Cherubplay

●
Being near the ocean was always a good thing, but Vriska needed to know what the salinity was like or if there was any pollution. "That sounds lovely on your part, but you should check the quality of the coastal water." She laid on her back after a few moments before stretching comfortably, "The vast ocean may be wonderful, but the water closest may be disgusting. Let's hope for the best."

That just confirmed it - Tavros and Karkat weren't compatible in a pale quadrant and it warmed his heart to see how Gamzee understood him in a way Tavros could not. "Sure, okay!"

In the living room, Kanaya was slaving away over sketches. The problem with her shop ignited a creative, though anxiety ridden, streak. She would sketch something, become frustrated with what it looked like, then toss the paper to the side before starting on another. Her workspace was the couch and the coffee table, Sollux situated in one of the chairs as he made last minute measurements on his architectural work.

2014-10-04 00:48:59
🌀
Sighing, Eridan turned on his side to cuddle her, resting his head lightly on her shoulder. "You're right about that. I hope it's clean..." He'd be quite disappointed if it wasn't; he really wanted a swim, almost a little desperate for one when he thought about it. So he tried not to, distracting himself a little by kissing Vriska's cheek.

As Karkat passed the pair he offered refreshment. "Tea, coffee, cupcake, honey cake? Anything for either of you two busy bees?"

Gamzee smiled at Tavros. "That went pretty good. And nice to know our trip all up and isn't some elaborate trick or other, too." He didn't feel nervous yet, but was sure he would the closer they got to Rial. Initial meetings were always the hardest, but after that he could get used to them, he thought. Certainly it would be very nice to be in a place that wouldn't judge and be afraid.

2014-10-04 01:22:49
●
"If these people are oh-so-nice, perhaps they keep their water the same way?" She couldn't see why that wouldn't be the case, but she couldn't be surprised if the water was not up to par. Most landwellers did not give much mind as to how the ocean looked or what state it was in. The kiss made her quirk her lips into a smile, leaning down to peck his nose, "What I would not give for a tavern, though. A nice ale would be marvelous."

Sollux shook his head, stating, "None for me, thanks."

"Karkat, dear, I require your assistance," Kanaya said suddenly, setting down her pencil for a moment as she peered at her paper, "Give me a couple adjectives or just random words in general. I am hoping that it will strike more solid inspiration and I can create something that I will actually approve of."

Tavros grinned, "It did! I am so glad, I think you two would pair well in a pale quadrant, honest." He gave a little nod, "It will be wonderful once we are able to, uh, become settled in Rial for a little while."

2014-10-04 01:35:52
🌀
Smiling happily at the kiss, Eridan nodded in agreement. "That would be nice. Who knows, maybe there will be one, and you can swap stories with other sailors, and maybe... oh! we might be able to spar. There might be more space for it there, since we can go outside and find a place."

Karkat looked like a deer in the headlights for a few minutes. "How about, uh, leaves, or autumn... that's pretty off season though... what about something for spring? So...uh...petals. Flowers, bright? Is any of that any good?" He hoped that was what Kanaya was after. He didn't think, no matter the books he read, he could ever do anything with cloth. Certainly not ever like what Kanaya could accomplish.

"Mhmm, it will be nice, I think. When you two aren't off doin' your political talkin' we can chill in the kitchen and shit. ...gonna feel like a housewife with you goin' off to be political while I stay back and bake cake or whatever," Gamzee joked, laughing a little. Really he had no idea what they'd be doing while in Rial, but it was a fun image.

2014-10-04 02:03:56
●
"I will spend every waking moment outside," Vriska announced, her words only slightly dipped in hyperbole. "I hate the cold like no one's business, but being stuck inside is irritating. Going to Undlegire didn't even count, we were still stuck indoors anyway! What I would not give to have a nice sparring match outside!"

She murmured the words he spoke to herself, testing them on her tongue and with different inflections, repeating them again and again before suddenly exclaiming, "Petals! Yes, of course!" Grabbing her pencil, Kanaya beamed at Karkat, "A million thanks, dear, I believe I have an excellent idea." And with that, she went to drawing, sketching out a woman and a long, flowing skirt that seemed to be composed of individual flower petals.

Tavros grinned, "You would be the best housewife, surely! I am one hundred percent positive that I will come home to yummy cake and a clean, uh, living space. As well as be greeted with all manner of kisses and embraces." He rubbed his nose against Gamzee's, giggling, "Well, perhaps hotel room, in the case."

