Chapter Text
==> Aranea: get on with your quest, despite your friends’ disapproval.
You do not need their approval. You are not doing this to impress anyone, you are doing this because somebody has to. And let’s face it, nobody is better equipped for this task than you, with all your knowledge and your staggering mind control powers. You know what you have to do, you had aeons to learn every bit of information you could find and plan everything carefully.
You turn around to face the silly clown, who unwittingly helped you along.
ARANEA: Now then.
ARANEA: What to do a8out you?
ARANEA: Shall I continue to manipul8 you? Or will you comply with my orders if I decide to loosen my grip?
ARANEA: Perhaps the threat of 8eing controlled again will 8e enough to keep your capricious tendencies in check?
ARANEA: ........
ARANEA: I guess it's a risk.
ARANEA: 8ut you seem so serene and compliant.
ARANEA: Alright. I will 8e gracious, and allow you some free will privileges.
ARANEA: Use them wisely, my trusty jongleur.
==> Gamzee: blink confusedly.
Your goofy smile slowly subsides, and for a long moment your expression is completely blank. What are you doing here and who is this spider chick?
==> Aranea: be extremely pleased with yourself.
You look so pleased with yourself, that Meenah would probably puke her guts out if she could see you right now.
ARANEA: So, my f8thful 8ard. Are you ready to 8egin your new quest?
ARANEA: Are you willing to stand 8y my side and do your a8solute 8est to help me undo the chaos, which you cre8ed in the first place?
ARANEA: Are you prepared to use your newly regained free will to o8ey my every command without questions?
ARANEA: In other words, are you going to 8e useful, Makara?
GAMZEE: …
ARANEA: …
ARANEA: Makara?
ARANEA: Hmm, I didn’t permanently damage your 8rain, did I? That would 8e unfortu…
GAMZEE: honk
ARANEA: …
ARANEA: …Pardon?
GAMZEE: HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!!!
==> Gamzee: be absolutely terrifying.
Before the spider chick can react, you swing your arm and deliver a bone crushing punch to her smug face. Her glasses crack under your fist, and she collapses on the floor, where she clutches her bleeding nose. You grab her by one horn and yank her back on her feet. She tries to break free, but you turn her around and wrap one arm around her throat to hold her in place, her back pressed to your chest. She struggles in your tight grip, digging her fingers into your forearm and trying to move it away from her throat, while her sharp horns graze against your neck, breaking the skin and drawing blood. You do not notice the pain.
In her panic, Aranea seems to have forgotten that she can turn her psychic powers back on and mind control you into submission.
Tightening your grip around the girl’s neck, you grab her ring-bearing hand and bring in to your mouth. With a mixture of manic laughter and enraged growl, you dig your sharp teeth into her flesh. The pain must be excruciating, because she screams at the top of her voice and thrashes violently in your arms. One of her horns leaves a deep cut on your jaw, which you ignore. Your fangs do a quick job of the sinews and bones on her finger, right under the gold band of that miraculous ring around it, and soon the digit comes off clean from her hand, and you hold it triumphantly between your teeth. Aranea keeps screaming, while spurt after pulsing spurt of blue blood erupt from her injured hand.
In a swift motion, you let go of Aranea’s throat and instead grab a fistful of her hair, while your other hand takes hold of her dress. Gripping her tightly, you turn on the spot and then let go of her, using the momentum to throw her head first into the wall. There is a loud crack, and the screaming stops. Panting heavily, you stand and watch, as her unconscious body silently slides to the floor. Or maybe her dead body. You are not sure.
==> Gamzee: honour the spider chick’s remains.
You take the severed finger out of your mouth and remove the ring from it, discarding the digit. Your blood-smeared lips stretch into a wicked smile. With this ring you can make some miracles happen, and your heart swells in your chest at the very thought. You put the bloodstained ring on your own finger and stop to admire it for a moment.
When you are done admiring, you look around the room. You find a set of knives in the kitchen area, pick a large cleaver and return to Aranea’s body. Smiling peacefully, you kneel beside it, hold the girl’s head firmly by the hair and begin chopping it off with the cleaver. A few hard blows later your hands and forearms, as well as the upper half of Aranea’s body, are completely soaked in blood, and the wall next to you is covered with beautiful blue splatters. You set the cleaver aside. Kneeling in the quickly spreading pool of blood, you lift Aranea’s head by the horns and hold it in front of you, looking at it almost lovingly.
GAMZEE: rest in motherfucking peace, sister.
