Cherubplay

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After getting cleaned up Gamzee pulled his hair back from his face and went to the kitchen. "Hungry, Tavbro?" he asked. He was quite hungry himself, and rummaged around for something to eat. He felt too lazy to cook properly, so sandwiches it was unless Tavros wanted something hot, he decided, setting sandwich materials on the counter.

It was getting warm enough that Gamzee was too warm in what he had been traveling in. He also wanted to relax. Going through to the bedroom, he peeled of his sweater and shirt together, putting the sweater away neatly and draping the shirt over a chair. He also changed into some more pajama-like bottoms while out of sight They were slightly long even for him, but comfortable: he felt like chilling to the max right then, and it was warm enough now in the small hive for him to go shirtless comfortably. He hoped Tav didn't mind much...would he? He didn't actually have a clue, but guessed he would find out. He could always put a shirt on. He went back out into the kitchen to prepare food.

2014-06-29 04:28:58
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"Huh? Ah..." He was just groggy enough that he couldn't reply in a timely fashion, and he sat up some to at least give the impression that he was paying attention, "Yes, actually. I hardly mind, uh, what you fix, but I could try to make something, if you would like me to..." He felt bad that Gamzee was, essentially, caring for him in some aspects. There were certain things Tavros could not really change, but he /could/ try to do something special for Gamzee every once in a while.

Just as he was about to stand to offer his help with the making of food, Tavros's eyes caught on Gamzee's shirtless frame and he stiffened. A dark blush sprawled onto his cheeks, and he brought his coat-blanket up to his face to try to conceal it, just his eyes peeking out as Gamzee headed into the kitchen. "U-Um," He squeaked, "Do you...do you want any help?"

2014-06-29 04:39:19
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He took Tavros's covered up appearance as an indication of coldness, and not the intense blushing that it was, "If you want to, you don't all up and have to if you're too motherfuckin cold though. Be done in a jiffy. Shake of a baabeast's tail and all that shit." Gamzee smiled more fondly than he wanted at Tavros then, thinking he was pretty adorable all bundled up like that in the squashy chair. "You aren't too fuckin cold are you? Could get you a blanket."

His forearm and shoulder muscles moved smoothly under grey skin as he cut slices of bread for their sandwiches. He figured some cheese and vegetables, and some more smoked meat would do it. He rummaged for these and anything else that stuck out to him while Tavros made up his mind about helping and how cold he was.

2014-06-29 04:52:39
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He found that, rather than answering, he was staring stupidly at Gamzee's frame. It was less a lusting attraction, Tavros thought, but more of something aesthetic in general. There was something artistic about the way Gamzee's body flowed and moved; every muscle seemed to move seamlessly with the next, and his actions were never aimless or purposeless, but decisive and precise. Though his current activity was just making sandwiches, Tavros caught himself memorizing every movement the other troll made and deciding, then and there, that Gamzee was undoubtedly beautiful.

He figured that now would be a good time to answer.

"...Um! Oh, uh, no, no, I d-don't need a blanket, not really, this coat is fine," Feeling the warming sensation of a furthered blush, he flicked his tapered ears twice and shimmied under the coat further. It was stupid to get so attached! At least, that was what he chanted in his mind to try to convince himself otherwise. "I will just. Wait here for you. If that's okay."

2014-06-30 02:29:11
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The long pause and unsure rambling made Gamzee wonder if something was up. He looked over to see Tavros...hiding? Why would he be hiding? He turned back to finish making food for them while he thought about it. The only thing that was different was him... he didn't know if he just looked scary now (what he thought was most likely from social conditioning) or if it was some other thing that was bothering Tavros. He started frowning a little, trying not to let it show.

"...yea, that's fine Tavbro." Gamzee eventually replied. Shortly after he headed over to the chair, two plates in hand. "Here you go, hope you like it," he said distractedly as he handed it to Tavros, managing a small smile. Then he lowered himself to the floor in front of the fire, spreading out. He started munching on his own sandwich contemplatively.

2014-06-30 02:51:02
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"Thank you," He murmured, taking the plate that had his food on it and lowered his coat down from his face. How embarrassing! Gamzee must have thought much differently of him now that he was giving some indication as to how he felt about the other male. It was not as if he was suddenly in love with him, not by a long shot, but there was something more than friendly going on between the two of them, even after such a short amount of time.

