Cherubplay

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Eridan was positively beaming at Vriska. "Of course that's what you did; resourceful pirate lass such as you could get out of anything," he muttered quietly to her, hugging her shoulders with the arm he had around her.

"That's all pretty wild," Karkat muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "At least you both are unharmed...who knows what those HUED fuckwads would have done if you were there, or if you'd stayed. It's good to have you both back, in any case. The place hasn't felt right without you both." He paused, the relief from having them both back in the apartment allowing them all to actually relax wasn't helping him stay awake. "We've told them everything that's gone on around here, right?"

2014-09-27 16:43:26
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"It is good to be back," Kanaya hummed, much more comfortable in a space surrounded by her friends. Her destroyed store had really upset her, but now that she was with her moirail and everyone else, she felt a lightness in her heart.

"Ah...not exactly," Tavros disappeared for a moment down the hallway before returning with the invitational scroll, "While Gamzee and I were at the bakery, I received this invitation, from a brownblood. It is to come to Rial..."

2014-09-27 16:47:34
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"I thought Rial was all purple and blue..." Eridan raised an eyebrow. "What would a brown give you that for? A mail troll?" Surely, he thought, they wouldn't hire browns as mail trolls... but then again maybe they were uppity enough not to trust lower bloods.

"That is suspect..." Karkat muttered, "what do they want you to go for? Do you think it's ahhh..." he glanced over at Sollux, and rubbed at his own wrist as if there were something there. He hadn't noticed if the yellow blood had done something about his bracelet yet or not.

2014-09-27 16:56:24
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He looked just as perplexed, "I do not know! That is what I found most confusing - Rial is cold blooded, yet a warm blood delivered the scroll..."

Sollux had yet to get his bracelet removed, the thin metal was honestly starting to annoy him. He crossed his arm behind him to hide it, then gestured that they write on the clipboards again. It was the quickest and most efficient system they had at the moment.

"The scroll seems polite and straightforward enough," Tavros continued, pulling out the stopper in one of the inkwells and plopping quills into it, "Just a formal invitation to meet with their local government."

2014-09-27 17:04:51
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Picking up clipboard, paper, and quill, Karkat started scribbling down words. 'Okay, so, it could be three things, in my estimation. Least offensive is probably that it is actually the people running Rial, they've gotten curious by whatever news they're hearing, and want to meet. Second it could be the Zodiac wanting to get in touch. Third? It's a trap from the queen to try and lure us away from the city so she can kill us in a place she and HUED (assuming they're working together at least marginally) think no one will miss or bother with because we know how these bastards thing about coldbloods: shoot first worry about ramifications later.'

Eridan felt suspicious as well but was interested in visiting. 'What does your Alice intuition tell you, Tavros? Hasn't really steered us wrong yet.'

2014-09-27 18:17:19
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Tavros hadn't even considered the possibility of the Queen having a hand in it - it would certainly explain the brownblood handing over the scroll, and not some common mail troll. Tavros scrubbed at his face with his palm, taking hold of the clipboard and scritching down his reply with his quill: 'I had given it some thought whilst in the bakery. I did not think that it was anything too terrible: should it be Zodiac, we can clear up any and all miscommunications and see if they can be of any use. If it is jus their government, then surely it would be a good trip. But..." His quill stilled momentarily before he continued, 'The invitation extends to us all, which raises my suspicion. I am unsure what I feel of this invitation now.'

2014-09-27 18:44:30
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Gamzee thought about all this, gently taking the quill to scratch something down. 'We should ask Terezi. She's stationed there, and didn't she say she'd check up on us sometime? She should know if it's something the Zodiac set up or if the Rialans would be likely do invite us.'

'Brilliant. Now we just need to make sure we get in contact.' Karkat replied. He didn't know how they were going to do that... he supposed he could find some tie in from Borina, but didn't want to put the shop keeper in such a position.

2014-09-27 18:56:57
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Tavros questioned, 'Did Terezi ever tell us when she was going to come back?' Something else dawned on him as he wrote, and he continued, 'And what should I say to the princess in the note? I have been meaning to keep her updated but it has somehow eluded me.'

Honestly, he didn't know what to say to her. A quick glance around the room gauged that they were all much too tired to go into depth about much; Vriska had fallen asleep against Eridan's side, and Sollux was just barely awake, as was Kanaya.

"Actually," He stood up, putting his quill down, "We ought to catch those last few hours of, sleep."

2014-09-27 19:14:37
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"Here here," Karkat muttered, going back to his usual spot and falling asleep almost immediately as soon as he got comfortable.

With a tired smile and a kiss to Tavros's cheek, Gamzee got up and picked up the dishes, meandering them into the kitchen. Eridan meanwhile was scooping up the sleeping Vriska, and carried her off to the respiteblock they shared carefully. Gamzee came back, waiting for Tavros before walking back to the respiteblock so they could cuddle up and sleep as well.

2014-09-27 19:20:11
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Tavros yawned, rubbing at his eyes as he stood, saying his good nights to all as they moved to their different rooms for the night.

