wrapped up in Gamzee's arms, comforted by his nuzzles and his warmth.

Kanaya laughed, "It is nice to know that no matter what blood color is, everyone still despises the red's decor!" She smoothed a couple stray strands of hair from her eyes, "I am surprised that they provided you with reading material. That arguably makes them more savage than I had thought."

"Those dicks," Sollux grumbled, "They're just the type. Keep you as a prisoner and give you shit to read. Now /that/ is a barbarian."

2014-08-16 01:13:37
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Gamzee stayed with Tavros, though he wasn't all that tired himself. After the copper had been asleep for a while and moved subconciously to a more comfortable position away from their closeness, the purple tucked him in lovingly, brushing the hair away from his face as he gave him a gentle kiss on his petite love's brow before getting up to leave temporarily.

"It might be surprising but I can imagine worse." Please stop feeling sorry for me, was what he was thinking. He couldn't stand their pity, and couldn't understand how having at least one thing to do that wasn't sitting doing nothing in a cell was so bad. All the stuff he'd seen done to people as a child seemed so much worse. Certainly imprisonment hadn't been fun, but his real bitterness came from the knowledge of how the rulers were content in their horrible behavior and treatment of classes they viewed as lower than themselves just so they could remain comfortable and on top.

2014-08-16 01:28:55
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She shook her head in disbelief, "It just makes no sense to me. Why give small luxuries to someone you imprison? Is that not harsher than a brutal punishment alone? That small taste of freedom is, perhaps, worse off than locking them away," Kanaya sighed heavily, almost about to go into a long, philosophical talk with Sollux when she fell into talk about Tavros, "I an awfully worried about Alice."

Sollux rubbed at the back of his neck, as if under some great stress, "He'll be fine."

"I can only imagine what the poor thing is feeling," She pursed her lips, "I have never seen him that way before..."

"Don't baby him," Sollux frowned, "He isn't a wriggler."

2014-08-16 05:22:45