You bring the blood-dripping head to your face and press your lips to its mouth. Then you toss the head aside, and it hits the floor with a loud thump and rolls away. With a satisfied smile you drag the headless body a few feet away from the sticky blue puddle and lay down on the floor next to it, resting your head on the dead girl’s chest. Her tits are squished under your weight, and you chuckle to yourself. Nice and soft, and so motherfucking comfy. You give the ring on your finger one last affectionate stroke before closing your eyes.
==> Tavros: continue to be sad and alone.
You stand in the middle of the vast desert, wondering how you managed to be even more lonely in your afterlife than in your normal life. Even before you ditched Vriska, when you were still surrounded by all your dead friends, you felt alone. Why? Because they don’t understand! They all think that adventures are merely means to get what they want, to gain victory, or power, or stupid treasure. But this is not what real adventure is about, oh no. What it is really about is something completely different, something opposite of that, you daresay. Something much more wonderful. So what is that wonderful thing that real adventure is all about? – you ask yourself. Well, you reply to yourself with a knowing smile, as your feet drag you across the neverending desert, step after step in the soft sand. Isn’t that obvious? The most real and thrilling adventure is always about…
Huh. That’s weird.
A friendly clown stands in your way, waving at you with a welcoming smile. It seems he wants to chill with you. Would you like to chill with the friendly clown?
==> Tavros: cautiously approach the clown.
Seeing your confused expression, the clown takes off his ridiculous hood, and you get a better view of his painted face and wild, messy hair.
Oh gog… What in the name of Rufio’s magnificent horns is HE doing here???
==> Gamzee: be overjoyed to see your bro Tavros.
You wrap your long arms around his small form and pull him into a crushing hug, even lifting him off the ground a little. Tavros squeaks and flails his feet, trying to get back down and away from you, his old friend, whose face he has almost forgotten in the long sweeps he has spent here. You reluctantly let go of him.
TAVROS: g-GAMZEE?,, wHAT,,, uHH, WHAT,,,
GAMZEE: heeeey, my favorite motherfucker! i’m all kinds of happy to see you, all up and walking with your own motherfucking legs and shit.
TAVROS: gAMZEE, UHHH, i’M SORRY, i DIDN’T RECOGNISE YOU, AT FIRST. yOU LOOK, DIFFERENT, UHHH, TALLER, SORT OF
TAVROS: y-YOU ARE ASLEEP, RIGHT?
TAVROS: hOW COME WE NEVER, MET IN ANY DREAM BUBBLES, BEFORE?
GAMZEE: and it’s motherfucking miracles how you managed to up and get your cute little head back on your motherfucking shoulders. fucking miracles, bro!
TAVROS: uHHHH,,,
GAMZEE: i think i’m gonna get my weep on any second now…
TAVROS: w-WAIT, UMMM, gAMZEE,,, WHAT,,, IS THAT?
TAVROS: iS THAT, UMM, B-BLOOD?
TAVROS: *gulp* iS THAT BLOOD, g-GAMZEE?
He stares at you, eyes wide in horror, as he finally notices that your wicked purple god tier suite is all but drenched in blue blood. He takes a hasty step back, when he sees that the same colour is staining your lips and chin. A trickle of your own indigo blood slowly oozes from the scratch on your cheek, and you wipe it away, smearing your makeup.
You smile at Tavros, not your usual wicked grin, all fangs and pure terror, but something more like your old smiles, kind and serene. He looks so tiny now, stuck in his six-sweeps-old body, so weak and frightened. His eyes are all spooky and blank, but otherwise, he is the same old Tav, your sweet Tavbro. Your heart flutters in your skinny chest, suddenly full of that warm flushed feeling you once had for this little dude.
GAMZEE: hey, tav, don’t be all worrying about that shit, okay?
GAMZEE: SOME STUPID BITCH GOT WHAT SHE WAS ALL UP AND ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW?
TAVROS: wHAT, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!
TAVROS: yOU ARE COVERED IN… /F-FUCKING/ B-BLOOD,,, AND,,,
TAVROS: oHHHHH SHIT,,,
TAVROS: gAMZEE,,, WHAT IS /THAT/?
He is staring at your codpiece now.
GAMZEE: honk ;o)
He looks back up at your face, and for a moment you think he is going to turn around and run away. But then he quietly snorts.
TAVROS: pFFF,,, pFFFFFF,,, EHEHEHEHE,,,
GAMZEE: heehee :o)
TAVROS: hAHAHAHA!
GAMZEE: hahaha ha ha!
TAVROS: /AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA/!!
