[ Action || Dormitories ]

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

[When he first transportalized into the Balamb Garden dormitories, he was confused. He was sure he'd entered the warp gate that lead to the Land of Quartz and Melody, but Aradia was no where to be seen. Was this some new, hidden challenge level he'd randomly journeyed to? They'd only just started SGRUB, it was possible...]

[Except, the acceptance letter siting on the sleep square sort of suggested otherwise. And while he wasn't thrilled to be delayed in his mission to make Aradia his girlfriend guide the b100 team to flawless victory, the words "time compression" were involved. And if he knew anything about time shenanigans, it's that they were better off being left to the experts. And while the experts attempted to figure out how to get every one back to their own worlds, he might as well make the most out of his time here and gain ALL THE LEVELS. With any luck, he'd be back before anyone knew to miss him, mwahahahaha.]

[And the course catalog was filled with so many interesting classes... How could he ever chose?]

[He couldn't, that's how, and he spent hours pouring over the selection, putting together different combinations and specializations until finally, hunger forced him to emerge from his assigned respiteblock.]

[He made it to the front door of the dormitories before he was forced to beat a hasty retreat. It was day. Oh gee, it was the day. He'd been up all night, and now it was day, and he was hungry, and the sun was out.]

[There is now a troll pressed back against the wall opposite the main entrance, trying his darnedest not to look guilty and/or terrified. WHAT DO?]

Comments

[martin-sorvat.livejournal.com]

[Equius.]

[Wait.]

[Equius?]

[Vriska was a dirty liar. Equius was here too. Tavros pursed his lips, making his way down the rest of the dorm hallway, pulling off his outer coat, and slipping on a pair of sunglasses he managed to get his hands one his first day. He stole them, shhh.]

[The troll wandered up behind Equius and raised an eyebrow, looked outside, looked to Equius, then outside again. What a pussy.]

Sheesh Sweatquius, for such a strong ass hole you're such a pussy when it comes to the sun. And it's not even Alternian sun. [He snickers, dropping the coat ontop of Equius' head, stepping infront of him and towards the door a bit, a smug smirk on his face.]

You coming or what? Oh, excuse me, I demand you follow me to get some shit to eat.

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

What? [After automatically putting the coat on, Equius just kind of stands there, staring blankly at the other troll. Tavros coming up and talking to him was weird enough on its own, but with the vulgar language and aura of confidence thrown in, Equius just didn't know what to think.]

[It was confusing enough that Equius took a step forward when Tavros made the demand, but at least his higher brain functions kicked before he completely followed him out the door.]

Excuse you indeed! [He folds his arms over his chest, throwing his head back to look down his nose at the other troll] Just who do you think you are, presuming to order me around, fudgeblood? And what happened to your stutter?

[martin-sorvat.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't face him, but if he was, Tavros would be making a rather angered expression, partly from the sun, and partly from the stutter comment. He's guessing...the wimp of a Tavros has a stutter normally, AND this Equius isn't his Equius either. Gog, damnit...]

[Tavros keeps walking, keeping his stance proud, hands in his pockets.]

I don't have a fucking stutter you muscle bound freak. [Yeah sure ya don't. Not like he's going to fucking tell Equius, or ANYONE about it anyways. So lying was for the best.]

And I was ordering you because you were standing at the door like a wriggler getting weady fo' his big day wit twials! [Note his rather sing songy tone and the extremely condescending way he turns his 'r's to 'w's. That's on purpose, just for you, you big lug.]

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

[If it were Eridan talking to him like this, Equius would have instantly gone into a swoon. Or at least broken out into a sweat. But Tavros? Lowly, stuttering, pathetic Tavros? Aside from not making any sense, it sends a wave of revulsion through the blue blooded troll. Which is, in fact, kind of hot, in a depraved, immoral, and totally not what he was thinking kind of way]

[And really, he has no idea how to respond to that, other than to curl his lips back in a snarl and wrinkle his nose in disgust]

Do not talk to me like that.

[martin-sorvat.livejournal.com]

[I like the strike text thing it's pretty fun. Anyways. Tavros could really careless how Equius feels about this situation and is merely walking to where he is pretty darn sure the cafeteria is. And even if it wasn't, with this much confidence, who wouldn't believe him.]

[But this whole blood crap was going to get old really fast. Tavros HATED the whole high and low blood feud shit. So it was best to get that out of the way nice and quick. he PROBABLY should explain why he is different then the Tavros Equius knows too...but, that can be for later.]

