Doomed To Dream - Part 16

It isn't even five minutes before the comm rings, and Sollux is diving for his bag, digging around for it, and finally pulling out his comm. How could he not with what Vriska had implied? Not that there were many other trolls who called him other than Cyclos, but he hadn't heard from his guardian since the night of the attack. Cyclos had made it very clear that he was hardly pleased with the turn of events with Sollux. Hadn't even bothered to thank him for the assistance, for being prepared, only yelled at him for the use of psionics.

“Cyclos?” he asked,  not even caring if it was someone else. If it was, he was hanging up on them. Even if it was Alyssm.

“Naw, my wicked little brother,” a voice that Sollux faintly remembered answered. “Ah, but don't you up and get your disconnect on. My pale-brother said you might try that, and that I was supposed to tell you that he keeps the honey hidden in the cabinets over the thermal hull.”

Yes, he had been about to hang up, but that little tidbit was more than enough to stop him. It had been the phrase that Cyclos had come up with when Sollux was still a wiggler and his guardian had gone off to do his first film in his ward's lifetime. They had agreed on that as a way for Sollux to know when someone talking to him was safe. To hear the words now, from Goatad Seborn, was almost enough to make him tear up.

“What's wrong?” he demanded, almost immediately.

“Ah now, let's not get all stressed. Do you think I'd sound so calm if things were bad with my main brother? No, just chill. Relax yourself.”

“Your...” Sollux trailed off, only then realizing just what Seborn had opened with. His pale brother. Apparently the accident had managed to bridge whatever reluctance the purple had over their moirallegiance. The only positive side of the incident, if one could even call it that.

“Yeah. Wanted me to call and check in on you.”

“Why can't he call himself?”

“The healthtenders have him all caught up in another test. Don't worry 'bout that either. Just one last check up before they turn him over to me.”

“To you?”

“Yeah, who the motherfuck else? Gotta have someone to make sure your stubborn guardian  takes care of himself. Gets his damn medications and sees to not letting his producers give him too much grief. Honestly, not looking forward to that one, but it's going to have to happen and I'm not letting them give him grief.”

“Good luck with that,” Sollux grumbled.

“Sure... Luckily they haven't been so bad. Cyclos said you probably scared them with that last meeting.”

Good. They deserved it. How could they say they cared when all they were doing was giving Cyclos a driver.

“Anyway, thought you would be all up and gleeful to hear some wicked news that I got for ya. See, I ain't up and wanting no one trying none of that stuff on my moirail again, and since those film nuts weren't doing anything about it, I started looking into stuff myself. Came to me like a miraculous motherfucking flash: I've got myself in contact with this wicked brother from my schoolfeeding days, master at the martial disciplines. He's a giant fan of my pale-bro, and has promised to see some of his students watching out for your guardian. Ain't going to be a thing. No one is up and going to want to jump Cyclos with martructors hanging around him. Going to make sure some of those stalkporters always following him hear about this.”

Martructors... well now that was an idea. If Sollux had been able to afford it and he had thought his guardian would have accepted such a thing with no explanation, he might have looked into hiring a martructor or at least an advanced martruction student to help his guardian out. Whether it would work or not was an entirely different question, one that he wouldn't be able to answer until he could force himself into a sleep-cycle. There was another question on the board to: could Vriska prove she had a hand in this ploy if it was what she had been hinting at.

Could it really be so simple? Had this been the answer he'd been waiting on?

“Other than that, we're keeping your guardian stowed at my hivestem, making him take landcrawlers around, all that good stuff. Shouldn't be a thing to worry your horns about, okay? I promise you, little motherfucker, that I ain't going to let my moirail or you down in this. We're going to see us all through this intact.”

“Thanks. You don't know how much that means to me.”

“Naw, brother, I think I all up and do. I think I all up and do.”

It was only then that Sollux found himself wondering just how much Hydrus knew about his abilities, and whether or not she would break confidentiality to share them. From the tone of Seborn's voice, Sollux almost had to suspect she had.

“I got to get myself back to work,” he said at last. “Tell him to call me when he can. That I need to hear his voice.”

“You up and got it, my wicked brother. Count on me.”

“I do,” Sollux admitted, frowning to himself. “How could I not trust his moirail?”

The question almost hurt when he thought about how little he had trusted his own when it came to finding an answer for all of this.

* * * * * *

twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling arachnidsGrip [AG]

TA: how diid you do iit?

AG: Oh? Have you had a message from your guardian then?

TA: no hii2 moiiraiil

AG: So this whole thing shook Goatad up enough to get him to commit. Thank goodness. You cannot 8elieve how stressed his wards have 8een over that. I hear a8out it endlessly from Karkat via Kanaya. Almost enough to make one's horns hurt!

TA: how diid you do iit?

AG: How? Just a few key words here and there. Perks of having my auspistice the ward of your guardian's moirail. Wow, try saying that relation 8 times fast.

AG: Does this make us pseudo-in-clade now? Or something like that? Anyway, like I was saying, it was as simple as talking a8out reminiscing a8out my martial training around Karkat and how my ashen rival would have 8enefited from such training.

AG: Seeing as Kar is allllllll sorts of enamored with your guardian, it was simple enough to su8tly encourage him to go take the idea to his guardian.

AG: I was impressed how Goatad even managed to pick the former-guardian of my own martructor to put his plan into motion.

AG: Am I good or what?

TA: iif ii had two piick iid go wiith or what or maybe ju2t that youre two lucky for your own good

AG: Oh yes I've got ALLLLLLLL the luck!

AG: Which is only a8out to grow with what you're going to do for me.

TA: and ju2t what ii2 that?