He bit into his sandwich, purring contently at the taste. It had been a while since he had last eaten, and the taste and texture seemed to be heightened on his tastebuds as he ate and gazed into the fire. They fell into a silence again, but Tavros did not feel comfortable with it; he felt that he should explain himself but could not come to a way to begin. It would be rude to tell Gamzee what to do in his own home, wouldn't it? He had already done so much for Tavros and was planning to do more, it would be ungrateful of Tavros to start shouting orders to someone that was unnecessarily kind to him. Thus, he sat with a slight wrinkle of his nose as he bit back his tongue and his thoughts, clearing his mind as he ate his food.

2014-06-30 02:59:44
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Gamzee, too, was staring into the fire, wondering what he should do. He thought Tavros was uncomfortable, and the only difference from before was his appearance, so he figured that would need to change. He knew he kind of liked Tavros, but had been avoiding thinking about it as anything more than friendship. Gamzee didn't figure the other could like him as anything more than that. Honestly that they seemed to be such easy friends was still a bit surprising to Gamzee when he thought about it properly.

Maybe he would always just be frightening, even to those who didn't know the purplebloods history in Wonderland, he thought to himself. Maybe it was just something in their biology.

After finishing his sandwich he got up quickly, leaving the plate in the sink for now and going back to his bedroom. He picked out a loose shirt; it would be cool enough but cover him completely. He guessed he could still be cozy, and brought a cushy blanket to cuddle up on too, returning to his place in front of the fire on the floor.

2014-06-30 03:09:40
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He didn't want to admit it, but he visibly relaxed when Gamzee returned completely clothed. That would soothe his nerves some. Tavros finished up his food and, rather than setting his dish in the sink, washed both his plate and Gamzee's. It took a couple moments to find where he kept the plates, but he slid them into place relatively easily, then joined Gamzee on the floor as opposed to the chair.

"So," Tavros began, sprawled out on his stomach with his chin propped on his palms, elbows to the floor, "What do you think my- well, our- journey will be like?"

2014-06-30 03:12:40
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Gamzee looked a little droopy externally, which he hoped would just look like tiredness to Tavros. Internally he felt like shit, as he'd noticed that his friend relaxed when he came back, and had no idea that it was because Tavros actually liked the looks of him and not the complete opposite which was where his train of thought was taking him.

"Thanks for doing the dishes, Tav, you didn't have too," he commented, hearing the plates being put away. He had spaced out a little when Tavros asked his question. "Huh? Oh, dunno, probably fine. Lots of outdoors places to see, looks like. Not so much city, that's pretty nice I guess. Kinda wondered what other places looked like," he muttered, glancing at Tavros occasionally while speaking so as not to be rude, but mostly watching the fire.

2014-06-30 03:23:31
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The question really did not hold any value and Tavros did not care one way or the other what the journey was going to be like, but he needed some kind of transition into his true inquiry. So, he laid on his back, a palm patting at Gamzee's shoulder and arm for his attention as he scrunched his nose somewhat, "If I hurt your feelings, you can tell me."

All embarrassment aside, the last thing he would want to do to his friend is make him feel uncomfortable or hurt. Gamzee was the only person in all of Wonderland that he could call his friend, and without him, he would be lost and aimless, attempting to conquer a quest he did not know much about. He craved his attention but more than anything, he yearned for Gamzee's support, so when the other male seemed gloomy or out of it, Tavros felt it was his personal mission to correct it. "Or, I mean, if anything, uh, is bothering you in the slightest, I am here for you. Honest."

2014-06-30 03:28:35
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Gamzee was a little surprised again at the kindness and caring he was being shown, and especially surprised at the patting to his shoulder. He flipped onto his back to give Tavros more direct attention, resting his head on a forearm, the other on his stomach.

"...nah, it's all okay Tavbro. I made you un-fuckin-comfortable, I should have thought better, remembered myself or whatever the fuck," he half smiled at Tavros. He cheered up a little, reminding himself of how nice Tavros was the rest of the time. It wasn't a big deal to be covered up all the time, he could deal with hiding himself. He was used to that anyway.

