aim_exorable | 4 ♐ Filtered Text to Gamzee and Equius ♐ In Which Things Are Explained

D --> I believe now that the pair of you have had a chance to recuperate from recent events
D --> I would like to discuss some matters with the pair of you
D --> As I said before, to Equius
D --> They would concern your ancestor, Highblood, along with some matters regarding myself
D --> Matters which I have not been particularly open with

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

420

[What are you talking about? For trolls this is totally super duper functional. Darkleer has not eaten them yet like adults totally normally do. This is the best.

It doesn't take Gamzee long after the knock to get the front door open, staring up at Darkleer for a few moments, before wrapping his arms around his waist in a hug.]

Welcome home.

From:

stayb100ponyboy.livejournal.com

[Hope Darkleer doesn't have any intentions of squirming out of the hug, because there's a sudden blur of blue moving towards him.]

[Equius collides with his ancestor with a resounding smack, flinging both arms around his neck and holding on as tight as he can, hiding his face in Darkleer's shoulder and shaking all over. He does, however, move carefully enough to avoid pinning Gamzee between them and grinding him into jelly.]

Don't go don't go don't go...

From:

aim-exorable.livejournal.com

_{[To be honest, he's not sure what he expects when the door opens. He knows he absconded on... less than pleasant terms, and despite Gamzee's reassuring words, he can't help but be nervous.]

[But then there is a gangly adolescent pressing up against his side, and a decidedly not so gangly adolescent clinging to his neck and shoulders. Without thinking, his hands settle on both of them- one on Gamzee's head and the other between Equius' shoulderblades.]}

I'm here. Shoosh. I'm here.

_{[He hadn't realized how much they wanted him here.]}

From:

420

[When Darkleer's hand falls down to the top of his head, Gamzee makes a pleased little sound, burrowing closer into the hug, his hands tightening on the fabric of his shirt. He honestly did like Darkleer, despite his faults. And he was still confident that Darkleer could lose those as well. It wasn't that hard (right?) to just understand they were all equals. He just needed a little more time to be shown.]

From:

stayb100ponyboy.livejournal.com

[Don't mind Equius, he is just clinging tighter in response to that hand on his back and the closeness to the two trolls he cares about most. It's almost enough to make him forget the chucklevoodoos.]

[Unless Darkleer pries him off soon, he's going to end up carrying him to the couch or the pile or wherever this jam is going to take place.]

[Yep, Daddyleer's home.]

From:

aim-exorable.livejournal.com

_{[Please. The last time Darkleer tried to pry Equius off, he just clung tighter. He's not even going to try this time. Instead, Darkleer just somehow manages to duck under the doorframe and begins to edge his way into the hive further.]

[Hopefully the chocobos won't run out the door or anything, because he can't manage it at this rate. Unless two certain someone's let go.]

[He manages to make it to the couch and flops into it with a grunt. Children, pls.]}

Are you two ready now?

_{[He doesn't want to get sidetracked. This is important, after all.]}

From:

420

[That poor couch, seriously.

When they are on the couch, Gamzee finally lets go, sinking into the pillows of the couch. His legs are tucked close to his body, not entirely sure if he is going to like where this conversation will go to, but at the same time knowing it must take place.]

Yeah. I'm chill.

From:

stayb100ponyboy.livejournal.com

[On Darkleer's other side, Equius' arms loosen around his neck--a little--but he doesn't let go. He's not quite in his ancestor's lap, but depending on where the conversation goes, he very well might end up there.]

[He nods into Darkleer's shoulder, still pressed up against him.]

Yeah. Go ahead.

From:

aim-exorable.livejournal.com

_{[Okay. Breathe in. He can do this.]}

You were correct, Sir Makara. Subjugglators are the highest ranked landdwelling trolls. Amongst them, they have a leader, someone they... listen to.
They do not share their secrets easily, so I cannot tell you how their hierarchy works completely, if there is even a hierarchy beyond that. They are... ruthless. All of them. Frighteningly skilled in battle as well.

So it takes someone... impressive to command them.

The Grand Highblood.

_{[His shades hide his gaze, but he's looking right at Gamzee.]}

That is the troll who shares your sign.