The next morning, Tavros was already awake, scrubbed clean from a bath and working diligently on a brief letter to Aradia. It was not quite as detailed as she may have liked; it mostly talked about how the Alice group was being targeted but was fine. Tavros questioned her about how things were going in the palace, and if Sollux was, possibly, going to be off hive arrest any time soon. He asked, too, if she knee anything about the West and the ties to humans, if at all.

2014-09-27 19:53:27
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The reply from Aradia wouldn't arrive for a couple hours once he send it off, as she needed to find time alone to write and to scope out some information if she could.

Eventually Karkat got up from Tavros's wakefulness, and meandered into the kitchen to actually make coffee. He'd decided he liked switching it up. Eventually he sat down by the brown blood at the table. "I hope Rial isn't a trap... it would be nice to see somewhere else and get out of this place for a little while... Say, have you told the princess about HUED or does she know about it already?"

2014-09-27 20:05:57
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He rubbed at the back of his neck, brows furrowed, "Admittedly, I am reluctant to do so. I do not think she knows of HUED. Let me rephrase that. I do not think she knows the severity of it," He assumed that she may have thought of HUED as some type of necessary organization, courtesy of Parliamentary brainwashing. The last thing he needed was any kind of changing in their fragile relationship. She still did not know much about him, and vice versa.

2014-09-27 21:10:44
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"Hmm, well, you inform her as you see fit, none of the rest of us know much of anything about her, so you know best. Have you bothered eating yet?" he asked, "I was going to heat up a honey cake for myself, I can get you one too if that's what you want."

Gamzee eventually emerged, but went straight for a shower, feeling more tired than usual and needing something to wake up. Probably just the walking after days of lazing about, he reasoned, and being interrupted while sleeping. Probably left over healing, too. Eventually he came out to the table, hair still a bit damp, in his old loose clothes, not expecting they would be going much of anywhere.

2014-09-27 21:20:52
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"Not yet. A honey cake would be great, thank you." Tavros turned to his paper again, scribbling out a couple more sentences before allowing the ink to dry and rolling the paper into a scroll. He used the same ribbon from the Rialan scroll, then moved to a window and peered out it. The snow from the night before looked beautiful and flawless on the sidewalks and roofs, and Tavros opened the window, cold air easing into the apartment. A pigeon soon appeared, sitting on the windowsill as Tavros placed the paper into its beak, smiling widely as he saw Gamzee, "Good morning, hun." The pigeon soon fluttered off, and he shut the window, noticing that Sollux had come out his room, as well, but neither girls had. He figured they were both exhausted from the previous night.

2014-09-27 22:40:54
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"Mornin', darlin'," Gamzee greeted with a smile. Like Karkat he went to the kitchen, making tea instead for whoever wanted it. He brought a cup for himself and Tavros, sitting down since Karkat had everything else covered. Noticing Sollux too, he spoke in a round about manner. "All up and watchin' the birds this mornin', huh? They makin' cute tracks in all that new snow?"

Karkat sat down with four cakes, spreading the plates out to different spots and setting silverware. He was becoming a little more domestic than he'd expected from himself, but it was nice to have people to look after and spoil. Kanaya's motherly influence was obviously rubbing off on him. "Coffee or tea this morning, Sollux?" he asked after he'd finished arranging the places.

2014-09-27 22:48:57
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He nodded slowly, turning his attention back to the window to watch the birds fly by, a couple sitting on the sill as Tavros communed with them, "Mm hmm. I love seeing them out and about," He finally moved from the window to Gamzee's side, looping his arms around his neck to give him a sweet kiss to his lips.

Sollux shuffled a hand through his hair, noticing that coffee had already been made and opted for that, "Coffee's fine, thanks. I don't suppose Vriska has gotten up yet?" Kanaya certainly hadn't; she spent most of the morning floating between sleep and consciousness, muttering and trying to hold an actual conversation but normally falling back asleep.

2014-09-28 00:49:49
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Gamzee smiled at the kiss, returning it and hugging Tavros around his waist. "Damn chipper this mornin, dearest!" He bent to whisper in Tavros's ear. "D'you all up and think I should make that cake today? Like the nice thing we thought of earlier for when the girls got back... or is there other stuff to do?" He pulled back and looked at his matesprit with a curious smile as he pulled out a chair for the copperblood.

"No, not Eridan either. I imagine if they're awake they're snuggling the morning away. Though those two might surprise me." Setting the filled coffee mug before Sollux's place at the table, he sat down at his own set out spot and picked up his fork to have a bite of breakfast.

2014-09-28 01:05:08
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He shook his head, unable to contain his happiness. Tavros was gleeful with everyone in the apartment, and he nuzzled his nose against Gamzee's cheek as he sat down, "I do not think so. Most all items on our to-do list have been checked off," Tavros hummed, digging into his food excitedly as Sollux took a deep sip of his coffee. "Did anyone go downstairs and get the newspaper?"

In the respiteblock, Vriska laid on her back in bed, arms folded underneath her head as she stared at the designs of the ceiling. She had taken a bath quite early that morning, before the sun had even come up, and her skin smelled sweetly of the soaps she used. She yawned, having woken up a second time not too long ago, body covered in a loose shirt that Kanaya had given. "Give it to me straight, Marchie. How long does a fractured knuckle take to heal?"