AG: Let's 8e honest here, SSSSSSSSollux. It's dangerous for someone like me to 8e so easily found 8y someone like you. I'm not equipped to prevent the things like I've pulled off with your guardian.

TA: iill be the judge of whether youve managed two protect hiim or not

AG: Are you trying to 8ack out of payment?

TA: no iim ju2t 2ayiing ii have a better under2tandiing of the 2iituatiion than you do and giiven tiime ii am a better judge of whether youve held up your end of the bargaiin or not

TA: iill 2tiill 2tart the payback now iif you want

AG: Fine. I'll accept that as part of the 8argain, though I am offended 8y your lack of 8elief. Anyway, like I was saying, I don't like 8eing found. The fact that you were a8le to is a pro8lem. Clearly you're more talented than a lot of others, so I'm going to use that.

TA: u2e that how?

AG: Make me into what they refer to me as online: a shadow. I don't want to 8e found, Captor, and I think you can do a damn good jo8 of making sure of that.

TA: and iif ii 2ay ii dont thiink that hiidiing ii2 your be2t cour2e of actiion?

AG: I'd have to roll my eyes and laugh.

TA: iim 2eriiou2

TA: ii 2aw your reactiion two telliing you about the hiierarchii2t2 attackiing cyclo2

TA: you hate them hate all they 2tand for and all they try two do ju2t liike ii do

TA: ju2t liike a lot of troll2 who2e liive2 theyve ruiined do and clearly eat2 at you that all you can do ii2 piick up the piiece2 after they break 2omeone

TA: not that you can piick up two many piiece2 ii diid more lookiing iintwo you and whiile youre doiing well enough wiith your productiion faciiliitiie2 you arent doiing 2o good that you can help two many troll2 liike you diid wiith 2aph

TA: ii thiink you want two help more troll2 hurt by the2e ba2tard2 but you are liimiited by re2ource2 connectiion2 and tiime

TA: whiile ii dont have all the re2ource2 you need ii have the connectiion2 ii have the tiime and ii have the wiill two get you what you need two do thii2 riight

TA: you can be 2tuck beiing reactiive for a few troll2 or you can let me help you and be able two help more troll2 when they really need you

TA: what do ya 2ay?

AG: That the psionics are o8viously frying your pan.

TA: would you rather deal wiith the remaiin2 of the terriible 2hiit the2e hiierarchii2t2 do or be a 2piider iin a web trappiing them iin theiir own deviice2

AG: A spider in a we8?

TA: a well connected web we could draw upon the re2ource2 of troll2 youve helped before buy up quiiet piiece2 of owner2hiip of a lot of warmblood bu2iine22e2 2o you have more fund2 two work wiith you could even briing iin tho2e troll2 youve helped that have uniique talent2 and make them agent2 who can help you fiind tho2e at rii2k and keep you iinformed of what we can fiind iirl or onliine

TA: thiink about iit

AG: Okay, I will.

TA: that2 all ii a2k

AG: Done thinking. If you've got the shame glo8es to deal with this kind of dirty work, then 8ring it. Together we can change the world.

TA: that2 all ii a2k that and a chance two get a few 2leep-cycle2 of peace

AG: Huh?

TA: dont worry you ju2t 2tiick wiith me iin thii2 bu2iine22 and iill get what ii want out of iit

AG: Why Mister Captor, this could 8e the start of a 8EAUTIFUL friendship.

TA: iit could al2o be the 2tart of countle22 panache2

AG: You're actively asking for them. You realize that, right? Getting yourself involved here is pretty dangerous. Not only for you, 8ut for your guardian. For anyone you care a8out. These people aren't what you think they are. It's way more complex than anyone realizes.

AG: I'll give you only one chance to 8ack out of this agreement, Sollux. If you still want to do this when I contact you tomorrow night, then we'll start forward. I'll tell you what I know, you'll tell me what you know, and we'll start putting irons in the fire.

TA: iim not backiing down vrii2ka thii2 ii2 2omethiing ii thiink we both have two do our rea2on2 may be diifferent or 2iimiilar but the iimportant thiing ii2 that we have them and that were wiilliing two liive for them

AG: You're a8solutely sure a8out this? I mean aaaaaaaa8solutely 8eyond any dou8ts, swear on your guardians horns, no taking 8ack certain that this is what you want?

TA: ye2

AG: Well then, I guess we have a LOT more to talk a8out than I thought. What time is it for you? Can you spare a few hours for this?

TA: iim a fuckiing reclu2iive iin2omniiac who 2ugge2ted the iidea iin the fiir2t place what do you thiink?

AG: Well then, I guess I should get you up to speed on a few things. It all started a long time ago with a fuchsia8lood named Veruna Mateas........

* * * * * *

It's silent. Not a perfect kind of silence, not a lasting kind of silence, not even a silence he would take as a sign that things were getting better. There were still the murmurs, the pleading, even the distant keening of pain. None of that mattered. What mattered here and now was that there was silence as he rested here, curled up at the stone-feet of his guardian. No longer could he hear the pained voice of Cyclos, echoing throughout the endless landscape of the soon to be dead. It was less than a hint of a whisper now, which was more than enough for Sollux. Somehow she'd done it. She'd found a way to do something Sollux had never been able to. Vriska Serket had managed to save the life of a troll that he'd been certain was doomed. And in exchange Sollux had bound his life to hers, for as long as it took, or for as many sweeps as would be given him.

Yet for all she had done, and for all he had promised, Sollux couldn't help but find himself wondering if it had really been the right choice. How was he supposed to stand there, by her side, as she faced down a legend and the whispered rumors it had created? He'd never thought they were organized, never thought that there was something more than arrogance behind it all. How was he supposed to face this? How was he supposed to do everything he'd sworn he would?

And how was he going to be able to keep it from his matesprit and moirail?