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Metamorphosis isn’t the sort of problem Karkat Vantas ever expected to have to cope with. At eleven sweeps, he’s managed to completely excavate it from his thinkpan in all contemplations of the comfortable future he’s tentatively beginning to allow himself to anticipate.
Even though he’s managed to survive long enough for it to be plausible, by now it’s taking so long that he’s chalked up his unfortunate permanent misendowment in the stature department to another self-inflicted mistake of genetics.
He’s accepted it. Gotten comfortable with it. Built his life around it: the size of the respitepodium he occasionally shares with Dave, the height of the ablution faucet in the trap, not to mention all his best and most favorite sweatpants. On the coziest of days, he’ll even admit that the way Dave can curl around him makes him feel safe and secure.
Definitely. Really. He’s going to be a bit stunted, fine, not a great diet growing up, bound to have some lasting effects. He’s still an adult even if there weren’t any signs of outgrowing his adolescent exoskeleton. Besides, it’s what Dave knows and loves--he’d never expected anything different. Maybe it is a blessing not to throw such a complicated xenobiological process at his favorite concerned and clueless alien to cope with. It’s just as well that Karkat is shaping up to keep his shape.
So even though it happens to everyone, Karkat’s adult metamorphosis still manages to creep up on him.
---
DAVE: dude where the fuck did all the butter go my toast is naked over here
DAVE: we were rolling in it
DAVE: worlds greasiest slip n slide
DAVE: and now that glorious yellow spigots running dry
He pauses to consider where exactly his metaphor is taking him and shakes his head as he paces from the kitchen to the living room. There, he takes a good, long look at Karkat licking the butter paper clean over his latest book. Then he just sighs and munches his dry toast back the way he came, mumbling crumbily about breakfast disappointment and a lack of golden rivers.
Karkat looks after him, swallowing a little guiltily. Maybe he should have asked first? But food is food, and he was hungry, for a couple thousand easy calories all at once.
The second time Dave notices is in the bedroom on the fateful day circled in triplicate highlighter on the calendar and titled LAUNDRY DAY in bold caps. When Dave takes the sheets off the mattress and shakes them onto the floor, he shrieks as a flurry of coin-sized grey flakes flutter into the room. When Karkat rushes to his aid (catching his breath at the top of the stairs), it’s impossible to deny that yes, his old exodermis is starting to get awfully loose. But that’s nothing to get too excited about. It could just be the dry season. Or all the butter. If his outside doesn’t fit anymore, it’s going to shed, right?
Isn’t that how the big changes always start?
It’s an odd feeling to recognize in a tangible way that nutritional scarcity is well and truly a thing of the past for him, Karkat reflects as he fetches the vaccuum.
He huffs his way to bed earlier and lingers in his cocoon later into the evening. He’s catching extra naps whenever undisturbed longer than half an hour. The fatigue is unnerving. Eleven sweeps is old for a metamorphosis, but not an absurd peak of vitality for the unluckiest Alternian lowbloods. Karkat pushes through it at first, but soon gives in to the soothing balm of sopor on his increasingly raw skin.
---
Dave’s rambling has taken on a distinctly anxious edge that’s old fashioned for him, and it’s getting on Karkat’s nerves. After a week or three of vanishing butter and chipping carapace, Dave accosts his boyfriend with a bowl of bacon and demands answers.
DAVE: karkat what the fuck is going on
DAVE: are you sick
DAVE: are YOU secretly the one really allergic to ME is thats whats going on
DAVE: do i have to polish myself down with a special shampoo to fix you
DAVE: if i go another minute not knowing how to take care of the man holding my heart its gonna break in his grasp i swear
DAVE: you gotta tell me how to take care of you please
DAVE: i feel important when i do that
DAVE: and you deserve taking good care of
Karkat shifts uncomfortably and considers the questions over Dave’s greasy peace offering. Dave sits himself down next to him and fidgets with his pants before leaning into Karkat’s side for the comfort he always finds there.
The hunger, the shedding, the lethargy, the aches and pains... it’s for certain now. It’s not wishful thinking.
DAVE: youd tell me if it was important right
DAVE: well youre important full stop whatever it is
DAVE: i only got one of you
DAVE: you gotta last me
DAVE: so im gonna take care of you
Karkat leans against him in return, rubbing his cheek on Dave’s forehead to prime him for a kiss there.
