Eccentricity

He had been flying over the skies of this strange-looking city for nearly an hour, taking in the geography. It was like nothing he’d ever seen before---a mash-up of different style buildings, decorated in twinkling lights and dark shadows. The air felt strange and thick to him, covered in an unpleasant scent that seemed far too foreign to the prince. Looking out into the beyond yielded little beyond the strange fog that seemed to surround the place.

Even as breathtaking as some of the locations he could make out from his vantage point seemed, overall, he wasn’t that impressed.

To make matters worse, the one person he knew here was starting to work his nerves.

“You know a lot more than you’re letting on and it’s kinda pissing me off, just so you’re in the loop on that.”

“We haven’t been here an hour yet and you’ve already started with that attitude. You really can be the worst sometimes. Just like a typical man!” Leraje’s mental reply was steeped in a pitiful tone, clearly wounded by his words. “It’s not a test if I simply tell you, though. Think of it as a trial you need to overcome on your own.”

The Prince scoffed at her challenge. “Fine, if that’s the way you wanna be, I’ll make it work. Alone.”

He landed lightly on the ground in the middle of an open area that seemed like some sort of park. Several people seemed startled by his sudden descent and even more so when he broke his Djinn Equip and took to preening himself after setting down his sword as though the display of magic were nothing out of the ordinary. He hardly paid them a bit of mind, mostly because he was too lost in his own thoughts. 

The last he remembered, he had been with the others dealing with the aftermath of the battle against that nasty-looking Medium thing. He had been tired beyond belief, but here he was full of energy and in fresh clothes. It didn’t make sense. Of course, Leraje probably knew exactly what was going on, but she wasn’t telling. All he had to go on was this weird “phone” item he’d been given, his Metal Vessel, and the dragon-styled necklace around his throat. Two out of the three of those things didn’t make sense, either.

He had no retainers. No brothers. No army. No kingdom. To say the deck was stacked against him was an understatement.

Blows the dust off this boy.

Beautiful. She stiffened for a moment, the serpents within her hair rising to bare their blackened teeth. In lieu of allowing them to attack, she raised the meat within her claws; the scent of raw flesh quickly redirected their attention, and they began mauling the cow hide without reservation, shredding it within their many mouths. Spots of viscera landed within her purple hair as they worked.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would assume you had a death wish.” She had ended enough lives to know the difference between a devil-may-care attitude and suicide ideation. “Is that what you want, then? Control over something beautiful?”

“‘Control?’ That’s the last thing I want.”

Kouha slid off the guardrail and faced the woman properly. Even as he glanced at the snakes that made up her hair going to work on their bloody little feast, he didn’t feel near as much concern as any rational person should have. It made things all the more interesting.

“You wouldn’t know this just getting here, but death doesn’t mean a whole lot. Even if you want to die, you’ll just come back. It’s kind of this city’s special sort of hell.”

“… Modeling?” Her incredulous tone instantly gave way to genuine amusement. She laughed – a loud, rich sound that made the air feel oppressive – and flashed Kouha a grin that was temporarily pinkened with gore.

“You’re serious, aren’t you? Unbelievable. I’ve never met a human with such gall.” Surely he didn’t know the truth of what she was, if he had the nerve to suggest such a thing. She was the Gorgon: Devourer of men, slayer of heroes, and veritable gateway to Hell. What made him think she would want the eyes of strangers to ogle this grotesque form? “I’ve swallowed adventurers whole for implying less callous things about me,” she continued, sliding closer with the soft hiss of scales against sidewalk. “You truly want the Gorgon to model for you? The Queen of Beasts herself?”

“So you’re a Queen. That makes more sense.”

Her name was lost on him. He couldn’t have possibly known her history, but honestly, if he did, he wouldn’t have cared. Manslayer and monster she might be, but people had said the same of him.

He watched carefully as she drew near, though, and shifted just a bit in case he had to draw his weapon. Things were going a bit sideways, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’d been a long time since he’d made something, but it had been longer since he’d had a good fight.

“I don’t need help.” Her response was immediate, followed by the crunching of bone between her powerful jaws. She sucked the marrow from a shattered rib, her long tongue snaking around to drain every ounce of flavor until it matched the blanched-white of her teeth.

“Were you expecting something of me?” She spat the bone at his dangling feet – not intentionally, but she didn’t seem remorseful, either. The gorgon wasn’t one for manners, as it were. “Most people run. You’re still here, so I assume you want a favor of some sort.” 

“Not really. A favor implies I owe you something in the future. That’s not the case. I’ll get to the point: I’m a designer. I’ve been looking for something to inspire me for a while now and I got some ideas looking at you. Don’t know if you’ve ever modeled or anything, but I think pictures of you in my designs would do well. So that’s what I want.”