[For now, Tavros it going to turn around quickly and make a snag for Equius's shades, darting off to the main building when he has a hold of them.]

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

[Lowblood.]

[Touching.]

[His face.]

[Filthy peasant hands, on his glasses.]

[For a full ten seconds, Equius stands there, his face twitching uncontrollably. Then he bolts after Tavros with a roar of outrage, squinting heavily against the glare of the sun.]

GET BACK HERE YOU WRETCHED MUDBLOODED LITTLE CRETIN, I NEED THOSE! THIS IS NOT HUMAREOUS!

[martin-sorvat.livejournal.com]

[His maniacal laughter is all he responds with as he darts to the building and quickly runs inside, safe once in a public place with plenty of eyes. Equius was friggen strong, yeah, Tavros wasn't an idiot. But he sure wasn't going to pass up messing with him just because of that strength. And he KNEW the blueblood wouldn't go against rules and hurt him here. Can anyone say, expelled?]

[Tavros holds the shades behind him and takes a stern expression, pursing his lips.]

I'll give them back to you, seriously. You can disinfect them and any shit you need after that, but I need your full attention here, little boy blue, or these babies are getting shattered.

[ragesnake.livejournal.com]

[Karkat has slowly been getting used to functioning in daylight, albeit by skulking through the shadows and being somewhat grumpier than usual. So that's pretty much what he's doing when he dully registers Equius standing there. Initially, he intends to continue about his business, until he doubletakes upon realizing who was actually standing there.]

...Equius. [His tone is almost uncertain.]

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

[Equius's first glance at Karkat is filled with utter disdain. What foolish peasant dares approach him?]

[Oh, it's Karkat. Looking oh so hesitant and not at all like the raging bloodsmear he usually is. Could it be that the little crab has learned some semblance of respect for his betters? Hm, very well, Equius will talk to him.]

Karkat. It's pleasant to hear you speaking at an acceptable volume for once.

[ragesnake.livejournal.com]

[His eye twitches slightly. Oh, so we were going to play this game. Suddenly he is less filled with guilt over sending the blueblood to his death. ...but only marginally.] Yeah, well unfortunately leadership is sort of a moot fucking point in this place because Vriska is a motherfucking SeeD. We'll all get used to it, I'm sure.

Nepeta will be glad to see you. [He's pretty glad to see you alive, but hell if he's going to say that.]

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

SeeD? [Blank look is a go.] What does that have to do with leadership? Just because she has been here longer, it does not mean that she is fit to lead. Not unless she has been taking classes in the Intelligence major.

I will be glad to see her as well. [he pauses, giving Karkat a sidelong look. He knows how Nepeta feels about the crab.] I trust you have been looking out for her in my absence?

[ragesnake.livejournal.com]

She outranks me by the standards here, and she's been here for a full sweep. I haven't completely figured out if she's less than a horrific backstabbing bitch yet, but my hopes aren't high.

[He raises his eyebrows in a sort of "really?" fashion, and nods simply. Another thing he'd never admit out loud, but he considered Nepeta to be the little sister that troll familial relations didn't allow for.]

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

I still don't think that should make Vriska automatically our leader. It takes more than experience to lead. But if you've not the guts to do it... [He smirks a bit, folding his arms over his chest]

[Hrn. Maybe Karkat isn't so bad, if he's willing to look after Nepeta. Equius simply nods his thanks]

[gyrocopter.livejournal.com]

... Woah there.

[Look at this guy. Dang, look at this guy's MUSCLES. He looked... well... strong. Very, very strong. And possibly smelled of sweat. That was kind of new apart from Marco. He was just about one of the only buffer guys he'd seen around here.

He could approve of that. He also recognized a very distinct similarity to someone he'd seen.]

You sure do look a lot like that grey cat-looking chick that's around here. Nice 'ceps.

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

[Stare. Equius is staring so hard, a look of disblief and disdain on his face. And trying to subtly inch away. What is this... thing that is talking to him?]

[Oh wait, he's talking about Nepeta. This is his not-interested face]

Does she wear a green trench coat and speak entirely in cat puns?

['Ceps? Oh, biceps. Yes, they are very nice, aren't they? Of course they are.]

[gyrocopter.livejournal.com]

[One of the oddest Earth creatures Equius will ever meet, possibly. Goose nodded vigorously.]

Suuuuure enough. She gave me the kitten I've got.

[He gestures down to his open satchel where a little siamese kitten is cheerfully riding along. Nyaaaaaaaaan.]