2014-10-05 16:27:42
🌀
The seadweller hummed and nuzzled the cerulean, resting an arm around her waist. "We can have all the sparring matches you like. Maybe some of the residents will be interested, too, so you can have more than just me for some variety, huh?" Eridan was looking forward to at least going outside, even if he couldn't swim.

Well, he was glad to help, though he raised his eyebrows some, not really thinking he deserved that many thanks for nothing but a word. It wasn't like he was complaining, though, it was nice. Smiling at the moirails, he returned to his book in the kitchen, using bookmarks to identify recipes he wanted to try, and making some notes on a separate sheet on a couple of them.

Gamzee giggled and blushed lilac, kissing Tavros's cheek. "I'll have to find an apron to be proper. Then when ya get home I can all up and have supper set out 'n ready, and massage your shoulders, and of course give you lots of kisses." Smiling sweetly, he hugged the brownblood warmly, kissing his nose lightly.

2014-10-05 17:40:11
●
Tavros was nearly in a frenzy. The train for Rial would be leaving in an hour and a half, and while all the clothing and items had been packed and the food had been eaten (or what couldn't be packed neatly away or fresh by the time they returned being given to the orphanage), the brown blood was still stressing. What if Aradia was caught or apprehended before she arrived? What if she couldn't get the bracelet off? What if the bracelet set off some type of security breach? There were plenty of variables that he couldn't keep track of, and he waited by the door with bites to his nails. The biting became so bad that Vriska opted to paint his claws to keep him from completely mutilating them.

Vriska shoved her hands into her pockets, looking over all the bags packed by the door, and it reminded her of when she packed for the journey to begin with. It was bittersweet, really; she was happy to be a part of something so much bigger than herself, but at the same time, she kind of wished that she could have stayed safely tucked away on her ship with Eridan.

There was a knock on the door, and Kanaya, arms full of some fabric she was moving to her tote, nodded to the door, "Someone be a lamb and open it up."

2014-10-05 19:19:11
🌀
Gamzee actually went to the door, since he knew more what the princess looked like. He peeped through the spy hole to make sure, quickly opening it when he saw her smiling face beneath her hood. After she swept inside, he closed it. Aradia was dressed more plainly than befitted a princess, probably why she didn't attract much attention. She could have been a brown or yellow for all her clothing bespoke. Putting her hood down as Gamzee led her into the room with the others, she looked over them all, smiling brightly as she put a finger to her lips for silence. She made some gestures, not of the sign language, asking for Sollux. She needed to be quiet otherwise the bracelet would pick up that she was there.

Eridan stood next to Vriska, rubbing a hand over her shoulders affectionately and what he hoped was also calming. He indicated to the princess with his other hand where Sollux was, and she went toward the Chief Architect so she could remove the magic device around his wrist.

Karkat was kind of hiding next to Tavros, edged behind him a little. Gamzee came over to put an arm around the brownblood to comfort him a little from his stressing out, nudging Karkat with a smile as he did. The cherry troll edged around the purpleblood, watching with interest at what the princess was up to.

2014-10-05 19:50:48
●
Sollux was, to put it simply, pouting on the couch. He was not fond of travelling, as it was, in his words, a headache. His compulsive tendencies to ensure that everything was as neat as possible often interfered with things going along in a timely manner. He had already checked and rechecked the bags for neatness and organization - the guest rooms had been cleaned and organized twice, as well as the kitchen and the living area. He would be lying if he said he wasn't apprehensive about travelling.

Sollux, when out of the scope of people that may potentially harm him, didn't bother with formalities with Aradia. He simply held up his bracelet-ed wrist, figuring that, with her expertise, it would be over and done with relatively quickly and he could roam as he pleased. He had never realized how much he hated being stuck in one place or range of places until the freedom to move was taken from him.

Tavros glanced up at him, mouth a thin line with his shoulders tenser than he realized. He was a bundle of tightly wound energy, and it was unlikely that he would find any semblance of calmness until he was inside the hotel room in Rial. Vriska felt the weight of stress, too, but nothing like Tavros - most anything, though, was good for her. It beat being stuck in a government cell or holed up in a chaotic Undlegire.