2014-06-30 03:40:16
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"You only made me uncomfortable because I was caught off-guard! It really, uh, is nothing huge, promise." And with that, he directed a smile up at him, glad to see that they had come to an understanding, "Besides, I cannot tell you how to dress in the comfort of your own hive - that's silly."

Mentally, Tavros congratulated himself; he had managed to cheer up his friend, even if only fractionally. He had decided not to let things like that come in the way of how they interacted with each other, moreso during downtime such as this. "But it is nice like this, isn't it?" He asked after a few moments, "I like the quiet like this, with you."

2014-06-30 03:49:19
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"But you're my fuckin guest, I'm supposed to make you comfortable. I just all up and forgot..." he trailed off, not finishing the thought. "...I'm glad it's no big thing, though." He smiled up at Tavros from the floor.

He put it from his mind, chilling out with Tav in front of the fire. He looked up a Tavros as his friend continued, the firelight playing on his face and glimmering in his eyes. "It is nice, I like it, too," he replied, a slight blush coming unbidden onto his cheeks to play with the firelight colors. He broke eye contact with Tavros, glancing at the fire again with a gentle smile toying at his lips.

2014-06-30 04:01:16
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He noticed the blush, but decided that it was nothing that he could have possibly done; he hadn't said anything particularly noteworthy, nor had he done anything to Gamzee physically that would warrant a response. Tavros settled that the only logical explanation was heat from the fire, so he closed his eyes to enjoy the silence.

As per usual, with a full stomach and a relatively busy day, -he was worn out from walking, if anything- Tavros had fallen asleep. His chest rose and fell, a hand splayed over it as his eyes moved slowly beneath his lids. His eyelashes, thick and dark, curled over his gray skin with a delightful contrast as he breathed with partially opened lips. He was comfortable in even the most /uncomfortable/ places, whether it was the floor in a house or the ground outside.

2014-06-30 04:10:47
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With the silence now more comfortable, Gamzee started to drift off, too. The fire was just so nice and warm, and he had the hazy feeling of new attraction to cheer him. If he'd been able to watch Tavros sleeping in the position he was in he would have had to turn away from how lovely he appeared. Luckily enough he couldn't and fell asleep where he lay, drifting lazily through pleasant dreams.

Gamzee wasn't bad looking in sleep either, however he eventually curled up on his side facing the fire, bent knees nearly up to his chest, one arm curled under his head with his face leaning in to it, the other arm curled in front of his chest holding the blanket as if protecting it. He got a bit tangled in said blanket, but was too deeply asleep to be bothered at all through the night.

2014-06-30 04:23:51
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The trip was already beginning to seem like it was taking forever. They had traveled for about half a day, and it only took that long to get to the outskirts of The Screechlands.

This part of the country was desolate and dark. The ground was a stark white with one road going through it, which was made of black, shiny stone, like obsidian. The buildings, all slanted with lopsided windows, were just as dark, and, from what Tavros could tell, there were not many people around. In fact, the singular road was uninhabited, and, as they continued on, he could see in the distance a long table in the town square.

The table was immaculate and colorful, teapots of all kinds decorating it with a multicolored tablecloth below it. On either end of the table were two figures, who sipped colored teas and ate macaroons and seemed to be shooting each other glares. Tavros, with furrowed brows, looked over at Gamzee, "Um...should we talk to them?"

2014-07-01 00:23:27
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Gamzee shrugged, shifting the pack on his shoulders. "I suppose we'll all up and have to, from what that riddle wants." He was worried about these two, specifically whoever was supposed to be from the spade lands. Specifically he was concerned about how aggressive they were, as the occupants of the past were supposed to be barbaric and ruthless, especially his own people. He'd been plagued long enough by the historical stigma against his own person and he had never lived in this place, or been a part of those people at all except for his blood color. He suspected this was not the case for whatever individuals they might encounter in the area.

"It might be fuckin best if you start this shit off, Tavbro. I'm here for you," Gamzee said, putting a hand on Tavros's shoulder reassuringly for a moment. Besides for his own fears, these two were supposed to be relatively unbalanced, hence the names they were known by. Gamzee made himself ready for whatever might happen.