GAMZEE: hahahahahaha hee hee :o)
TAVROS: /AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO EEEEEEEEHEHEHEHEHE/!!!
GAMZEE: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh man…
TAVROS: HAHAHAHAHA ah,,, ah,,, AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA,,, oh my,,, oh,,, AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
GAMZEE: hehehehehe. honk honk :o)
TAVROS: hAHAHA, DAMN,,, oH gAMZ,,, oHHH,,, hEHEHE,,, HEE,,, eH,,,
GAMZEE: heh.
TAVROS: oH gAMZEE! yOU ARE, EVEN CRAZIER THAN i REMEMBER!
GAMZEE: yeah…
You start rubbing your face with your sleeve, wiping away all the drying blood and ruining your makeup.
==> Tavros: regard your old friend.
Gamzee looks older. His face, it is almost a face of an adult now. Well, that’s what you think, you haven’t seen that many adult trolls’ faces to really tell… But he definitely looks more mature. Like he has been through a lot of stuff since you last saw him. You frown at the the thin pale scars incised across his face.
Suddenly, you can’t look at his smiling face anymore. You are having a very odd feeling deep in your guts. Oddly familiar feeling. Like a muffled echo of warm pity you used to feel for this clown, so many sweeps ago.
You turn and walk to the nearest pile of sand, where you sit down with a sigh. Gamzee follows you and plunks into the sand next to you, still smiling.
TAVROS: iT’S TRUE THEN? aBOUT, UHHH, nEPETA? aND, eQUIUS?
His smile fades. He looks at you, and his eyes are unusually focused, sane and sober. This makes you feel uneasy.
GAMZEE: i… motherfuckin’… flipped out :o(
TAVROS: fLIPPED OUT? tHAT’S STRANGE, gAMZEE. yOU ARE NOT, A KIND OF GUY WHO, UHHH, FLIPS OUT, SO TO SPEAK
TAVROS: yOU ARE CHILL, RIGHT? yOU ARE, LIKE, THE CHILLEST GUY i’VE EVER MET, POSSIBLY
GAMZEE: ahh, brother. you missed all the fun, didn’t you? ‘cause you died too motherfucking soon.
GAMZEE: YOU JUST WENT AND GOT YOURSELF UP AND MOTHERFUCKING KILLED, RIGHT BEFORE I GOT MY WITNESS ON THOSE WICKED MIRACLES!
TAVROS: w-WHAT MIRACLES?,,
He grins, and his eyes flash with manic shining that makes you fidget nervously in the sand.
GAMZEE: taaav... tavbro…
GAMZEE: I SAW THE MOTHERFUCKING LIGHT! UP AND CLOSE!
GAMZEE: it was bitchtits bright and so motherfucking intense, man. it shocked me nice and proper, got my clown ass all crazy and shit. i couldn’t up and handle it, brother, so i flipped the fuck out.
You stare at him in disbelief. What kind of “motherfucking light” could possibly turn your sweet, precious Gamzee into a murderous psychopath?
His smile softens, and he wraps his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him.
GAMZEE: don’t be all scared, tavbro. it’s all cool now. my pale bro karkat calmed my ass back down, so i got my motherfucking chill on again.
You remain skeptical, because his blood-soaked shirt is now pressed to your side, and it makes you very uncomfortable.
TAVROS: sO, THOSE, UMMM, MIRACLES THAT YOU SAW,,,
TAVROS: wHAT WERE THEY, UHH, ABOUT?
==> Gamzee: propose.
Damn… How are you going to explain this to Tavros? How are you going to describe that mirthful noise that was thrown at you from Heaven? Will he even understand? So far, you have only met one person who can see the miracles the way you do, and that is your bro Kurloz. But that motherfucker always gives you a headache, so you don’t like talking to him very much.
GAMZEE: it don’t matter now, tavbro.
GAMZEE: all that shit i’ve been waiting for my whole motherfucking life? it’s all up and done now.
GAMZEE: MIRTHFUL MESSIAHS WENT AND FULFILLED THEIR MISSION OF MIRACLES.
GAMZEE: now all we have to do is sit back and have our wait on.
TAVROS: wAIT,,, FOR WHAT?
GAMZEE: THE DARK CARNIVAL, MY SWEETEST OF BROTHERS!
GAMZEE: but i tell you what, motherfucker. it ain’t safe.
TAVROS: wHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, gAMZEE? yOU ARE, UHH, SCARING ME,,,
GAMZEE: IT AIN’T SAFE HERE, MAN!
GAMZEE: you know the wicked motherfucker who calls himself lord fuckin’ english?