2014-10-05 20:20:30
🌀
Aradia quickly surrounded the band with her hands, just hovering over it on all sides as she sat down next to Sollux to concentrate. Her brows knitted gently as she worked, moving her fingers in small patterns as some red energy flowed from her hands to hold Sollux's bracelet away from his skin and fiddle with the mechanisms of the magic.

The purpleblood stayed next to his matesprit, just being a solid structure of consistency was fine at the moment. He wished he could help Tavros stay calm, but didn't think anything he could try would really help. Karkat was also stressed but not quite as badly, even though worries plagued his thinkpan. He was ready to go, though, wanting to get out of this place, just hoping they wouldn't get caught.

A few minutes later Aradia had a more triumphant look on her face, fingers flicking in the air looking to be dismissing certain bits of the energy. A few small clicks followed and the bracelet fell from Sollux's wrist with no sign of distress. It neither glowed nor made any sort of alarming noise when the princess caught it and quickly shoved it in a pouch under he cloak.

"There we are! Now you'd better all head out. Eventually they'll realize there's really no sound coming in, not just silence, but that will take them a while. The lack of video probably wouldn't set them off, since you've been covering it. I really must run, so they don't figure out it was me," she grinned, getting up from the couch to say her goodbyes and leave the apartment.

2014-10-05 20:51:20
●
All eyes were on Aradia's hands, Tavros with bated breath. He was absolutely terrified, and he had taken to gnawing on his fingers rather than the nails, and only did he let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding when the bracelet clicked off Sollux's wrist. The brownblood immediately trotted to Aradia, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. That was just one thing that was causing him more stress than he realized, and now that the bracelet was gone, he felt more hopeful for the trip to Rial, "Thank you so much! This makes things so much easier," He beamed at her, and a chorus of thanks rang from Kanaya, Vriska, and especially Sollux.

The bracelet hadn't just hindered the yellowblood, but everyone else. They could not speak the way they wished, their actions carefully monitored, and there was always the feeling of a pair of eyes hovering behind their backs. Once Aradia left, Kanaya checked the time - they would give Aradia fifteen minutes after she left, then depart themselves for the train station. No need looking suspicious after going through so much trouble.

The fifteen minutes dragged on but finally, they left, hurrying to the train station and purchasing tickets for Rial. Tavros shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat to keep from biting any portion of his hands, watching as attendants put their luggage into overhead shelves, and he sat in a seat. Vriska followed suit, pompous around the other highbloods around that were en route someplace else, sitting in the seat across the aisle from Tavros as Sollux and Kanaya took a seat to themselves.

2014-10-05 21:24:35
🌀
Karkat sat in a seat by himself across the aisle from Kanaya and Sollux, internally terrified though he tried his best to remain stoic. He did a pretty good job, looking stand-offish and like he might be prone to complaining if bothered, especially when he dug out a book to read. The cherry troll practically buried his face in the book, using it to distract himself a little.

The purples took up places next to their matesprits, though with very different attitudes. Gamzee was nervous at being outside among so many highbloods, quite deferential and slightly paranoid as he gingerly took his seat, keeping his hands in his lap in a mockery of being calm. Eridan on the other hand was just as self-assured as Vriska as he slid into the seat next to her, smiling at her as if nothing unusual was going on. He sat with one leg resting on the other, looking out the window a little and paying attention to their surroundings.

Soon enough the train was moving, and they were on their way to Rial. Gamzee lost some of the tension from his shoulders, though not much. They still had the ride, however long that was, to the city. Karkat was still jumpy, planning on reading the entire time if he could manage to pay attention to the words on the page.

2014-10-05 21:49:18
●
Rial, by train, was about five hours from Starnette. There was a city they would pass through before getting to Rial, which was Kymball Town, a mixed city organized in a similar way to Tulgey City. Tavros assumed that they could stop off at Kymball Town and use some other form of transportation to get to Rial, but he was not sure what everyone else thought. It had generally been accepted that that was the plan, but it already took so long to get to Rial just by train, and Tavros was so stressed out that he didn't think he could handle trying to find a new mode of transportation in a completely different city.

Hoping for some guidance, he looked to Gamzee with some worry shining in his eyes, "I need your opinion," Tavros murmured, "Do you think it wise to stop off at another city before getting to Rial, and traversing, uh, from there? Or should we just stay on the train, all the way to Rial?"

