07-27-2017, 07:23 AM
"Hi!" came an almost immediate reply. The trio of pilgrims looked up to see Tearen Wover himself, floating around the boughs of a tree high above, plucking succulent looking...somethings...off of the mossy branches. The elder Prime was dressed in a black tank shirt, pressed slacks, and barefoot. All in all, it was a bit of a disjointed outfit, but Strazio got the distinct impression that Tearen was the sort of person who absolutely did not care. The floating ex-enigma allowed himself to drop back down to the forest floor in a puff of dead leaves and dew. Tearen adopted a large smile and advanced towards Strazio, holding a free hand out to shake.
"Good to see you again, Rockwell. Sorry we weren't able to hunt down Illidan." Tearen said with an only partly-apologetic smile. Now that he was more confident that Gildarts could be trusted to stay on the path of sensibility, the Shadow didn't care about the night elf quite as much. The rage mage shook the hand politely, if not somewhat stiffly.
"Don't worry. I'll get him in my own time." Strazio said with a nonplussed expression. He had always known that Tearen was a bit of an odd sort, especially after travelling with him for a few days, but the man he was talking to now seemed oddly chipper compared to the being he had worked with in Dante's Abyss. Of course, that could have been a result of the circumstances, but it was noticeable nonetheless. Tearen moved over to Gamzee, who took the proffered hand in both of his and shook it vigorously.
"Nice ta motherfuckin' meetcha. I'm Gamzee, and this is my other bro Karkat. I need to all up an be thankin' ya for helpin' my man Strawzo back in that ill-ass killin' floor, yo." Gamzee said, flashing a razor-toothed grin. Tearen returned the enthusiasm with a smile of his own.
"Glad to have you, truly." Tearen said. He turned to the petulant face of Karkat, who was in the process of fruitlessly trying to swat at tiny biting insects. The ex-enigma was amused for a moment, but asked the swarming pests to retreat for now, and the mosquitos obliged. Tearen approached the crabby troll with a handshake, but Karkat waved him off.
"Don't mind me, choco-skin. I'm just tagging along with these two psychos." Karkat said, crossing his arms. Tearen quirked an eyebrow and flashed a challenging smirk at the cancerous alien. He would work him over, before this was through. Tearen could also feel Gamzee and Strazio's anxiety spike when Karkat referenced the color of the eldritch human's skin; it didn't bother Tearen personally. He was sure that things on their homeworld permitted for such pointed observations. Still, it would be interesting to see how Strazio and Gamzee reacted once they thought he was out of eavesdropping range.
"Yo, somethin' smells all up and mothafuckin' delicious right now." Gamzee said, sniffing the muggy air. Tearen gestured towards the stone lodge.
"A friend of mine is making lunch. We weren't sure how many to expect, so I'm certain she has prepared far too much food. It's in her nature. Come, let's get you introduced and then you can eat after showering." Tearen said, turning on his heel and traipsing back towards the camp. The trio of newcomers allowed Tearen to saunter off for a short distance before comparing notes. First order of business...
"What the fuck Karkat?"
"Yeah man, can't you be chill on that shit?"
"What? What did I do now? Why are we whisper-shouting?" Karkat whined, gesturing wildly. As soon as Tearen had left, the mosquitos had renewed their assault on the mutant trolls apparently delicious blood.
"You can't go callin' people choco-skin! That's major uncool." Gamzee said in a sharp tone that Karkat was not used to. Strazio just maintained a disapproving scowl.
"Oh come on! He has a weird skin color! We're grey, humans are that weird tan color, and this guy is–"
"Still fucking human, Karkat! Mostly! I suspect!" Strazio said, piping in for the first time. Karkat rolled his eyes.
"What, you're telling me humans have different colors of skin? There's no biological need for that, you can't–"
"You trolls have different blood colors, don't even start with that right now." Strazio said, pinching his temples.
"OH MY FUCKING JEBUS. WHATEVER. Can we move on the fact that this hoity-toity weirdo told us to bathe? What the hell is up with that."
Strazio and Gamzee looked at one another.
"I dunno man, I could use a shower."
"–kinda getting rank 'n dank all up in my biz."
Karkat slammed his face into his palms. He was starting to get the distinct impression that Strazio was possibly supplanting him as Gamzee's best friend. Or. Whatever. Not that he cared.
"FINE! Go rinse your stupid bodies at the drizzle-spitter. I'm not gonna let that weirdo be my lusus. I'm going for a walk."
"Bro, we BEEN walkin'–"
"SHUT UP!"
...and so they all went and did their various things. Malon looked up with a wide-eyed expression as two very large, burly men brushed into the stone building, chuckling to themselves. They waved hello and the one with the horns stopped to sample her stew (before it was ready! Rude!). She couldn't exactly find words, still feeling slightly out of place, but when they both started to head for the showers together, well then the poor Hylian girl's face flushed to the same shade of fuchsia as the dragonfruit she was cutting up.