KARKAT: I’LL LAST, I’LL LAST.
KARKAT: I’M JUST EMBARRASSED BECAUSE IT’S SUCH A BASIC THING, BUT I NEVER PAID ATTENTION TO WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT IT ON ACCOUNT OF THE, UH, IMPROBABLY ADVANCED LIFE STAGE IT APPLIES TO.
KARKAT: I HAD REASON TO BELIEVE IT WOULD NEVER COME UP.
Dave assumes his usual protective position, the one for whenever the hypothetical danger to his important person is intangible, arms snug around Karkat’s shoulders and legs swung up over his lap, presumably to defend him from any opportunistic attacker by means of looking like a snuggly puppy too precious to accost. Or maybe his strategy is to wring the problem out of Karkat by cuddling him tight enough. Karkat strokes his side, plays with his hair, and does his best to lay out the basics of the situaion.
---
House&Hive [Home] > Lifestyle > H4T > Health > Metamorphosis Chat
saucyjeffrey created thread at 1:27 16/14/005
hey so my bf [T11V] has been looking like shit for the past two months
never been a picky eater but recently hes been doing weird shit like eating all of the butter or chomping through a carton of raw eggs with shells over two hours of “sweeps of our time” episodes
his skins really dry and starting to come off which is upsetting tbh
his body feels different in my arms
hes tired and grumpier than usual and i have never seen a man destroy a gaper so consistently
he said all this shit is all a normal episode of growing up but i thought he was grown already and frankly im not sure i can trust this guys evaluations of his own mortal risk
so is he bullshitting me is he ok
how do i help him
PMMEURRANCIDSEEDFLAP responded at 6:12
ya lUl just a mUlt ?:* him gUUdbye fUr a few mUnths
chitinousn1pples responded at 10:25
answered #3 on the human faq page mods pls lock
spupercat986 responded at 10:37
He sounds a little old to be experiencing this for the first time. Lucky him that he’s got someone looking out for him, since it’s a huge wedge in the dorsal crevice to deal with. Pmmeurrancidseedflap is right, this is normal molt stuff. Feed him a lot, help him out of whatever is shedding first, and stick him in a real old fashioned cocoon for a few weeks.
What to do while your troll’s in the Forbidden Slowcooker: skaian.et/fn7Up24Jke
Spoil a pre-molt troll: skaian.et/yYu89Pljm
Prepare for a new adult: skaian.et/bRf33raar
My gf got me a soft robe about 10 sizes bigger than my old clothes, i lived in that thing for 3 weeks after I emerged. It was a little snug but at least I wasn’t naked.
edit: N1pples, come on, this is literally what this forum is fucking for. No one made you click *metamorphosis chat* expecting to read about anything but humans freaking out about molts.
saucyjeffrey responded 15:43
feed him love him swaddle him to snoozeville got it
thanks
---
With Karkat sleeping so much, Dave has plenty of time to research. Karkat’s going to retreat into his cocoon any day now, a fact that makes Dave’s guts twist. Has he ever had to think about being apart from Karkat for more than a couple days? Karkat has been an immoveable fixture in Dave’s life from the day he was involuntarily launched into it. Now he’s going to disappear for weeks while he’s busy partially liquifying. Yeah, it’s apparently normal and just comes with the alien territory, but in the meantime it’s made Dave so anxious for Karkat’s company that the troll has had to start locking the bathroom door.
The only thing for it is to make the most of the time left.
Spa night is in order.
First, Dave gathers his supplies. Candles, lotion, a couple kinds of exfoliating brush, claw files, the works.
Then he gets to work in rubber gloves scrubbing the whole bathroom, lighting the candles to make the small room smell the part of one of those luxury bathrooms the size of an extra bedroom. He puts a tray over the sink for extra counterspace for the full array of ablutory accouterments and snacks he’s assembled.
Satisfied with his work, it’s time for the man of the hour himself. Karkat’s curled up on the couch again with a bowl of pepperoni sticks, reading. Dave can tell it’s a new selection, probably from one of his online book clubs, because of how fresh the spine still looks. He’s sure he’s going to hear a review later. Right now he has a different agenda.