2014-10-05 22:28:47
🌀
When he heard Tavros speaking he looked over. He had been lost in thoughts of his own when his matesprit had spoken and it took him a little while to process what he was asking. Then a little more time to think about the outcome of either option. "Well, I guess we don't really need to, since we bought tickets for Rial, they'll already know that's where we're going if anybody recognized us on the way out. So won't really matter if we take the train all the way or not. Suppose I think we should, since we'd get there faster, and if we're followed they won't have any time to lap us, unlike if we took some other route from someplace else," he said quietly. And if he knew that the city between them and Rial was like Tulgey City, Gamzee would be quite disinterested in going there. Anything like his old town he was very much against entering for any reason.

2014-10-05 22:44:59
●
"You are right," He mumbled, brows furrowed as he stared out the window. "It is probably best to just go the whole way there. I just get worried," Tavros placed a hand over his matesprit's, slumping a bit in his seat as he frowned, "Even if I do not feel as though anything will happen, uh, in our travelling there or even in the city itself, it is still nerve-wracking. I suppose I will not be able to sink into comfort until we are settled in a room somewhere." He wished he could relax some, perhaps have something to take his mind off of what was going on. Tavros supposed he could play that story-telling game with Gamzee like they had done before, but he wondered if the other would even be up for it.

2014-10-05 23:00:05
🌀
He had completely forgotten about the story telling game, but seeing his matesprit wanting some distraction, he thought of a way to spend the time. Turning his hand over to hold Tavros's, he suddenly had what he hoped would be a great idea. "Actually, you could help me with something..." Gamzee stood for a minute, pulling his book out of his bag above them, then sitting back down. There was still some paper Karkat had been tearing from before in the back he could use for bookmarks. "Help me go through the book, and pick out things you think would be good to sell to help the orphanage. Or even just different treats you want to try. I gotta have some more ideas before I all up and start bakin' up a storm, after all." He set the old book lightly in Tavros's lap, smiling a little, and in a fit of bravery putting an arm around the brownblood's shoulders.

2014-10-05 23:09:00
●
While Tavros had seen the book plenty of times, he had never actually read it or knew much about it. It had almost seemed mysterious and distant to him in that regard, and with the items now spread out, he nodded and leaned his head against Gamzee's shoulder. Trying to stay secretive in their relationship would only make him more anxious, so he simply snuggled up closely to him and began taking his time in perusing the book. They had so much time to waste before getting to Rial, and Tavros slowly wrote things down, reading portions that he thought were interesting. As he was going through items, he noticed that they slowed to a stop: Kymball Town.

He peered out his window and saw that it looked much like Tulgey City in terms of the bloodcolors he saw. There were still a bit more lowbloods, as per usual, but he noticed the highbloods making a point to not even look in their direction.

2014-10-05 23:29:39
🌀
Gamzee caught a glance and that was enough for him. He looked away from the window, either gazing straight ahead or at Tavros or the book, glancing over the choices he'd made. The purple troll didn't want to watch what was going on, or get caught sight of, either.

Karkat glanced up, looking outside. The scene was odd to him, but at least the highbloods didn't seem to be out to get the lower trolls. Better to be ignored than bothered. It was still aggravating, as if they weren't people so not worth even seeing. But then again this was a mutual area of movement, perhaps the highbloods were on their best behavior, he mused, so as to seem more civilized for anyone getting off the train. He knew that thought was cynical.

"Just look at that, Vriska." Eridan muttered, glancing out and watching people pass by.

2014-10-05 23:39:22
●
Tavros, noticing that he was pointedly looking away from the window, decided that he'd change the subject and direct them someplace else in terms of topics. He set down the writing for the moment, beginning, "Let's talk for a bit. All this reading about foods and cooking has me, uh, wondering some about you," He smiled gently, kissing his shoulder and his chest, "Out of all the foods you have ever tried, what is your favorite? Or do you have a favorite, type of food that you enjoy?"

"The highbloods sure are tame in these parts," She mused, observing the warmer hues avoiding any and all contact with colder ones if they could help it. "I suppose they have someplace in mind that they have to be so they can't bother with cruelty.