From:

420

[Gamzee peeks down at his shirt, at his upside down indigo sign, trying to imagine what kind of ruthless motherfucker would share his. It is not a pleasant thought.

He knows what a Grand Highblood is, of course. It's what every subjugglator aims to make, though very few survive the path there and even fewer the traditional fight to the death for the position.

He curls up into himself a little, tucking his shoulders close to his body.]

Haha. Shit. I was... all hoping he just up and fuckin' died or some shit.

... how do you know him?

From:

stayb100ponyboy.livejournal.com

[Equius perks up a little; now that Darkleer is safely on the couch and ensconsed between them, he doesn't think he'll try and leave any time soon. He looks up, looking over Darkleer's broad chest at Gamzee, at the symbol on his shirt, almost as if he's never seen it before.]

Did you know him?

From:

aim-exorable.livejournal.com

You both know I held a high standing within the Archeradicators. That meant I had to be at least somewhat familiar with the leaders of other groups, even if relations were not entirely pleasant on occasion.

_{[A pause as he considers those times, and then he shakes his head.]}

It does not do a troll well to get too close to subjugglators. Particularly the Grand Highblood.

I mention this to the pair of you because there is a chance that he may come here. There has already been an influx of older trolls, so the idea is not a strange one. If he does appear here... You should stay away.

As far as possible. If you could avoid him even knowing your existence, that would be for the better.

I... do not want either of you to have to deal with that.

From:

420

Aight. If you say so.

[Darkleer is, after all, only trying to look out for them. That is something that friends do. And if he says that it is best to stay away from the Grand Highblood then Gamzee is fully willing to trust in his judgement.

Besides, though he had paid little attention to his school feeding, he wasn't completely dumb either. Not to the reputation of the subjugglators, at least. And not to the creed they most likely lived by.]

... should we all like to be telling the rest too? If that motherfucker be dangerous for us, he's all gotta being more dangerous to them.

From:

stayb100ponyboy.livejournal.com

Gamzee's right.

[Equius shifts, letting go of Darkleer's neck and sitting back against the couch, although he stays close to the older troll's side.]

He'd be bad for us, but even worse for everyone else.

[And jerks though they may be, they're still his friends, and he doesn't want anything bad to happen to them.]

Edited Date: 2011-12-02 04:28 pm (UTC)

From:

aim-exorable.livejournal.com

...What you do now with the information is up to you. If you desire to tell any of your fellow trolls about it, then go ahead.

It's not my place to tell you how to act around them.

Which I suppose brings me to my next point. [A small sigh. He wants to leave, but at the same time, he's too tired to abscond. There's no point in trying to hide his shame anyway.] One way or another, you'll find out more about the things I've done. The others, particularly the Neophyte and Cavalreaper, are far too talkative for it to be otherwise.

As you both know, I was an Executor before.

From:

420

[A small nod, and then, remembering something that Redglare had told him before--]

... Redglare done said you fuckin' went and got exiled. Cause you wouldn't cull one motherfucker. Were that true?

[Cause personally he thinks that is pretty grand. That means Darkleer had changed, right? And that was good.]

Edited Date: 2011-12-02 07:26 pm (UTC)

From:

stayb100ponyboy.livejournal.com

You were exiled?

[Yeah, Equius has been pointedly ignoring all the conversations he's been having the last couple of days where people have referenced the Expatriate instead of the Executor. He figured that if that was true, it's something Darkleer would want to tell him himself, and he could wait for that information.]

From:

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_{[Being reminded of that Legislacerator and her big mouth has Darkleer tensing up and his eyes narrow behind his shades. A part of him wishes he could say she had no right to speak such things, but... that's not true. He lost all rights he had to defend his honor- although he hardly has such a thing now despite what he clings to- when he lowered his bow against a rebel.]

[He is scum of the lowest kind who should prostrate himself before those who decided to grant him mercy by letting him retain his life... even if this is turning out to be a far worse punishment.]

[...It hurts a little to know he must tell these two that.]

[Very weary and now free of clinging wrigglers, Darkleer leans forward with his elbows upon his knees. Head bowed.]}

That is what 'Expatriate' means. Yes. [He's honestly not being snappish or snarky. Just... so tired.]

