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10 ♐ Home

Who: Darkleer and Equius
What: Blueblood bonding time. Also blueblood 'smacking upside the head' time
When: During the 'we think Summoner's dead for realsies' period
Where: The Highblood Hive
Status: Closed
Style: Action

[There are other responsibilities he needs to attend to. He knows this. Before, he would have sworn he would be able to keep his cool. Isn't that what he said time and time again to everyone who asked? He would keep his cool. He would be fine.]

[Obviously that failed spectacularly.]

[It takes some time to convince himself to go back home when Summoner doesn't appear, but he does. He tries to be quiet as he slips in through the door. He looks a mess, he knows, but at least he's finally washed the blood off. Goodness if that was not a trial.]

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Dad!

[Too bad someone has been watching that front door like a hawk--sometimes with the help of RoboEquius when he needs to sleep--and knows exactly when Darkleer enters. Equius runs down the stairs like he's been shot out of a gun, making a direct beeline for his ancestor.]

Dad Dad Dad Dad DAD!

[Well that's one plan gone down the drain, then.]

[Shoulders slumping from exhaustion, Darkleer tries to smile. Mostly it's a failure.]

I'm sorry I worried you.

DAD!

[Equius doesn't even try to slow down, instead colliding directly with Darkleer, trying to throw one arm around his neck... and punch him in the ribs with the other one.]

What the hell?!

There's a light grunt as Equius collides into him, and Darkleer is halfway to wrapping his arms around him when he feels that fist in his side. There's a light hiss and a bit back snarl- goodness Equius really is getting stronger, although it doesn't help after his fight with the highblood. He finds himself hitting the door with his back before he just lets it hold his weight.

"Nngh, pardon?"

"What is wrong with you?!"

Equius is still trying to hug Darkleer, but his desire to punch him is winning out, and he ends up half-draped across his ancestor, beating on his side with his free hand while the other one keeps him in a chokehold. He rests his forehead on Darkleer's chest and aims another punch for his gut.

"What were you thinking?! You left us! You just took off and left us!"

Ow. Ow. Ow. This is really quite unpleasant.

However, he is not much in the mood for a physical fight so soon- not even for a conversational one. So all he does is try to focus on blocking that fist going for his ribs. He would rather not break any today. Sometimes he wish Equius didn't inherit his strength, although this time it is rather for selfish reasons.

"I know- ngh- please stop."

"You deserve it!" Equius aims one last good one for Darkleer's jaw, then gives up and clings to him, burying his face on his chest and shaking like a leaf. "I t-thought you were dead, that he kuh-kuh-killed you..."

One last grunt, and he nurses at his sore jaw. One of his teeth is loose, now, and he wiggles it free before spitting it out to the side. A trickle of blue goes down his lips as he holds Equius again.

"He didn't. I would never let him, Equius. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I... Are you and Gamzee alright?"

Equius will never tell how he spent hours huddled on Signless' couch, compulsively refreshing his SFC every few minutes, checking and rechecking to make sure Darkleer's name was still there.

"But he's so STRONG, and he's got chucklevoodoos, and... and..." Equius gives up and just holds Darkleer as tight as he can for a few moments.

"We're fine," he mumbles, his voice muffled against the older troll. "Are you okay?"

Carrying Equius in his arms, Darkleer decides to move to the couch. A bit more comfortable, especially for his tired self.

"A bit sore, and that is only partially the Highblood's fault by now," he grunts as he sinks back into the cushions. There is no mention of the emotional issues which are plaguing him, the way he's mostly ruined things with just about every other adult troll in the city. "Just... tired."

Equius tucks himself up under Darkleer's arm, leaning against him and finding comfort in the slow, steady rumble of his breathing. "What happened, anyway?"

For a moment, Darkleer doesn't answer. He's too busy looking elsewhere, jaw clenched. He hates saying it. Hates knowing that something like this happened again and he never learned from the first time, that he didn't do something.

"Lysunder is dead."

"...oh."

Equius knows what that means to his ancestor, and he wiggles closer, putting both arms around Darkleer's neck and hugging him tight. That makes his absence more forgivable.

It's nearly impossible to stay stiff and cold at that hug and Darkleer goes limp, rubbing his hand over his face.