He shrugged. She was acting like a tough customer and he had no doubt she was. She was easily almost twice his size and had a look in her eyes like he was lower than dirt. He’d seen the look before and when on undaunted back then, too.

“… Hmph.” Seemingly satisfied with his answer, she returned to sinking her fangs into the chunk of beef, tearing a segment of flesh from the bone with an unrefined jerk of her head.

“I arrived here recently,” she explained upon swallowing a mouthful of flesh. “You aren’t afraid, then? That’s good. You have more of a backbone than most, boy.”

“I hear that a lot.”

The former prince didn’t shy away from the display at all. In fact, he just nimbly settled himself on the guardrail nearby, idly swinging his legs as he looked at the chimera of a woman.

She looks up from sinking her teeth into a side of raw beef, translucent red myoglobin dribbling down her jaw and nails. After a moment of voracious gnawing, she pauses, using the black scales of her hand to wipe her mouth.

“– What are you looking at?”

“A woman that loves to eat, I guess.” It was a brutally honest response, but anything less from him would have been atypical.

justicescales:

[You sit up enough to chug the rest of your drink and order another shot, then you lean back again.]

W3LL

YU4N, TH1S 1S MY M4T3SPR1T, KOUH4

KOUH4, TH1S 1S YU4N, H3S 4 N3RD

BUT 4 COOL N3RD

YOU W1LL PROB4BLY G3T 4LONG

[Why doesn’t alcohol work faster?]

[You lay on Kouha’s lap and wave your hand in dismissal at the question. He doesn’t want to hear about it, and you don’t particularly want to talk about it, so you’ll just give the short version.]

T4VROS

[Handwave handwave.]

G4MZ33

[Handwa–Oh, your shot arrived.

You sit up, then it’s gone.]

H4S 1T ST4RT3D SNOW1NG Y3T

      Terezi orders another shot, and you follow suit. Matesprit. You don’t remember the definition of that term, but with how she’s leaning against him, it isn’t hard to guess.

      There are worse things to be introduced as than nerd, you guess.

      “It was light earlier. It’s probably coming down harder now – why do you ask?”

He sneered at the mention of Gamzee’s name and downed the rest of his drink. He would have been better off not even asking. He tapped on the bad for a refill and absent-mindedly started petting Terezi in the interim. He had been enjoying a nice buzz, but that had sobered him all too quickly.

justicescales:

[Party? What party is he deciding to come to–]

[Oh.]

[Yeah, so much for slowing down. You take a nice big gulp of your mixed drink.]

OH!!!!

COOL!

1 W1LL L3T T4VROS KNOW!

4ND 1 W1LL G1V3 YOU TH3 D3T41LS WH3N3V3R 1 H4V3 TH3M

[You open your mouth to say something else, and close it.]

W41T

W41T W41T W41T

B4CKTR4CK L1K3 T3N M1NUT3S

[You slide down as you lean against Kouha.]

H4V3 YOU 4ND KOUH4 M3T B3FOR3

[Wow, good job.]

      Tavros is involved as well? You grunt in affirmation, then blink when she starts again.

      You look back at the stranger, then down, face reddening.

      “We may have. My memory hasn’t been its best lately.”

“We’ve seen each other at those board games sometimes. Haven’t really talked outside of that.”

He rubbed at Terezi’s side as he took a sip from his drink. He wasn’t nearly as far along as she was, but he didn’t consider something like this a competition. It was interesting to hear the two of them banter back and forth, though. Maybe this was something they did often.

@thirdsonofkou | starter ad

It was a relief to find somewhere not completely barren before the festivities, however… Perhaps it would be wise to save himself some time. Luckily, it was not difficult to spot a figure who carried himself as though he was in command, as it were.

“Forgive me for the rather late notice, but… perhaps you could assist me in finding something suitable for the upcoming gala? I haven’t quite the eye for what would be in style just yet.”

Kouha was used to giving consultations to people who had never asked for one outside of the shop, but being approached was something new. He looked over the stranger vacantly and walked around him in a circle.

@thirdsonofkou

[You kind of were aware of what was going to happen. You knew it had to be settle between the two of them. However… you couldn’t just stand by and not be their for him. You… at least wanted to hear what he thought of. If he can listen through whatever crazy shit you had to say, you can do your best and do the same for him. At least you hoped that would good enough.]

[You didn’t even tell him you were coming by. You kinda just showed up like he usually did.]

SOLLUX: kouha? are you here or ju2t hiidiing. 

[Because you would know he’s here.]

When Kouha appeared in the doorway to his bedroom, he probably looked more of a mess than Sollux had ever seen him. Half-dressed in a robe, his hair was a mess and he looked as though he hadn’t slept in a week, though it had only been a few days since things jumped off. He’d been doing a lot of thinking--probably too much. A lot of things had suffered, but if he cared, it didn’t show.

