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adamantGriftress [AG] began trolling glutinousGymnast [GG]
AG: Heyyyyyyyy ::::)
AG: Guess who's Officially holding Down the Fort!
GG: If I were to take a gander,,, my guess would likely be you,,
GG: I don't think Harry Anderson,,, is in any mentality yet,,,, to be left alone at home,,
AG: Oh, that Kid is always Clingy! He can't even go to the Park 8y himself without 8egging me to come with him!
AG: I 8et he still holds his mom's Hand when he walks to School, lol.
AG: 8ut yeah! My moms Finally decided I was Old Enough to 8e Home Alone while they're off doing Sappy d8 shit.
GG: Congrats,,, on this milestone,, I do remember how much it frequently bugged you,,,
GG: That your mothers didn't seem inclined,,, with treating you as an equal,,,, just yet
AG: Surprised you're Not ru88ing it in my Face a8out this.
GG: Why,,
AG: Well, duh. You've 8een 8asically Taking Care of Yourself since you were like Nine Years Old, and four years later, I'm 8arely hitting that Milestone that's 8asically Wiggler's First Responsi8ility to you!
GG: Your mothers have always been,,, quite coddling of you,,,
GG: If I admit I'm immensely surprised they allowed you,,,, to stay home by yourself,, would that be rubbing it in,,, in your countenance,,,
AG: Yes. Don't you Dare fucking Do that.
GG: I'll try to keep that promise,,,
GG: But,,, I can't help but feel,,,, maybe a little concerned,,
AG: A8out what?
GG: Seeing as that this is your first time,,, of how you say,,, holding down the fort,,,
GG: You may not know,,, how to care for yourself properly,,,, while your mothers are away,,
AG: Oh my god, I know how to Make a Sandwich, Tavros! I don't need you 8reathing down my Neck too, you know how Long it took to convince my Parents that it was Totally a Gr8 Idea to leave me Home Alone????????
AG: Wait,
AG: Is this your Way of Trying to Invite yourself to My House?
AG: Tavros, you sly dog :::;)
GG: I'm just fretting,,,, is all,,
AG: Well, my Moms aren't Home.
AG: And I'm allllllll alone!
GG: I'm sensing that,,, you're attempting to,,, subtly invite me,,, to your house,,,
AG: Wow. Hint taken, Tavros!
GG: Well,,, I'm not particularly doing anything,,,,, of importance at my house,,
GG: I suppose,,,, I will pop by,,,,, so as to make sure you're eating enough,,,,,, and not getting up to,,, mischievous shenanigans,,, as you're well known to do by now,,,, since we were infants,,
AG: Fuck yes!
When Tavros shuts his phone off, he’s immediately met with the usual reflection of doleful eyes, but a rare slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He tucks his phone into his pocket, then slides off his bed, smoothing over the creases on his sheets that may have been disturbed by his movements. Not that he’s much of a neat freak, as Vriska and Harry insist, but keeping a consistent pace on the organized style of his room was much preferred. Not exactly by him, but by his mother’s rules, as every room in their mansion was kept as spick as possible, save for the occasional honking horn and faygo bottles littering the halls, which were frequently joined by its alcoholic brother when his father was feeling particularly dry. His uncle, blissed, his father, plastered as ever, and his mother, unwavered by it all, her cold gaze as neat as Tavros tries to achieve with his duties around the house.
And maybe, when she notices, she’ll allow a small slip of the mask, an imperfect crack of affection just for him.
Ah, speaking of the old lady. It suddenly dons on Tavros that he most likely should sneak as quietly as possible out of his room, lest he get bombarded by either three possible scenarios; a stern touting from his mother that would quickly send him right back to his room, or getting caught in his drunken father’s path that would glue him to the scene and unable to break out of his father’s hefty arms, forced to hear his incoherent, sharp-breathed drivel before it inevitably descended into a choked sob and an awkward pat on the back for his old man. However, perhaps the most undesirable of them all was an encounter with his Uncle Gamzee, which also meant impromptu training with a bag of peanuts in hand.
Yes, sneaking was the only viable option if he wanted to get to the Maryam-Lalonde residence, Tavros concludes. Then, once he managed his way out of his room and through the empty halls of his house, avoiding any Crockercorp guards strolling about, and his foot stepped out of his home, Tavros tries ignoring how brisk his legs are moving, and how much of a hurry he was to completely evacuate out of the Crocker property and into the night.