TAVROS: y-YEAH,,,
GAMZEE: well, he is going to motherfucking WRECK this unmirthful place!
GAMZEE: ALL THIS BITCHTITS AFTERLIFE IS GOING TO BE ALL UP AND DEMOLISHED. you hear me, brother?
TAVROS: *gulp* y-YES, vRISKA AND mEENAH WERE TALKING, ABOUT THAT, i THINK,,,
GAMZEE: so it ain’t safe here for you. you gotta abscond before that motherfucker gets here.
TAVROS: bUT,,, bUT HOW? i AM,,, DEAD, gAMZEE. rEMEMBER?
TAVROS: i CAN’T GO ANYWHERE, BEYOND THIS, UH, AFTERLIFE
GAMZEE: true, tavbro, you are dead :o(
You remove your arm from his shoulders and take the ring off your finger. It is still covered in dried blood, and you wipe it against your shirt before holding it up for Tavros to see. His jaw drops, and he turns to face you, looking mighty excited.
TAVROS: iT IS,,, oHHH MY GOG, gAMZEE! wHERE DID YOU GET IT?!
TAVROS: iT IS MY PRECIOUS, PRETTY TREASURE!
TAVROS: i FOUND IT, AND THEN i, i LOST IT,,,
GAMZEE: well, now you found it again, my brother. it is all up and yours. and you gotta motherfuckin’ use it.
TAVROS: wHAT?,, mE?!
TAVROS: bUT,,, vRISKA NEARLY KILLED ME,,, AGAIN,,, FOR THIS RING
TAVROS: i THINK, MAYBE, IT WOULD BE, UMM, BETTER IF WE TAKE IT TO HER?
GAMZEE: NO! NO, TAVROS!
GAMZEE: fuck that bitch.
GAMZEE: i already got my deal on with one spider chick today. that was pretty motherfucking nasty.
GAMZEE: WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE SISTERS TO BE GETTING ALL UP AND COMFY IN OUR MOTHERFUCKIN’ ASSES!
TAVROS: aNOTHER ONE,,, yOU MEAN,,, oH /FUCK/!
He leaps to his feet and away from the sand pile and you.
TAVROS: yOU,,, yOU MET aRANEA?
TAVROS: wHICH MEANS,,, THIS IS,,, *gulp* tHIS IS /HER/ B-BLOOD?! yOU ARE COVERED, HEAD TO TOE, IN aRANEA’S BLOOD?!!
GAMZEE: chill, motherfucker!
TAVROS: yOU,,, K-KILLED HER?,,
GAMZEE: SO MOTHERFUCKING WHAT! SHE WAS ALREADY DEAD, BRO.
GAMZEE: that sister was just trying to get her cheat on and come back to motherfucking life.
GAMZEE: but I don’t think she’d be needing that. she’s been all dead for, like, forever, motherfucker. dead as an old troll’s bone bulge, all chill and ghost like.
GAMZEE: NOBODY HAS THEIR GRIEF ON THAT BITCH, BROTHER, SHE AIN’T GOT NO FRIENDS AND NO MIRACLES OUT THERE, WAITING FOR HER FINE MOTHERFUCKIN’ ASS TO COME BACK!
Tavros looks positively terrified by your outburst. He is pale and trembling, and his blank eyes are wide with fear. You smile at him again, as you pat the sand next to you, inviting him to sit back down.
GAMZEE: please, tavbro. i ain’t gonna hurt you. this motherfucker here is chill as fuck, i swear.
Slowly (probably remembering that you can’t kill him in this plane of non-existence) he takes a few tentative steps back to you. He sits down, but tries to keep his distance from you, which you do not allow, wrapping your arm around him again and pressing him to your side. The top of his head barely reaches your armpit, and one of his large horns is pressed tightly to your chest. Gog, he is tiny.
GAMZEE: taaaaav. please.
GAMZEE: i just wanna have my best bro back. i don’t want my favorite little motherfucker to up and be double dying or some shit.
TAVROS: bUT, gAMZEE,,,
GAMZEE: i wanna hear your sweet beats again, man, wanna be hearing your sick motherfucking fires.
GAMZEE: remember how we all up and had our jam on, brother?
TAVROS: y-YES, i V-VAGUELY REMEMBER THAT, gAMZEE, BUT,,,
GAMZEE: motherfuckers should abscond.
GAMZEE: i know a sweet motherfucking place, we could get there, all sneaky and shit, and have our motherfucking hide on. there ain’t no motherfucker who could up and find us there.
