Chapter Text
The First Inaugural Creator’s Day Parade in the Carapacian Kingdom is not nearly fun enough to warrant a title with so many words in it.
Your knees are stiff under your bright yellow nightgown, which you were somewhat surprised to receive upon arrival. It perfectly matched and fit your original dreamer dress from the original Prospit, somehow.
You’re on top of a bright yellow-and-purple float, sticking close to Roxy and peering out over the astonished crowd. There really is no other way to describe it besides “a lot”, you think. It’s the most people you’ve ever seen in one place- including in your dreams, and the population of Prospit had still been too much for you to handle at times!
You never could have expected this, you think with finality. Yes, that’s a good way to sum it up. You, against all odds, became the protagonist of your own little whirlwind story. Saved from the void of death by a princess, your hero. Swept up alongside so many other heroes, allowed to share in their triumphs and assist however you could in obtaining The Ultimate Reward. Your brother was still out there, but he no longer lived under your skin, in the back of your mind where black tendrils threaten to pull you under. You are free of him, a privilege you never expected to earn.
Your history with the unexpected on such a scale as this is only a few weeks long, beginning when you finally made it back into the world of the living. You never expected Roxy’s hand in yours, warm and brown and alive. She’d sent you pictures before, said that whatever view you must’ve had in your “ufo or whatevs” couldn’t be flattering (impossible, you’d never once seen her in a state that wasn’t somehow radiant.). The sun on her cheekbones and the gap in her teeth strike you differently in person, the new sensation of just having another presence in the room with you is incredible.
You blink, reminding yourself of your position. These people came a long way and made a lot of effort to make this day for you, you had better pay attention!
—
The church you’re approaching is massive and beautiful: painted in bright, complementary pastels with swooping arches and wide halls. You quite literally are carried in on a wave of adoring carapacians, all reaching for you, hoping to touch you. You can still see Roxy nearby, laughing and reaching an arm down into the crowd. Kanaya and Rose are close behind, faces soft with joy and kindness. Just seeing them reminds you of how much you still have to conclude before life in this new world can begin- Rose wrote the book you’ve been studying! You have so many questions for her. And Kanaya- you’ve read about her! A space player like yourself, perhaps she could help you answer some things as well, about your purpose and your shared aspect.
The doors, roughly two stories tall, swing open to reveal a lavish banquet laid out for you all. It’s bountiful and beautiful, the rich scents of honey and warmth washing over you. The spread of food is mostly human, with fewer but still various troll dishes in between. There are tender steaks and cooked vegetables- the former being too cooked for your liking, but nonetheless artfully arranged on ornate dishes. There are mounds of mashed potatoes and bread of twenty different kinds, more options than anyone would know what to do with.
What catches your attention most of all is the dessert table, stacked with cookies and cakes. Chocolate, red velvet, strawberry, devil’s food, white, yellow, and flavors you don’t even know the name of are high on tiered trays to either side of a large chocolate fountain. Sweets are strewn about the table below, varieties both familiar and unfamiliar.
Roxy makes a comment you can’t quite hear over the din of the crowd, but her eyes sparkle. The four of you, the princesses of the moons, are deposited at high-backed golden and purple chairs at the head of the hall, and a small carapacian band to one side begins playing a bright, upbeat tune. Some sort of anthem, maybe? It fades out and a rather fancy little Prospitian stands before you. He would only come up to perhaps your waist if you were standing next to him, and you’re not that tall to begin with. He’s wearing a tailored black suit with decorations on one breast, perhaps meant to mimic a military uniform? But they’re just little stickers of smiley faces and such… He adjusts a bright red sash just under the jacket and adresses the four of you.
He greets you in a squeaking, excited tone. He’s red in the face and attempting to stand up so straight he was in fact bending backwards. He offers general praise-of-the-gods stuff, and introduces himself as the Whimsical Steward, the temporary ruler of the Carapacian Kingdom- until you four are ready, he tells you with a beam. And that can be any time you like!
—
Your group had discussed the politics of the land as soon as you’d arrived and seen how things had shaken out, with the four separated and oddly segregated kingdoms. Karkat in particular had wanted to change that right away, but he’d been voted down in favor of letting the world adjust to their gods’ presence first. You agreed it should be addressed, though- eventually.
Then came your decisions for which kingdoms to move into. You very easily chose to follow Roxy wherever she ended up, (she had promised you- if the two of you made it out alive, you’d figure out what the future held together.) and therefore came to the Carapacian Kingdom.
“Just because… it’s sorta homey-like, y’know?” she had said, justifying her choice to no one in particular.
—
WS is blinking up at you all, seeming to expect an immediate answer as to when you’ll be relieving him of duty.
“Um-” you blink. You look at your companions.
“We’ll need a brief time to settle in, I’m sure you understand.” Rose jumps in, saving you from your floundering. “We can discuss more specifics later…? I’m sure everyone is eager to get something to eat.”
You nod in agreement- nothing on the main tables appeals to the more carnivorous side of your diet, but those desserts look simply fantastic!
The Steward nods enthusiastically, and turns to the gathered crowd of carapacian civilians at his back. He says a few more words in praise of you and declares the feast open for all.
You’re surprised when he approaches you soon after. Seeming to not want you to bend down, he steps up onto a chair and gestures you close. He tells you that he’s deeply sorry for the selection of foods, and that he’s not sure what your species typically eats, as they don’t seem to live on Earth C, is that right?
“In a way, we do! Only very sparsely, and, well, not yet. Please don’t worry about me, there’s plenty of food here that I like!”
He asks you if you’re sure with a concerned tone. He tells you that he has access to all the finest chefs of the land, and if only he’d known the gods were returning maybe he could have done more-
You stop his fidgeting hands, laying one of yours atop his. His eyes bug out a bit staring at it. You decide to think that’s because he thinks you’re a god, and not because of the claws or anything.
“I promise, sweets are usual fare for me. And ones of this scale! It smells delicious.” You grin widely, in what you hope is a reassuring manner.
He seems mostly satisfied by this, and hops down off of his chair with your hand still clasped in his. He leads you to the aforementioned dessert table, plucks a lollipop from where it hangs just slightly over the edge of the low table, and offers it up to you. He tells you that he’s not sure why, but that he thinks you should have it.
It looks to be many different flavors- what appears to be blue raspberry, cotton candy, green apple, grape, and cherry among others are running in spirals to the center. It’s an odd flavor combination, not one that’s particularly appealing or making up a neat rainbow. You almost consider rejecting his offer in favor of the neatly laid out wrapped candies and bars of chocolate still laying on the table, but your stomach growls and you look into WS’s shining black eyes and you remember yourself. This is a gift you’re being given! It’s unique, and being offered to you. Of course you’ll take it. You thank WS and wander off to go find your friends in the crowd.
Your name is Calliope. You have been given a gift, much unlike those you have previously been dealt.
What will you do?