Once Tavros arrives to the Maryam-Lalonde residence, in either minutes or hours that he wasn’t keeping track of, he knocks on the front door, and waits patiently. Occasionally, he gives a glance at a Crockercorp blimp drifting above the Human Kingdom, then quickly faces back to front door, as if by a creeping fear that somehow they’ll recognize him, and alert his mother about his whereabouts in the enemy’s territory. Surely, if he was caught, he’d never be allowed to step foot outside of the vicinity of his windowless room again, as his mother would try handling tabloids and assure her followers that no son of hers would ever hook arms with a troll. Why, he’s been assigned a suitor for a charming young human lady who’s the daughter of the man who makes lids on jars and is quite the fan of Crockercorp. No frolicking with the rebellion whatsoever, indeed.
Tavros immediately breaks out of his spacing thoughts when his phone buzzes in his pocket.
AG: Are you at the Front Door????????
GG: Yes,,
AG: Don’t go through the Front Door, idiot!
GG: I’m not sure how else I’m supposed to,,, get inside your humble abode,,, if not through the front door in which I am already,,, awaiting for you at,,
AG: Come through my Window!
GG: Um,,
GG: What,,,
AG: Hop inside through my Window, dum8ass!!!!!!!!
GG: Oh,
GG: That seems,, kind of nonsensical,,,
AG: You have to, Tavros! It’s kind of the Law!
GG: What, law even,, are you referring to,,, that necessitates that I don’t use,,, a perfectly normal way of entering,, someone’s home
AG: Sneaking a 8oy into my Room while my Moms are Currently Out? That kind of Law?
GG: I believe your parents,,, would have to be here,,,, for that to be necessary,,, to begin with,
AG: You’re being soooooooo Lame, Tav
AG: Stop 8eing so Lame!
GG: Right,, okay,
GG: It wouldn’t be,,, much of an issue for me,,, anyway
AG: Exactly! Put those gymnastics move to use!
There’s a still moment as Vriska stares with bated breath at the window in her room. Sure enough, there’s suddenly a figure behind the glass, a nervous expression coloring his face as he warily taps the window, then gives a small wave. Vriska beams, hurrying over to the window and swinging open her window with excitement that nearly knocked Tavros down. Vriska helps him inside, giggling profusely as if she was doing something she was told exactly Not To Do by her mothers while they were out.
VRISKA: Helloooooooo sailor :::;)
TAVROS: Hi,,,
VRISKA: This is quite the Scandal, isn’t it?
TAVROS: Whatever do you mean,,, a scandal,
Vriska jabs a finger into Tavros’ chest.
VRISKA: Heir of the Crockercorp Throne, sneaking into the Room of the Daughter of the Nota8le Rebellions, Rose and Kanaya? Really, Tav, who knew you were such a 8ad 8oy!
TAVROS: Uhm,, is that,,, what I’m doing,,
VRISKA: Isn’t it?
TAVROS: On second thought,,, maybe that’s not what I want to do,,,
VRISKA: !
Tavros feigns innocence, pushing up a dial on Vriska’s (fond) irritation.
VRISKA: Don’t 8e such a Pill, Tav.
TAVROS: Sorry,,, I’ll try to be more,,,,, of a liquidated form next time,,
VRISKA: ???
TAVROS: Because,,
TAVROS: Liquidated medicine,,, is the opposite,,,, of a pill,,
TAVROS: Haha,,, haha,
VRISKA: You’re such a Nerd, you know that? Have I ever told you That?
TAVROS: Many times,,, yes,,
Vriska laughs, and the sounds pluck a string in Tavros’ chest, fondness reverberating throughout him as his shoulders relax in her presence. He’s never admitted before, but he vastly enjoys coming over to Vriska’s house more than inviting her to his. Of course, for one, it’s rather more dangerous for Vriska to come over to the Crockercorp estate, but this tantalizing trespassing was, without surprise, Vriska’s preference. Second, the atmosphere at her house was just… different. There wasn't a thick haze of uneasiness when walking down her hall, and the walls of her home were decorated with frames, warm, saccharine pictures of her family that only made him ache the more he stared. And the times when Vriska's parents were here, it was nothing as nerve wracking as when his uncle Gamzee looms over him from the dark corners of his room, or when his mother abruptly catches him at his desk, busy with homeschool assignments, and he musters a forced, nervous smile at her as she takes a photo. At times, he thinks he could see the pride she musters back at him falter slightly - almost like sorrow.