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

[Joy. So much joy, but he keeps his face as stony as ever. His moirail was here! He wouldn't go absolutely crazy after all!]

[he looks down at the kitten, okay, now he's a little impressed]

You got her to part with a cat. I cannot believe you actually got her to part with a cat.

[gyrocopter.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she and some friend of hers were just kinda giving 'em out and... hell, I dunno. I just came to like this guy.

[He patted the little one on the head, who mewled lovingly in response.]

You look a lot like her, though, so... you two ain't cat people. What are ya, then? Ain't the normal human, that's for sure.

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

My guess is that Nepeta was hording them, as per usual, and her roommate became fed up with dealing with them all.

Cat people? [Excuse him while he turns up his nose] Please, felines are entirely Nepeta's realm. We're trolls.

[moirailcompass]

[Nepeta had long since lost her staple blue hat when she had given it to Equius over a month back, before she had been taken from the Veil. She had felt strangely naked without it, but more than that she couldn't stand the sun's rays and she knew she would have to get use to it once classes started.

That was why she had tried making a new hat for herself, and it was tr00ly the saddest excuse of a hat there had ever been. It had been messily woven together with sticks and leaves she had gotten from the training center, making her head, with her messy hair very much resemble something like a bird's nest, but hey. It did the job and at the very least protected her eyes.

It was like this that Nepeta was making her way back to the dorms to see how the kittens were doing, when she spotted Equius pressed up against the wall.

She came to a complete stop, and her jaw dropped.

She should have realized that this was a possibility. After all, while he had never said it directly, she was pretty sure she was dead in Karkat's timeline. If time compression could pull her out from just before she was finally killed, what said it couldn't do the same for Equius?

Yet somehow it had never fully clicked. The images of Gamzee strangling her moirail to death, and his blue-faced corpse with an arrow through one leg had never left Nepeta. That combined with lack of sopor slime had made her days here sleepless, and she half wondered if what she was seeing was some sleep-deprived induced hallucination. It was only after a good while of staring that fumbling for words that she managed one:]

Equius?

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

Nepeta?

[The sound of her voice made some of the tension melt from his shoulders, but when he turned his head to look at her, it all came rushing back to him. He pursed his lips and shook his head, looking at her over the rims of his glasses as he walked up to her.]

Nepeta, what is this foolishness? [His hand goes straight to the "hat," grabbing a twig and pulling it out] I look away from you for five seconds, and what do you do? You turn yourself into a little kitten-hording ragamuffin. This is unacceptable, Nepeta, absolutely unacceptable. Come, we're going back to my assigned respiteblock and getting you cleaned up straight away. I will not tolerate such slobbishness in my presence, especially not from my moirail.

[moirailcompass]

[She winces a bit when he pulls out part of the hat---oh who are we kidding, the mess of twigs and leaves from her head. That one had been tangled a bit with her hair.

She heard every word he said, and wasn't that like Equius to already be scolding her for something, but it was like there was some block on her mind that kept her from even thinking about what she should say or do.

She was still convinced this had to be some sort of illusion bred from how poorly she had been taking care of herself recently, or hell, maybe she had finally gone off the deep end and this was all some wishful fantasy of hers.

So at last, after more staring she does the only thing her mind can manage to think of, she reaches out and touches his chest, half expecting her hand to go through him. When it flattens against his chest, she slowly pulls it back and looks at her palm, before raising her eyes to him again.]

You're really here.

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

[Equius was far from the most perceptive when it came to reading other people's emotions, but goodness gracious, Nepeta's staring unnerved him. It was almost as if she wasn't quite seeing him, and when she touched him...]

[Her words brought to mind Karkat's apology, and though he'd easily dismissed his own death before, a churning, painful feeling knotted in his gut. Nepeta must have been there to witness it, and she'd been here alone, without him, for gosh knows how long.]

[Swallowing back the bile that rose in his throat, he reached out to sweep her off her feet as gently as he could.]

I am. And I'll not do something as irresponsible as leave to you alone again.

[moirailcompass]

[The moment he picked her up she instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself close and burying her face in the crook of his neck. He really was here.]

I missed you so much. I thought you were gone fur good.

[bentbowarcher.livejournal.com]

[Warmth and pity flooded his chest as he felt her arms around him, and he sighed softly, shaking his head at her]

Foolish. Absolutely foolish.

[Without further comment, he turned around and headed back upstairs, carrying her to his dorm room. He paused in front of the door, giving her a bit of a nudge with his shoulder. He couldn't get the door with his arms full of her]