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It's dark as shit.
You really hate this meteor.
The halls are too dark and looming. It's too big and ominous and you're ninty percent sure it needs like a hundred more lights. Instead of your (slightly shaky) hand clutching a flash light.
You're not sure what makes you angrier.
The fact that you're trying to navigate this Hellhole by yourself. Or the fact that Kanaya decided to up and abandon you for that fucking fish. No, yeah. You're more upset about that. Apparently you weren't good enough to make her leaving her freak-fish. Stupid, Goddamn, no good--
"Karkat?"
"FUCKING-- CHRIST- What?"
Your heart is pounding. Standing before you is that absolute lug of a troll.. Jesus, is he still wearing his sunglasses? What an absolute fucking tool.
"I thought I heard something slinking around like a squeakbeast." You're caught between annoyed and indignant.
"Shut up."
"No, no I'm serious. I just heard scuffle scuffle and the distinct smell of cheese and fear."
Your eyes narrow and your lips purse..
They can't..
They can't.. actually.. Smell fear.. Can they?
He simply chuckles and you're determined not to let it get to you.
"Isn't it a little late for you to be out and about? Don't you humans sleep around now?"
"Really funny, Strydr. Yes, It's way too late for me, the wide-eyed child, to be trying to get a fucking glass of water."
You notice an eyebrow arch up from behind his shades. "You, uh. You purposefully going the wrong way?" Oh, no, no, no-- You turn away from him, shining the light down the hall.. It looks the same as where you were going and now you're hopelessly disoriented, with the starts of an embarrassed blush heating up your cheeks. He goes to step past you, but in the process he touches your shoulder and you jump. You nearly hit the wall hard enough to knock the air from your lungs and he raises his hands innocently, as if to say he didn't push you.
"Relax, Vantas. I'll get you where you need to be, okay?"
With your throat closing in embarrassment, you croak right back at him. "Isn't it a little late for you to be up?"
He outright laughs at that. You're almost certain that, even though you can't see it, he's rolling his eyes at you. "I slept already, squirt. Let's go."
Squirt? What the fuck?
He's marching off down the hall like he's hot shit or something. His cape's billowing out behind him and you watch him for a few paces before he glances back at you. "Come on, I said let's go. That usually means we both go. Unless you want to try your luck."
Reluctantly, you follow him.
The two of you walk in silence for a good, long time. With him staring silent and solemn ahead of him and you.. Fidgeting. You can't just look ahead of you the whole time. You keep glancing at the troll beside you. Daevid. Obnoxious enigma.
You wet your lips with your tongue and finally break the silence.
"How the fuck can you even see?"
He glances at you, finally looking away from the hall. A little chuckle leaves his throat. "Nightvision, duh. I see best when it's dark.. Darker it is, the better I see."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah?"
"..Is that, uh. Why you wear those?" You motion vaguely at your eyes. He shakes his head.
"I mean, partially, sure. It helps me see better during daylight and in bright spaces.. But, uh. These were a gift." He glances at you and catches the inquisitve way your eyebrows have arched into your hairline. He seems a little bit sheepish now. "So, I had this pair.. Belonged to my ancestor. But. You know how that is, you find your ancestor's shit and it's banged up and busted. Scratches on the lenses, cracks, the things were falling apart. My, uh. My friend. Jowhnn. Got me these. They're just an all-around better pair. Shit was pale as fuck." He murmured the last few words. Sounding.. Hurt? He slips the glasses off his head and in the dim lighting you catch a glance of his face. Exposed. You feel your heart thud harder when his head tilts and you meet his eyes. Really actually meet his eyes for the first time.
You look away so fast it's a miracle you didn't get whiplash.
"Neat." You manage to croak. "Is the light sensitivity.. An all-trol thing or.."
"It's a mutant thing."
"A mutant thing?"
"That's what I said."
"Are you going to elaborate, or just be a giant ass about it."
He snorts softly. When you look back at him, the glasses are perched back on his face.. Thank God.
"So, you know about the hemospectrum, right?" You shrug. He takes your vague answer as a no and sincerely educates you. You listen with rapt attention as he drones on and on about this alien garbage. Then about himself. How he's a mutant. What would have happened to him if the Empress had ever found out..You feel a sympathetic pang in your chest and give his arm a f pat. He gives you a look. You're.. Not sure what it is. Like confusion and relief mixed into his stoic, ice features. You smile a little awkwardly and you're.. Pretty sure he rolls his eyes. His tone shifts, a little more bitter. Icy. "Yep, Pity me. The fucking mutant."
"Well, to be fair, that kind of fucking sucks."
He's unreadable, his head idly shaking.. The conversation fizzles out there as you reach your destination. Before you can even turn around to thank him for helping you, he's gone. Who the fuck actually pulls that superhero garbage? Disappearing in the split second you look away? What an asshole.
Shit.
How are you even supposed to get back to your room from here?
Tomorrow, you're organizing everyone and getting them to set up lights around this shitty rock.
You look off down the dark hall and knit your eyebrows together. You feel like you're being watched, but you can't even see him anymore.
Maybe it's just your imagination.