2014-07-01 00:42:55
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"I suppose so," He agreed, his lips pursed as he tried to think of how to approach the situation. The pair of people seemed to be bickering over tea, and, occasionally, a teacup was thrown or a fist was slammed against the table, but things seemed to be, more or less, tame. Tavros reached up to place his hand over Gamzee's, staring hard at the scene before him, then he set down his own pack of supplies. He had to do this, the riddle declared it and it was part of his journey.

A soft breath was taken to try to calm himself down, and Tavros strode forward, until both coldbloods noticed him and ceased their fighting, "Excuse me?"

"Aye, look what we have here!" A cerulean blooded female, the Mad Hatter, as she was called, readjusted the pompous tricorn hat atop her head with feathers galore. She spoke with a light accent befitting that of a pirate, her sharp teeth glinting in the sparse light of the land as she hopped to her feet. She was of average height, but it was elevated due to her heeled red boots, "A shitblood come gallivantin' 'round our Screechlands. Why, if I haven't already downed my cuppa tea, I may be so inclined as to duuuuuuuump it all over our dainty little friend."

Tavros raised his hands in defense, "Please, um, try to understand, I do not mean any harm in my approaching you both. You see, I am not from around here and-"

"/I'll/ say! What highblood comes knocking at the Screechlands's door?"

2014-07-01 02:00:44
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Gamzee glared daggers at her, just barely keeping his lips from curling into a growl. How dare she insult Tavros and be so horrid! It was infuriating. He set his pack down next to his friend's and strode over to be next to him defensively. He only restrained himself because he knew Tavros needed to make these two get along with themselves and with him. It was difficult, but he'd have to manage.

"Now now, Hattie, I think he's kinda cute; and he's got good taste in clothes at least," the violet seadweller, the March Hare? commented from his place at the table. He was quite fancifully dressed, mostly in hues of violet and lighter vivid purples, many textures and angles working together making the garments almost confusing to look at though they were obviously well made and tailored. "But she does bring up a point. What /are/ you doing here?"

This attitude didn't impress Gamzee either, but somehow it wasn't nearly as offensive as the other one.

2014-07-01 02:19:06
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The Mad Hatter put her hands on her hips and made a face as the March Hare began speaking. She flipped her long, wavy hair over her shoulder and stepped from the table, plucking a sugar cube from one of the many trays and balancing it on her nose as she spoke, "Ye thinks him cute because ye wish to wriggle that tentacle a' yours into his bloomers! Tell him, lad," Vriska motioned to Tavros, "Tell him you're spoken fer by one of /them./"

"I...do not entirely know what you mean, by that statement." Confusion flickered across his face, and he looked at both the March Hare and the Mad Hatter with sincerity mixed with puzzlement. "Please, do listen to me," He started, "I only wish to bring the kingdoms of Spades and Clubs together. You see," Tavros rustled in the pocket of his apron, then unfolded the small map and flipped it so that the phrase 'YOU ARE ALICE' were presented to the pair of lowbloods. "I am the next Alice, and I need your, uh, cooperation."

2014-07-01 02:38:31
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"UGH, why are you always so awful?!" the March Hare scoffed at the Hatter, disgusted with her. He did rake his eyes up and down Tavros though, "And he doesn't have anything on him that professes he's taken, /them/ or otherwise," he spat at her.

Gamzee was totally skeeved out by this fucking seadweller, and he had equally no idea what the cerulean meant by 'one of /them/'. Who was them? a voice in the back of his brain demanded. He ignored it, staying planted behind Tavros in case he was needed, but didn't think he could really be of any help, at least not yet.

At the talk of Alice and the two kingdoms the Hare looked back over at Tavros, a much nicer, if slightly slimy, look on his face than what he had just been giving the Hatter. "Why should the kingdoms be together? All you landdwellers are insufferable, for the most part. And there aren't enough of /his/ kind left to debate us on that point, like they would be able to anyway," he commented, waving a hand dismissively in Gamzee's direction.