"...he's doing this on purpose..." Malon muttered, trying not to think about naked gladiator boys.
"Good to see you again, Rockwell. Sorry we weren't able to hunt down Illidan." Tearen said with an only partly-apologetic smile. Now that he was more confident that Gildarts could be trusted to stay on the path of sensibility, the Shadow didn't care about the night elf quite as much. The rage mage shook the hand politely, if not somewhat stiffly.
"Don't worry. I'll get him in my own time." Strazio said with a nonplussed expression. He had always known that Tearen was a bit of an odd sort, especially after travelling with him for a few days, but the man he was talking to now seemed oddly chipper compared to the being he had worked with in Dante's Abyss. Of course, that could have been a result of the circumstances, but it was noticeable nonetheless. Tearen moved over to Gamzee, who took the proffered hand in both of his and shook it vigorously.
"Nice ta motherfuckin' meetcha. I'm Gamzee, and this is my other bro Karkat. I need to all up an be thankin' ya for helpin' my man Strawzo back in that ill-ass killin' floor, yo." Gamzee said, flashing a razor-toothed grin. Tearen returned the enthusiasm with a smile of his own.
"Glad to have you, truly." Tearen said. He turned to the petulant face of Karkat, who was in the process of fruitlessly trying to swat at tiny biting insects. The ex-enigma was amused for a moment, but asked the swarming pests to retreat for now, and the mosquitos obliged. Tearen approached the crabby troll with a handshake, but Karkat waved him off.
"Don't mind me, choco-skin. I'm just tagging along with these two psychos." Karkat said, crossing his arms. Tearen quirked an eyebrow and flashed a challenging smirk at the cancerous alien. He would work him over, before this was through. Tearen could also feel Gamzee and Strazio's anxiety spike when Karkat referenced the color of the eldritch human's skin; it didn't bother Tearen personally. He was sure that things on their homeworld permitted for such pointed observations. Still, it would be interesting to see how Strazio and Gamzee reacted once they thought he was out of eavesdropping range.
"Yo, somethin' smells all up and mothafuckin' delicious right now." Gamzee said, sniffing the muggy air. Tearen gestured towards the stone lodge.
"A friend of mine is making lunch. We weren't sure how many to expect, so I'm certain she has prepared far too much food. It's in her nature. Come, let's get you introduced and then you can eat after showering." Tearen said, turning on his heel and traipsing back towards the camp. The trio of newcomers allowed Tearen to saunter off for a short distance before comparing notes. First order of business...
"What the fuck Karkat?"
"Yeah man, can't you be chill on that shit?"
"What? What did I do now? Why are we whisper-shouting?" Karkat whined, gesturing wildly. As soon as Tearen had left, the mosquitos had renewed their assault on the mutant trolls apparently delicious blood.
"You can't go callin' people choco-skin! That's major uncool." Gamzee said in a sharp tone that Karkat was not used to. Strazio just maintained a disapproving scowl.
"Oh come on! He has a weird skin color! We're grey, humans are that weird tan color, and this guy is–"
"Still fucking human, Karkat! Mostly! I suspect!" Strazio said, piping in for the first time. Karkat rolled his eyes.
"What, you're telling me humans have different colors of skin? There's no biological need for that, you can't–"
"You trolls have different blood colors, don't even start with that right now." Strazio said, pinching his temples.
"OH MY FUCKING JEBUS. WHATEVER. Can we move on the fact that this hoity-toity weirdo told us to bathe? What the hell is up with that."
Strazio and Gamzee looked at one another.
"I dunno man, I could use a shower."
"–kinda getting rank 'n dank all up in my biz."
Karkat slammed his face into his palms. He was starting to get the distinct impression that Strazio was possibly supplanting him as Gamzee's best friend. Or. Whatever. Not that he cared.
"FINE! Go rinse your stupid bodies at the drizzle-spitter. I'm not gonna let that weirdo be my lusus. I'm going for a walk."
"Bro, we BEEN walkin'–"
"SHUT UP!"
...and so they all went and did their various things. Malon looked up with a wide-eyed expression as two very large, burly men brushed into the stone building, chuckling to themselves. They waved hello and the one with the horns stopped to sample her stew (before it was ready! Rude!). She couldn't exactly find words, still feeling slightly out of place, but when they both started to head for the showers together, well then the poor Hylian girl's face flushed to the same shade of fuchsia as the dragonfruit she was cutting up.
"...he's doing this on purpose..." Malon muttered, trying not to think about naked gladiator boys.
And, we dream of home I dream of life out of here Their dreams are small My dreams don't know fear I got my heart full of hope I will change everything No matter what I'm told How impossible it seems We did it before And we'll do it again We're indestructible Even when we're tired And we've been here before Just you and I
Don't try to rescue me I don't need to be rescued
Don't try to rescue me I don't need to be rescued