Chapter Text
Your name is, oh who are you kidding we don't have time for this!!!
You and your new friend Diemen have just spent the last few hours running through the sewers and now it's almost sun up and you've been told that sun up is not something you want to be around for, so you're about to ask where he lives, but he beats you to the punch.
“(| is your hive near here |)” You forgot he's homeless too. Luckily you have one other friend on this planet. You ask him to help you find your way back to where he found you, you can find her from there. He obliges and the two of you begin walking
Soon enough you’re back on the street corner where he found you and even sooner you’re on Ardata’s doorstep. You knock.
“(| this is your hive |)” Your friend asks with awe “(| its huge |)” you quickly correct him. Can't take credit for Ardatas hive. You tell him you don’t have a home either, but a good friend of yours lives here. Speaking of the sun is starting to rise, you hope she's not in bed already. You knock again.
Her lusus somehow opens the door despite not having hands and let's you and Diemen in before promptly cornering you on the other side of the living room. The giant tick seems ready to kill you both before Ardata comes down stairs and gets her lusus to leave. She's still fully dressed and wide awake so you guess you’re not a disturbance, in fact she seems quite happy to see you!
“so wonderful to see you friiiend,” She starts as you pull her into a hug that really hurts your broken arm. As she pulls away and sees a terrified looking Diemen. “and you even brought food for my dear lusus. how kind of you.” She finishes with a sinister smile. Someone who didn't know her might be scared right about now, but you spent the last week living with her and you know she won't hurt anyone she doesn't have to.
So you simply introduce them. Diemen is shaking as he says a hello. He relaxes quite a bit when she leaves to find you something to eat.
“(| you never said your friend is cerulean |)” She's what? You ask him if that's some kind of insult. At first it seems he wants to backpedal, but then he sees your genuine confusion and clarifies “(| her blood |)”
Oh yeah its blue. He looks at you like you just grew another head. Apparently that's not as casual as you thought it was. You ask why it's a big deal and he explains to you the social order of Alternia. Apparently Diemen is the lowest and Ardata is like the 3rd highest land dweller. You don't have a lot of context, but combined with the knowledge that Ardata has other trolls of Diemen's blood color locked in the basement you can see how he's nervous.
Ardata walks back in with leftovers from your meal here yesterday, you thank her and begin eating. Then you dive into the more serious issue. You ask her why she’s scaring your other friend, you know it's on purpose.
“oh diiid iii scare hiiim?” she asks absentmindedly. She's not fooling you, just yesterday you were living with her and for the time you were she mentioned a lot how much she hates doing things like this. She even said that you are her first and only friend.
Hey! Maybe instead of pretending to be racist Ardata can just live with Diemen and make another friend. She laughs at you and Diemen tenses even more. The guy is sweating bullets.
You insist, no they should definitely hear you out. They'd be perfect friends! Ardata could give Diemen a place to live and a bunch of hotdogs and Diemen could help her feel better after live streams. Come to think of it they're both traumatized and lonely. Diemen with his recent loss of hive and lusus and Ardata with being forced to torture people for a living. They could really help each other out!
Ardata looks stunned into silence so Diemen says “(| are you |)” he pauses looking from you to Ardata “(| are you setting us up |)”
What no! You guys would just be good friends and roommates that's all. Nothing romantic about two roommates confiding in each other, helping each other heal, and all around become better people! They glance at each other again, apparently that was unconvincing. Ardata breathes out and looks at you.
“iii know you just got to alterniiia, but were you hatched just last week as well?” Then she explains the alternia romance system. There were four quadrants and after hearing it you definitely just tried to set them up as moirails. Whatever even if they don't date them living together just makes sense! Ardata could protect Diemen and learn to have real friends and Diemen could have a place to live.
Diemen still looks scared, but Ardata says he can stay with her as long as he likes. You make her promise to keep him out of her internet career and she agrees. Then you tell Ardata about your recent hotdog fueled adventure and give Diemen an abridged version of how you and Ardata met. You leave out the panic attack, because you're not a complete idiot.
After you all talk for a bit and Diemen slowly becomes more relaxed. Once you finish your food Ardata shows Diemen his new room and you take your usual spot on the chair in her room. You get a very good night's rest.