[You wince when he yells back. Then you deflate. Then you just listen.]

[You listen and you close your eyes. You can hear the swirl of emotions take hold of him and you can’t stop the tears in your own eyes from falling.]

[It feels like ages after the silence falls that you speak. That you pry your tired eyes open to look at him again.]

1T 1S NOT 4 COMP3T1T1ON

[You say simply, at first.]

YOU DO NOT H4V3 TO *COMP3T3* W1ITH 4NYON3

R3G4RDL3SS OF QU4DR4NTS, R3G4RDL3SS HOW 1 F33L 4BOUT 4NYON3 3LS3

4LL OF MY R3L4T1ONSH1PS 4R3 SP3C14L

MY R3L4T1ONSH1P W1TH *YOU* 1S *SP3C14L*

4ND 1 COULD NOT H4V3 4NYTH1NG L1K3 1T W1TH *4NYON3 3LS3*

WH4T 1 N33D

1S FOR YOU TO *NOT* B3 QU13T 4BOUT 1T

NO ON3 KNOWS WH4T TH3Y 4R3 DO1NG W1TH QU4DR4NTS!

V4C1LL4T1ON H4PP3NS BUT 1T 1S NOT *SUPPOS3D* TO 4ND 1 DO NOT TH1NK 4NYON3 H4S F1GUR3D OUT 4 W4Y TO D34L W1TH 1T UNL3SS K4RK4T 1S H1D1NG SOM3TH1NG 1N H1S G14NT POOFY SW34T3R

BUT 1 N33D TO KNOW WH4T *YOU* N33D

WH4T YOU N33D 4ND WH4T YOU W4NT 4ND WH4T YOU 3XP3CT

B3C4US3 WH1L3 1 DO NOT TH1NK 1 COULD G1V3 UP QU4DR4NTS

1 *C4N* M4K3 SUR3 TH3R3 1S B4L4NC3

4ND 1F 1 *KNOW* HOW YOU F33L 1 C4N TRY TO DO B3TT3R! OR 4T L34ST G1V3 TH3 R34SSUR4NC3S TH4T M1GHT H3LP

B3C4US3 1 4LSO N33D TH3M!

[You bring your hands up to his face, hesitantly, waiting to see if he pulls away. If he does, then you lower them again without fuss. But if he lets you touch him, then you cup his cheeks and brush the tears with your thumb.]

1 LOV3 YOU

[You say it again, looking him in the eyes.]

YOU DO NOT H4V3 TO KNOW 4NYTH1NG BUT TH4T

1 DO NOT W4NT YOU TO TRY TO M4K3 M3 H4PPY

1 W4NT YOU TO D3C1D3 WH4T YOU W4NT TO DO B4S3D ON WH4T WOULD M4K3 *YOU* H4PPY

4ND 1F YOU N33D T1M3 TO TH1NK 4BOUT TH4T, TH4T 1S OK4Y!

BUT WH4T3V3R YOU CHOOS3 H4S TO B3 FOR YOURS3LF

He didn’t pull away from her when she touched him this time. He sat and listened, doing his best to push all the raging emotions in his heart aside. It was hard for him for a lot of reasons to consider what she said because he had never thought of living that way. Yes, he had always done as he pleased, but any action he took had been for the sake of others: to further his brothers’ goals, to make others realize their own worth, to do what he thought was right for his country... None of that had anything to do with him, or so he felt.

So now, having to make this decision for what was best for him... it felt awkward.

“I meant what I said. I don’t want to leave you.”

1 DO NOT TH1NK 1T M4K3S M3 4 B3TT3R P3RSON

WH3N 1 ST4RT3D D4T1NG H1M 4G41N, 1 D1D NOT TH1NK H3 W4S D1FF3R3NT

1 3XP3CT3D TH3 S4M3 TR34TM3NT, ON SOM3 L3V3L

4ND ON SOM3 L3V3L, 1 W3LCOM3D 1T

1 W4S LON3LY 4ND D3SP3R4T3 4ND S1CK TO D34TH OF MYS3LF

SO 1 TH1NK 1 W4NT3D SOM3ON3 3LS3 TO B3 S1CK OF M3, TOO

BUT TH4T TR34TM3NT N3V3R C4M3

H3 3ND3D UP B31NG 4LMOST 4S BROK3N 4S 1 W4S

1T W4S ONLY TH3N TH4T 1 R34L1Z3D HOW D1FF3R3NT H3 W4S

4ND 4S T1M3 W3NT ON 1T B3C4M3 MOR3 PRONOUNC3D

SO 1 D1D NOT 1NST4NTLY S3P3R4T3 TH3M 1N MY M1ND

TH3 D1ST1NCT1ON B3C4M3 CL34R W1TH 3XP3R13NC3S

1F 4NYTH1NG, TH3 3NT1R3 R34SON 1 4M 4BL3 TO S3P4R4T3 H1M FROM TH3 OTH3R G4MZ33

1S B3C4US3 OF MY OWN W34KN3SS

[When he pries himself off of you, you force yourself to pull back. You ignore the stinging in your eyes and queasiness in your stomach by sheer will alone.]