2014-07-01 02:50:31
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"Surely ye is kidding! Have ye seen the brute looming behind this fragile lil' /cinnamon?/" Jerking her head back, the sugarcube landed in her mouth and she chewed in thoughtfully before striding up to Tavros, who stood firmly in his stance. A clawed hand took hold of his chin, her eyes peering over his face and clothing as she grinned toothily at his tense muscles and lightly parted lips, "Hmm. He /is/ cute. But I would much rather keep the kingdoms separated, no matter how cute this Alice is."

Tavros watched as she pulled away, and the Mad Hatter plopped in her seat, snapping her fingers as two more chairs appeared at the table. "Do have a seat, lad," She gestured, and Tavros, hesitantly, sat down and watched as his teacup was filled by a moving teapot, and the Mad Hatter clapped three times, resulting in three sugar cubes plopping themselves into his cup. Brown eyes observed silently, then, as things began to quieten, he gauged that it was time for him to speak, "The kingdoms do not need to merge, necessarily," He rephrased, "But cooperation is key, honestly! This needless tendency to argue will not advance Spades nor Clubs."

2014-07-01 03:06:21
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Gamzee glowered at her as she approached and actually /touched/ Tavros. These two were really bringing out his worst, he thought, baring fangs. She left quick enough he didn't do anything more than that minorly threatening display. He reminded himself he had to chill out and let Tavros talk; his friend could get this done if he didn't fuck it up by getting mad at them just because of his own protective urges and potentially overly friendly feelings. He sat next to Tavros at the table stiffly.

The violet Hare sighed, "He really /is/ looming. But still, nothing definite it doesn't look like, does it?" He fiddled with his teacup as she continued speaking, and didn't comment. He looked bored as Tavros spoke. "No one is going to advance either of our kingdoms. We're so much dust swept under their totally gaudy rug as far as they're concerned. Why do you care, highblood; just want to crush us under your boot heels a little firmer?"

2014-07-01 03:21:32
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Immediately, Tavros shook his head, "No, no, of course not! You see, I am not from here," He explained his story - how he was from Alternia, how he experienced similar mistreatment by his world's version of highbloods, and even if he was a highblood here, he did not entirely enjoy it. The perks were nice, sure, but what was the cost? A huge amount of oppressed people that were squished under the thumb of a privileged few.

"I will admit, I do not entirely know what my purpose on this journey is. But I have reason to believe that taking a, um. Representative, so to speak, from each of the kingdoms and going against the Heart kingdom, is what I must do," Tavros picked up his teacup and sipped it and looked to Vriska, who had kicked her heeled feet onto the edge of the table and began sipping her own tea, the latter of which was rather ladylike. "Who cares about going against the Hearts? Those lubbers banished us to the Screechlands for a reason, lad. Please take your pretty dress elsewhere."

"But you two wish for, uh, proper representation in this world of Wonderland, don't you?" Tavros piped up, "Coldbloods are attached to poverty, to discrimination, and I know that all too well. If three go against one, who is Hearts to argue?"

2014-07-01 03:59:06
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"You say three, cutie, but there are only two of us. You couldn't possibly mean /him/ so I'm going to assume you mean the ...Diamonds," the violet blooded troll nearly spat the last word. "And they get almost as much benefit as the warmest of bloods. Surely you don't expect them to risk giving up their cushy lives. And it's all good that /you/ feel bad, sweetheart, but some of your ilk don't even think a disparity exists. And they're not the worst of the lot," he paused from his tirade. "And I don't see why I should be bothered in the least. /I/ live in the sea, I don't have to deal with any of your land dwelling stupidity. There are only a few left from the Spades kingdom who dwell on land full time, and you're not going to get anyone to care about them," he aimed a pointed look to the person at Tavros's side, pointing out clearly what he meant, at least he thought so.

He was essentially ignoring the whole point of the conversation now, turning back to the Mad Hatter in a rude huff. "The problem with your assumption is that it only goes one way. And that sort of thing is a two way street. He could be a mangy barkbeast for how much the little one looks to care about him in return."

That was harsh, Gamzee thought, but said nothing. He was surprised how transparent he was to these two, but it didn't matter anyway. He doubted all the political points brought up himself, and, well, ...the last thing didn't bear dwelling on.

2014-07-01 04:22:18