2014-09-28 01:15:56
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"Well then, you can look forward to cake later on!" he kissed Tavros's cheek before he started eating his own food. Tavros's mood was infectious.

"No, haven't been up that long, really. Expecting news?" Karkat asked.

"It depends I think. If you tend to heal quickly then not too long, maybe a number of perigees fully. You could probably ask Gamzee for one of those mushrooms of his. They did help quite a bit if you need them." Eridan rested next to her on his side, enjoying the sweet smell from the soaps. "Why, is it being problematic for you?" He hadn't been awake that long, but was indeed content to lay there for as long as Vriska was about.

2014-09-28 01:28:09
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The paper wasn't necessarily something that he looked forward to, nor did he think that there would be anything very helpful, but he thought he should look, anyways. "It's been too quiet, if you ask me. Parliament puts weekly statements in the paper about what they're up to, and I think it's worthwhile to just check. It may not be substantial information, but it's the best I can do without actually getting into a government building."

"It pops every time I move my finger. You can see it. Damn. I think it might actually be broken, not fractured," She showed off her pinky knuckle, which was not as swollen and bruised as it used to be, but still quite hard to look at, "It's just a boxer's break, so it probably is not anything too bad. If Makara has anything helpful, I'll take it without hesitation," Her finger hurt plenty, but she had suffered worse breaks: legs, arms, collarbones, ribs. Being a pirate was never easy work, after all.

2014-09-28 01:37:03
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"We can always read between the lines a little if it's not terribly vague," Karkat shrugged. "Also I expect we are taking over the kitchen again today..." he glanced at Gamzee to confirm his suspicions. "Unless you're against that. It is your apartment after all." Karkat was hiding a smile in his cup of coffee. As if they hadn't pretty much taken over Sollux's residence already.

The seadweller grimaced a bit. "I would ask Gamzee, he seems to be our informal medic as well as cook. Ironically enough." He pauses, putting an arm around Vriska's waist to snuggle her a little. "I bet you really did a number on him with a blow that powerful," he smiled, kissing her jaw lightly.

2014-09-28 01:53:52
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"Oh, so now I have a say in my residence? Fancy that!" Sollux had long since given up on trying to have any type of control on their headquarters, and he very much considered his apartment to be /their/ apartment. "I never uses my kitchen often before you all, so it may as well be under your control constantly."

The stroke to her ego did not go without reward, and Vriska returned the affection with soft kisses to his cheek, "I hadn't felt a solid punch like that in a long while. Almost forgot the thrill of wonderful hand to hand combat." She sighed wistfully, "You think I could find a sparring partner around here?"

2014-09-28 02:34:12
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"Hahaha, okay, you better watch what you say, Captor, or you'll have a bakery starting up in your own home," Karkat laughed.

"What if we did do that? Do you need money for the orphanage supplies? We could always try to help!" Gamzee had remembered his idea from the day before, and wondered if it was useless. Sollux seemed pretty well off.

"Well, I think sparring partners are pretty hard to come by in this ritzy city... but I might know one who might like a nice tussle every now and again," Eridan smirked, purring a little at the kiss. He nuzzled her a little, enjoying the quiet time they were having by themselves after her absence.

2014-09-28 02:49:05
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Sollux had a pretty rough estimate when it came to the remainder of the orphanage, and he couldn't fund it all by himself without putting himself in debt. It wasn't just the actual building that he had to pay for, but the plumbing and electricity, the interior furniture and wood for flooring, as well as paint and glass for the windows, not to mention numerous other items that he hadn't even started to put into his estimations. "My paycheck may be lofty, but it isn't even close to paying off everything that orphanage needs. Whatever you all can bring to the table would be more than appreciated," He admitted, " 'S not like the government's doing much to help those kids anyway."

"I'd prefer someone that I know I won't kick the ass of every time," Vriska teased, propping herself up on one elbow as she peered down at him playfully, "There's hardly any room around here to do that, anyway. Maybe the roof? If it would quit fucking snowing, then perhaps we could."

2014-09-28 02:53:51
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Gamzee didn't think he'd ever felt more determined to do something. "Okay, we'll have to find a way to..." he kind of mumbled a bit, taking a piece of paper and quill and scribbling things down, breakfast all but forgotten.

"I told you to be careful. Now you've got a purple on a rampage of planning. Look at that, totally wild with ideas of helping orphans. Lord, and here I thought the stories weren't true!" he said with such depths of sarcasm and irony they may have been immeasurable.

The purple in question caught wind of Karkat's wry humor and smiled, laughing a little. "Yea, really livin up to my reputation here."

"Kick my ass indeed! I think we're pretty evenly matched, Hattie... though perhaps your wiles could undo my concentration..." the seadweller smiled, relaxing back. "So unless you cheat by being too cute I think you'll get a decent work out from sparing together. Though I agree I'd rather not do it in the snow."

2014-09-28 03:06:02