2014-10-06 00:10:34
🌀
The distraction was a pretty good one, and Gamzee thinks about the question for a while. "Well, I like foods that take a long time cookin', so they get all super flavorful and all that, like the chick I made that one time. ....hmmm, my favorite? I suppose roast baabeast, the fluffy ones. Had it a lot as a kid, so I guess it's got nostalgia value, or somethin'." Quietly, he tapped his chin with a finger to think more. "Desserts I guess I ain't so particular. Though I do like maple. Do you have that in Alternia? It comes from the sap of a certain tree."

"Too busy to bother? I wonder if that's always how it is here or only by the train station," Eridan mused. "If they were like that all over the city maybe it wouldn't be so bad, of course we know nothing about the city, do we? Except what we can assume."

2014-10-06 00:36:26
●
He blinked, "Ma..ple?" What was a maple? They ate different kinds of saps in Alternia, but nothing of maple, whatever that was. "Like syrup? There is syrup in Alternia, but it is not from a maple tree but an acer tree. It is brown and very sweet, us Alternians dip our morning bread or biscuits in it." He supposed that they could just be the same thing and they had different names for them. Tavros had never had roast baabeast before, and he thought about when Gamzee's wriggling day was and if he could, perhaps, create that for him. It may not be anything near as good as what his matesprit could create, but the sentiment was still present.

"Still, I've never heard anything good about mixed cities," It was only to be expected that the singular cities were better off in terms of behavior than the mixed ones, "So far, every mixed city is the same. Kymball Town, Tulgey City, Point of Westmore, they all exploit the lower classes to meet their own ends."

2014-10-06 01:10:13
🌀
"Hmm, that stuff sounds about the same as maple syrup. It was that sorta flavor on the turnover I had at the tea shop we went to. I have it on pancakes when I can get it... but tends to be a bit pricey. I'd try makin' it but it takes forever..." Gamzee was sufficiently distracted, thinking about the process of maple syrup creation instead of what was outside the train. "Always wanted to try cookin' with it though. Maybe someday," he said, wistful. He thought a maple cake, like a honey cake, might be amazing.

"What a bunch of bastards..." Eridan muttered. "The better we shove off the better. It will be a relief to get away from these sorts of places."

2014-10-06 01:34:58
●
"Oh! It must be a cultural thing," He decided, "Acer syrup tastes the exact same way. We must just refer to them, as different things. But I bet if we are ever in Undlegire again, you could find acer syrup for a way cheaper price. Something to look into, huh?" The train soon started to chug along again, away from Kymball town and towards Rial once more, "Perhaps we can put a more Wonderlandian twist on some of my old, Alternian favorites? I am sure it would be loads of fun."

"It would be a relief if they didn't exist to begin with," She grumbled, a bit bent out of shape, "I wonder what the countryside is like. Especially when it is not negative fourteen outside, goddammit."

2014-10-06 01:46:21
🌀
"Yea, that would be great," Gamzee smiled at his matesprit, calmer now that they were on the move again. "You can make your biscuits again, and we can have them in syrup... or whatever else you use with the stuff. Maybe maple cake? What do you think?" He was in much better spirits, the frowning brows evening out again to a more neutral position. "...thanks for the distraction, Tavbro, real sweet of you," Gamzee looked down at Tavros fondly, giving his forehead a peck before anyone could notice the gesture.

"Perhaps we will have to come back when the weather is better?" Eridan fiddled a little with the bracelet on his wrist, smiling at the patterns he traced. "Do you perhaps need a warm troll to cuddle with?" he smirked. He was technically colder than Vriska, but he thought he'd be cheeky anyways to try and take her mind off her grouching.

2014-10-06 02:18:10
●
He nodded, an arm curled around Gamzee's waist in a hug, "I think that would be lovely. But if you are going for a true, uh, Alternian breakfast, you will need your own homemade jam," He remembered going out into the forest to pick berries for jams with his guardian, and ending up eating plenty of the berries by the time they got to their hive, mouth stained blue or violet or pink, "You could try making more pasta, like Kanaya is so fond of." Tavros beamed up at him, even more at the kiss, "And you are more than welcome. What kind of matesprit would I be if I did not, assist you with that type of thing?"

Seeing him fiddle with his bracelet made Vriska's bloodpusher warm in affection, not that she very outwardly showed it, opting for turning it around on her wrist to display some sweetness, "And freeze half to death from your frigid embraces? I think not. However," Vriska held out a hand, stating dramatically, "I /suppose/ I can relinquish my hand for a while."

2014-10-06 02:36:25