Not that he would ever admit any of this to Vriska in a million years, of course. Even when he was at his most vulnerable right now, laid on her bed and staring silently at her while her eyes reflect his stare back.
VRISKA: You know, Tav,
VRISKA: I kind of Envy You.
TAVROS: I'm not sure,,, what there is to be envious about,, regarding me,,,
VRISKA: Well, o8viously I'm not Talking a8out your Sleazy Uncle or Racist Lunatic Mom!
VRISKA: Or your wuss dad, either.
VRISKA: 8ut like,
VRISKA: Your Parents don't Really treat You like you're still a Drooling, Dum8 8a8y shitting its diaper Every Minute.
VRISKA: Your Mom knows you can Hold Shit Down. Make a Sandwich if you're Hungry, and not Answering the Door when you're Alone.
VRISKA: You don't have to Prove your Independence to No8ody!
TAVROS: Independency,,, was never something I had to prove,, really,,,
TAVROS: I was always sort of,,, born into it,,, I suppose
VRISKA: Right.
Vriska shifts her gaze to the side, up at the ceiling, avoiding Tavros' eyes as she presses her nose into her pillow. Tavros gives her a fond smile.
TAVROS: Coddling,,, doesn't seem too agonzing, I think,,
VRISKA: Yeah, 8ecause you Love doing that to me too!
VRISKA: I swear, sometimes you're even Worse than my Moms!
TAVROS: I apologize,,
TAVROS: I'll try to think about your wellbeing,,, a little less,, as your kismesis,,,
TAVROS: I'll limit messaging you,,, to at least just two texts a day,,,, a morning greeting and night's farewell,,,
VRISKA: Oh, hell no, we're Not putting a Limit on that.
TAVROS: I suppose I'll stop bringing you,,, those red velvet cake pops you like so much,,,, those treats were getting,,, a tad too sickeningly sweet anyways,,
VRISKA: Wait, no, Don't stop giving me Those.
TAVROS: Perhaps,,, I'll mold them into shape of my mother's head,,,
VRISKA: Never mind, cancel Any fucking Future Orders.
Tavros doesn't bother to stifle his giggles, something that takes Vriska by surprise, which causes Vriska to snort, continuing a chain of laughing reactions shared between the two.
Vriska pulls Tavros in by the collar of his sweater, pressing a kiss to his mouth, misplacing his glasses from the bridge of his nose. An onslaught of sweat begins to drip off Tavros’ skin, a nervous chuckle escaping him when Vriska parts away from him. Vriska puckers her lips in thought, then removes his glasses completely and puts them on, her eyes narrowing through the headache-inducing blurry vision, grinning at her kismesis. Tavros blinks repeatedly, giving her a smile, before gently plucking his glasses off Vriska, citing worry over her vision. Vriska and Tavros spend another few moments in silence, with the latter opting to stare up at the faintly glowing stars stuck to the ceiling, counting each of them carefully. Vriska, meanwhile, appears in incredibly deep thought, as if she’s sifting through her words like a deck of cards.
VRISKA: ...
VRISKA: Tavros, can I tell you Something?
TAVROS: Of course,,,
VRISKA: ........
TAVROS: ,,,,,,,,
VRISKA: I think I have a Thing for Harry Anderson.
VRISKA: Red-ways, o8viously.
VRISKA: <3<
TAVROS: Oh,,, my condolences,,, Vriska
VRISKA: I know Right??
VRISKA: I need to Stop falling for Lame Nerds, it's actually Em8arrassing as Fuck.
VRISKA: My moms are 8oth the 8iggest, even Lamer Nerds, I think this Might 8e ru88ing off on me.
VRISKA: And that Tale a8out Vriska Serket and Harry Anderson's Dad???????? I think I'm just certifia8ly Doomed as Fuck.
VRISKA: May8e I'll change up your wardro8e, soften the 8low to my Realization that my taste is pro8a8ly the Worst?
TAVROS: My mother would,,, probably freak out,,,
VRISKA: Okay, yeah, we're Definitely messing with your Wardro8e then.