He puts a finger on the top of the book. As he pushes it down, Karkat’s unamused eyebrow goes up.
KARKAT: WHAT DO YOU WANT?
DAVE: taking care of you like i promised
DAVE: cmere let me show you something
Karkat, rightfully suspicious of where Dave’s instinct for domestic initiative might lead, takes his time placing his bookmark, setting the volume aside, and uninstalling himself from his supportive nest. Dave piques his interest with a bit of shoulder massage, which earns him a creaky, pointy little smile from his love.
DAVE: more where that came from
DAVE: youll love it i promise
----
Dave opens the door for the reveal a little too enthusiastically, and then hurries in to re-light the candles he just accidentally blew out.
KARKAT: DID YOU DO ALL OF THIS YOURSELF?
The “just for me?” goes unspoken. Karkat steps in, admiring Dave’s work, and puts an arm around his middle in exchange for a cheek kiss.
DAVE: i had the advice of a few friends
DAVE: im really gonna miss you yknow
DAVE: so i figure its my job to pamper you while i got you
DAVE: so step in sit back and let me at you
Karkat nods. His partner helps him carefully out of his loose clothes. He tests the milky, fragrant water in the ablution basin with his prongs while Dave starts some ambient music. Stepping carefully into the basin, he sinks into whatever potion Dave put together with a happy sigh.
KARKAT: A FEW FRIENDS. YOU HAVEN’T BEEN AIRING MY BUSINESS TO EVERYBODY WE KNOW, HAVE YOU?
DAVE: dont worry only internet strangers
Karkat snorts.
KARKAT: I GUESS THAT’S AN ACCEPTABLE COMPROMISE.
Gently, methodically, Dave attends to every precious inch of his boyfriend, starting with horns and hair. By now he knows Karkat’s vulnerabilities well enough for Karkat to completely relax in his hands as they work over his rounder, softer, changing body, cleaning away what might be the last of his pre-molt dead skin. He closes his eyes and lets himself unwind.
Once, Dave tries to alternate his sudsy scrubbing with a smooch, but this is followed by some less than romantic spitting as he tries to get the soap out of his mouth again. Karkat laughs at him and reaches up to tilt Dave’s chin to an angle better suited for a proper kiss.
It really is a night for every inch of Karkat. Dave’s practiced fingers slip under the water and further down Karkat’s front. In the dim candlelight, the ripples of the water cast Karkat’s affectionate vermilion luminesence and noises of sleepy pleasure all around the little room, and all over Dave.
----
That morning, Karkat has his now-usual high energy dinner, snuggles with Dave on the platform for a few hours, then retreats into his cocoon for the day.
That evening, there is a waxy film over its opening that tells Dave that he’s going to stay in there for a while.
The next few weeks are long.
The days start to lengthen, and Dave accidentally reverts to diurnalism to keep up with the online and waking hours of the friends and family he’s badgering for attention to keep his mind off Karkat. Theoretically, this would be a great time to pursue some more far-flung visits, but it seems somehow irresponsible to leave Karkat all alone in this state. The alternative, abusing time travel, would mean that Karkat’s absence stretches longer for Dave himself. It’s lose-lose. So he keeps close to home, seeing the most of Jade, Rose, and Kanaya.
He tapes some speakers to the side of the cocoon and plays Karkat some of his tunes-in-progress.
A pile of letters accumulates on Karkat’s desk, as Daves’s idle doodles turn into a sort of epistolary diary. It seems important to be able to update Karkat on what he’s missing, after all.
He watches and assembles an approximate summary of each new episode of Karkat’s soaps. They’re pretty confusing to jump right into since they’re usually something Karkat indulges in on his own. But he’d hate for Karkat to fall behind. It’s something to do to care for him when he’s out of reach.
Five weeks, the absolute minimum for an adult metamorphosis, passes without much of a sign. Dave has failed to avoid getting his hopes up. He writes another letter, watches another episode, and waits.
----
Eight weeks since spa night, Dave thinks there might be a bear downstairs. He emerges from the shower to mysterious clumsy thumps from that direction and his heart leaps into his throat.
Karkat’s back. (And, he can’t help but think later, he was right about the bear.)