She was someone it should have been easy to cull. This was all during a rebellion- or at least nearing the end of it, by then. My arrows had already found more rebels than I can remember.

[Another pause, and he links his fingers together so that he has something to grip.]

...Including the leader of that rebellion. A troll with mutated red blood.

As Executor, that was my duty. My purpose.

And she was next- his closest follower, his matesprit. It should have been as simple as the most basic of math.

...But I let her go. Not even a shallow wound.

Somehow, I was fortunate enough that my disgrace and disloyalty- [The word sounds like a curse coming from his lips.] did not ensure my culling. Somehow.

_{[He wants to almost apologize for not being what they thought he was, a better troll surely, but he's not sure how to say it.]}

From:

420

[oh god, he killed the Signless. Killed him. Or at least helped, and oh god.

Gamzee's chest suddenly feels tight; he feels sick and unsure, and part of him just wants to push away so quickly from Darkleer that he is sure he'll go toppling right off of the couch. But at the same time, despite knowing that Darkleer had been complicit in such a horrid thing, that did not take away his feelings of fondness for the older troll. Those had grown over the past few months and even if it hadn't been easy to understand Darkleer at times, he had always been, more or less, kind to him and Equius.

And fuck. Seriously. What right did he of all trolls have to judge someone for culling a motherfucker? He who culled so many of his friends and was going to cull his own matesprit and fuck, he hadn't really deserved a second chance either, had he? But he had still gotten it. Wataru had still given him that. So who was he to judge if Darkleer deserved one or not. Especially when at least Darkleer had let someone go. He hadn't. He had just kept culling until Karkat's sickle had found the inside of his chest.

Swallowing hard, not really looking at either Equius or Darkleer, Gamzee tightens his fingers on the hem of his shirt.]

... why?

From:

stayb100ponyboy.livejournal.com

[Equius doesn't say anything.]

[Unlike Gamzee, he knows what it's like to live your entire life according to random, often arbitrary customs and codes of behavior, to value honor and dignity and duty above all else. He used to be like that, hiding behind those codes because it was too painful to act out against them, too hard and frightening to put himself and his freakish abilities under the scrutiny of all other trolls. Moreover, he wanted to be an Archeradicator too, and understands how rigid their code of conduct can be. The fact that Darkleer was able to fight it at all is astounding, especially when he had risen as high as to become the Executioner.]

[No, Equius doesn't say anything, but he moves, sliding one arm across Darkleer's midsection, holding on to him and resting one cheek against his shoulder. He lets his hand fall, close to Gamzee, and turns it so it's palm up, inviting, in case his matesprit wants to take it.]

[So much courage... so brave to stand up against sweeps of conditioning and control and conduct.]

From:

aim-exorable.livejournal.com

_{[...Better a reaction than he thought he would earn, honestly. Better than he deserves.]

[The weight against his arm is a surprising one, and it deserves a small twitch of his head in Equius' direction. But then, it is not surprising. They are so similar, after all. Ancestor and Descendent. Yet still he had not been sure of whether those similarities would mean acceptance or denial.]

[His voice is still quiet when he speaks up.]}

Why what, Highblood?

From:

420

[Gamzee glances at the hand but doesn't take it. Not yet. He's feeling too sick to right now.]

Don't fuckin' call me that.

[The title is not one he is fond of to being with, but now knowing what Darkleer's personal ideologies had also led to, he really couldn't fucking deal with it.

He swallows hard.]

Why did you let her go?

From:

stayb100ponyboy.livejournal.com

Call him Gamzee.

[Equius' voice is quiet, but very much there.]

From:

aim-exorable.livejournal.com

...My apologies.

_{[So he'll... just... not refer to him at all... then...]}

It is... complicated.

_{[He doesn't want to talk about it.]}

I doubt the pair of you would understand.

_{[He doesn't want to talk about it.]}

From:

420

Try us.

[Nope, Darkleer. Today is not your lucky day. You are not absconding out of this conversation. Gamzee just heard you helped killed one of the most amazing guys he ever met, you fuckin' owe him that much.]

Edited Date: 2011-12-03 08:11 am (UTC)