GAMZEE: IT’LL BE MIRACLES!
TAVROS: gAMZEE!
GAMZEE: bro, i would…
TAVROS: /GAMZEE/!
GAMZEE: huh?..
TAVROS: *sigh* wHAT MAKES YOU THINK, i WANT TO, UHH, BE ALIVE AGAIN?
GAMZEE: what?.. TAV, WHAT’S THIS MOTHERFUCKING NOISE?
GAMZEE: of course you wanna…
TAVROS: sHUT UP!
GAMZEE: …
TAVROS: *deep sigh* lOOK, i, UHHH, i GUESS MISSED YOU TOO, gAMZEE,,,
TAVROS: aND IT WOULD, BE LOVELY TO, UHH, ABSCOND WITH YOU, SO TO SPEAK
TAVROS: i JUST, i DON’T,,, UHHH,,, i DON’T THINK, i WANT TO BE ALIVE AGAIN. mY LIFE WAS, PRETTY MISERABLE, TO BE HONEST
GAMZEE: awww, bro… :o(
TAVROS: i MEAN, MY AFTERLIFE, IT’S NOT MUCH BETTER,,,
TAVROS: bUT AT LEAST i CAN WALK HERE. wITH MY, UMM, LEGS
TAVROS: aND NOT JUST WALK, gAMZEE!
TAVROS: gAMZEE, i, i CAN FLY! i ALWAYS WANTED TO FLY, AND NOW i CAN!
GAMZEE: yeah, i know, tav. like a motherfucking pupa pan or somethin’.
GAMZEE: but you can’t stick with this shit, bro, you can’t motherfucking fly forever.
GAMZEE: ‘cause that wicked motherfucker DON’T CARE if my best bro is flying around here, being all cute as fuck, he is gonna set this WHOLE MOTHERFUCKING PLACE on mirthful fire.
GAMZEE: YOU CAN’T UP AND FLY AWAY FROM THE DARK FUCKING CARNIVAL!
GAMZEE: HE IS GONNA DOUBLE KILL ALL YOU DEAD MOTHERFUCKERS, including your ghost ass. AND MOTHEFUCKING SOON!
You are gripping his shoulder tightly now, as if he is trying to run away and you refuse to let him go. Tavros winces in pain, but you only squeeze his ghostly flesh harder, eliciting a sqeal from him. He looks up at you, his white eyes pleading, and you lean closer to his face and start whispering your dark, husky words, as your chucklevoodoos slowly rise in your head and creep into your voice.
GAMZEE: you gotta do as i say, tavros. don’t make me motherfucking force this shit on you.
==> Tavros: just do as he says.
You keep staring at Gamzee with wide eyes. His grin looks threatening now, his large fangs alarmingly close to your face. You can feel his chucklevoodoos grow and twirl around you, making your blood go cold in your veins. Yes, he probably can force you to do what he wants.
You are a little tired of bluebloods bossing you around and making you do things you don’t want to do. Using their powers to control you, “for your own good”. You know, Gamzee would do anything to protect you, even if his efforts can hurt you in the process. Vriska was like that, too. On the other hand, she would always remind you how useless you were, weak, stupid and pathetic. What would you do without her? Probably just lay down and die, like a pitiful little grub you are.
But Gamzee… It has always been different with Gamzee. The guy seems to think you are special. He always says things to you that make you feel better about yourself. You would go as far as to say that he is just as good at making you feel good about yourself as Rufio. And most importantly, he does not want you to be stronger or change in any other way. He likes you just the way you are. Somehow his protective behaviour manages to boost your self-esteem instead of making you feel patronised.
But he has changed. You don’t know if it is reaching adulthood that affected Gamzee so much, or being sober, but he is obviously dangerous. Sometimes he looks and sounds almost like the old Gamzee, YOUR Gamzee, but then something snaps in him, and he becomes scary. These mood swings are extremely alarming, and you know you cannot do much to help him. Only his moirail can fix this for him. But… you can at least give him what he wants now…
TAVROS: oKAY, gAMZEE. i WILL GO WITH YOU
TAVROS: aFTER ALL, IT SEEMS LIKE, i DON’T HAVE, UHH, MUCH TO LOSE, RIGHT?
TAVROS: eXCEPT MAYBE, MY ABILITY TO FLY,,, BUT THAT’S OKAY, REALLY
GAMZEE: HONK :o)
His smile instantly softens, and he lets go of your bruised shoulder, while his chucklevoodoos relent. He gently takes your trembling hand and slips the shining ring on your finger.