Barely dressed and half dried, he sprints down the stairs and nearly eats shit on the turn to the nutritionblock. The commotion means that guarded vermilion eyes are fixed on him the moment he appears in the doorframe. They are at about the same height that Karkat’s used to be, standing.
Only this Karkat is sitting in front of the open fridge. His naked skin is mottled shades of raw pink and grey, curing already to a deeper stormcloud color on the broader planes of his body. For all the weight he stored before his transformation, he looks uncomfortably lean for his upgraded size, as if every spare ounce had gone into rebuilding him.
That explains why he’s got half a dripping tenderloin hanging out of his mouth, and a couple lightly gnawed butter wrappers on the floor next to him in a small puddle of the dirty sopor that is still dripping off of him. He swallows and gives a shy little wave.
KARKAT: GOOD TO SEE YOU, LOVE.
His voice is drier than usual from disuse, and a good deal deeper.
Dave laughs out loud at the sheer joy of seeing him and the pride of providing for him. He hurries forward and pauses next to the fridge, not sure if he’s invited to touch yet but vibrating with the urge to all the same.
KARKAT: SORRY ABOUT THE MESS.
KARKAT: THANKS FOR STOCKING UP.
KARKAT: I’D HAVE LOVED TO SAY HI AND RINSE OFF FIRST, BUT YOU WERE BUSY.
Karkat answers his unspoken question by swallowing the rest of his meat, wiping his meat-juicy mouth on his sopor-slimy hand, and opening his arms to a beaming Dave, who promptly occupies them. It’s the world’s most literal cuddle puddle.
DAVE: holy fuck youre a brick shithouse
DAVE: even if you werent currently letting it all hang out and/or drip every goddamn where
DAVE: youre a brick house and im fucking *home*
Karkat snorts and nuzzles his hair.
KARKAT: YOUR HOME IS THE SHITHOUSE, IS IT.
DAVE: apparently cause thats what you smell like
DAVE: we should wash that shit off before it dries
Karkat’s bigger, broader, sharper face softens at the pleasant memory suggested. He snags a handful of cheese ropes and struggles to his feet with a little help.
Dave gapes at the vision rising before him. Venus dripping out of her clamshell has nothing on Karkat dripping on the kitchen floor.
DAVE: i knew you were a gift that kept giving but no one told me id get twice as much of you to love
KARKAT: I DIDN’T WANT TO GET ANYBODY’S HOPES UP.
KARKAT: TA DAA?
DAVE: cool trick honeybiscuit but if you do it again were gonna need more than a minor remodel
DAVE: looks good on you though
He traces a heart in the goo on Karkat’s rumblespheres, which gets him a gruff chuckle, then leads the way back to the bathtub.
---
Fed, cleaned, moisturized, approximately dressed if only in a bedsheet toga, and quickly developing to more deep grey than pink, Karkat’s finally beginning to look more like himself for the first time in months. A rumble like an idling chainsaw ticks away in his thorax as he curls around Dave, combing overgrown claws through light hair.
KARKAT: I’M GLAD YOU’RE HERE.
DAVE: im glad *youre* here
DAVE: way too fuckin quiet round here without you stomping around
DAVE: plus yknow i love you
KARKAT: THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN SCARY AND MISERABLE TO TRY AND MANAGE ON MY OWN.
KARKAT: YOU MADE ME AS COMFORTABLE AS I THINK IT’S POSSIBLE TO BE.
It’s one of those moments Dave is pretty sure he’s an inch away from purring along too, anatomical deficiencies be damned. His cheeks are sore from grinning and his heart is so full in his chest from pride that it’s spilling down his arms to his fingers and up his throat to his lips, both of which he has to press all over Karkat to channel the excess.
For his part, Karkat watches in quiet amusement. Dave’s obvious marveling helps to quickly soothe the shock of waking up in what might as well be someone else’s body. But here is his love obviously recognizing it as his boyfriend’s, which means that of course it must still be Karkat’s, even if he has to fold himself to fit on his own mattress. That just means there’s an inviting alcove along his stomach just made for Dave to snuggle himself into.
Karkat’s hand settles on Dave’s side. It covers twice as much of him as it used to, and his stomach flutters.
Karkat’s back, Karkat’s big. He’s got a little filling out left to do. And Dave is ready to help him through that too.