STOP!!!!!!!!

1 W1LL 4CC3PT 1T 1F YOU W4NT TO BR34K UP B3C4US3 1T WOULD HURT *YOU* TOO MUCH TO ST4Y 1F MY R3D F33L1NGS FOR G4MZ33 DO NOT GO 4W4Y

BUT 1 W1LL NOT 4CC3PT 1T 1F 1T 1S B3C4US3 YOU TH1NK 1 W1LL B3 H4PP13R W1TH H1M

B3C4US3 WHY DO YOU TH1NK YOU KNOW WH4T WOULD M4K3 M3 H4PP13R!!!!!!!

WHY DO YOU TH1NK 1 DO NOT N33D YOU 1F 1 C4R3 FOR SOM3ON3 3LS3, TOO????

4ND WHY DO YOU TH1NK 1T 1S TH3 S4M3 K1ND OF LOV3??????

1F YOU LOV3 M3 MOR3 TH4N YOU LOV3 YOURS3LF

4ND 1 LOV3 YOU MOR3 TH4N 1 LOV3 MYS3LF

*TH3N* WH4T DO W3 DO?

“I DON’T FUCKING KNOW, TEREZI!!”

Listening to her finally made something snap and brought a realization. He really didn’t know anything about what he was doing. He thought he’d been helping her all this time. He thought he’d been loving her. But had he?

There was no denying he had feelings. But he couldn’t tell what she was thinking, clearly. He knew a lot about her tells and her fears and a lot of other things, but he didn’t know her.

The thought just made the pit in his stomach grow even more. Tears of anger and every other emotion going though his mind had started flowing, but he didn’t care. It was starting to be too much.

“Do you think I want to walk away from you?! I don’t! That’s the last thing I want! But I don’t what to do. I feel like... I don’t know, like I can’t compete. The both of you know how you’re supposed to play with your relationships. I’m an outsider. Ever since I came back and got in this situation with you, I’ve always felt like that. But you seemed so happy, so I just kept quiet about it.”

NO!!!!!

[You feel yourself basically being thrown on him, wrapping your arms around him and squeezing even though you’d been given no invitation to do so.

He hadn’t said anything angry or mean–even though he had every right to–but the tone of his voice hurt anyways. He called himself an idiot for thinking you wouldn’t return Gamzee’s feelings, but it felt like he was saying so much more about himself. It felt like he was trying to hide just how hurt he was.]

YOU 4R3 NOT 4N 1D1OT!!!

1 DO NOT 3V3N KNOW HOW 1T ST4RT3D TO H4PP3N

1 JUST B3G4N TO 4CTU4LLY UND3RST4ND H1M MOR3

4ND TH3N ST4RT3D TO S33 TH3 OTH3R S1D3 TO H1M

[You squeeze him more. You bury your face against him.]

KOUH4

YOU 4R3 4LLOW3D TO B3 4NGRY

OR UPS3T, 4T M3 OR 1N G3N3R4L

BUT PL34S3 KNOW

TH4T YOU 4R3 4N 4M4Z1NG M4T3SPR1T

4ND 1 COULD NOT 4SK FOR 4NYON3 B3TT3R

[You just wish you could be as good of one to him.]

She threw herself at him. He let her. There wasn’t much more to it than that.

He laid there and listened to her talk. He thought he did, anyway. It made sense to him in the moment, but his mind was already so far away from this that he might as well have not been there at all. Suddenly, despite the terror he’d been through with their phantoms no so long ago, he missed his brothers. He missed his subordinates. He missed Judar.

He missed home.

“I am angry, Terezi. But not at you. You can’t help how you feel.” The words sounded robotic to him. Maybe they were. “But more than that, I guess I’m confused. I don’t get it, Terezi. I’ve never gotten it. I don’t understand how you can feel that way about someone who hurt you so much. I know it’s not the same him to you, but it is to me. I’ve been on the receiving end of the stuff he put you through--or at least, I’ve felt the same way in the end. You know I have. You’ve seen it. And you know how much I wanted to kill that man with every fiber of me. But when you look at a person who put you in the same situation, you find a way to enjoy them. To love them. Maybe that makes you a better person than me. I don’t know. It probably doesn’t matter.

“I told myself I could share for your sake. I wanted to believe I could, even feeling how I felt. ‘As long as it’s not the same kind of love, it’s okay.’ That’s what I thought. But now it is. That changes things.”

Gently, he pried himself out of her grasp and sat back up on the couch. He faced her and looked at her, but it was clear his mind was everywhere but there in that room.