"First you, and then Gamzee," he says quietly into his hand, wanting nothing more than to disappear into his room. "I should have confronted him before now. I should have known this would happen."

"But he's the Grand Highblood. You couldn't do anything before." Whoops, Equius, your hemospectrumism is showing a little there. He tries to explain himself better.

"I mean, you couldn't do anything to him without him attacking you, or someone you cared about, and... it's not your fault," he finishes lamely.

Sorry, Equius, but that won't do for tonight. Those words only hit at some festering sore spot and Darkleer pulls the younger blueblood away. In a heartbeat, he's up and pacing, frustrated at himself.

"I would rather him attack me than one of you! This just proves that he cannot be trusted with any sort of bargaining, that he will keep on being this wretched horrible beast, and beasts such as that deserve to be put down." Nerves so on edge that he very nearly cries from it. "I can be his match. I can do it if I must, damn me for holding back. Why? So he can massacre everyone I care about?"

"Dadleer, stop it!" Equius gets up and stands in Darkleer's way, hands up to try and force him to be still. "He'll just keep coming back, you know that, so what would be the point in killing him again and again? And Summoner is coming back too, so just shoosh!"

Yeah... Nepeta is clearly the shoosher in their moirallegiance.

Disgruntled and still very much full of aggravation- along with quite a few more difficult emotions- Darkleer nevertheless stops. That last sentence fills his throat with rocks, or at least that is what it feels like. It's difficult to speak.

"Look at the listing of names in the SFC."

Equius pulls out his SFC and quickly checks.

"Yeah, he's gone now, but he'll come back. People always come back if they die here."

Removing his glasses, Darkleer rubs at his eyes and returns to the couch, defeated.

"He hasn't."

"It's been five days?"

He's afraid he might get snappish if he speaks by this point, so Darkleer just nods.

Words are overrated.

If Darkleer will let him, Equius will just be climbing into his lap now and putting his arms around his neck, doing his best to hold and comfort the older, larger troll.

Words are quite overrated.

Wrapping his arms around Equius, Darkleer just bows his head and holds on as tightly as he can. As frightening as his own thoughts are now, there's still a part of him that's certain he should have done this sooner. Done it before he lost someone he cared about.

Equius keeps his arms tight around Darkleer's neck, breathing out in a little oof as Darkleer's arms tighten around him. He might be STRONG, but Darkleer is adult STROOOOOONG, and he's pretty sure he could have his ribs snapped very easily here.

Good thing he trusts his ancestor.

Sorry, Equius. Right now, it's a bit easy to let things slip from the mind like how even Equius isn't yet ready to take on the full force of his own STRENGTH. Realizing his error, Darkleer lets up.

He tries to keep his voice steady as he speaks next. "You and Gamzee need to be extraordinarily careful from now on. Are we clear?"

Equius breathes a little easier when Darkleer's arms loosen.

"Yes, sir. We'll be careful." He moves around a little so he can look up into Darkleer's face. "But what about you? You're going to be careful too, right?"

Darkleer tries to give a reassuring smile, but it's not much of a smile to begin with.

"I am still alive, am I not?"

"That's not the same thing as being careful." Equius reaches up and clumsily paps at the sides of Darkleer's face. "He hurt you, didn't he?"

Son, no, stop that, he is your dad, not a moirail to be papped.

Darkleer sighs a bit and shakes his head. "I've faced worse, especially going against him. He suffered worse."

Clearly Darkleer needs one!

"But..." Equius doesn't know how to vocalize what he's thinking, so he settles for tapping Darkleer's broad chest. "You're still hurting."

Yes, everyone knows, now if only he could stop failing at life... Dumb boardgame.

"I..." Wait, he can't deny that. Darkleer goes to place his hand against his face and close his eyes. "Perhaps."

Equius gets his knees under him so he can rock up and look down at Darkleer, his face a mask of concern and worry. He feels bad about punching his ancestor earlier. "Anything I can do to help? Me or Gamzee?"

"No." He has to be honest, here. Letting his hand fall away, Darkleer places it on Equius' shoulder and just squeezes it. "I'm sorry."

"Okay." Honestly, Equius didn't expect Darkleer to tell him anything, so he's not disappointed. He slides down, rearranging himself on his ancestor's lap with his head resting on his chest, and sighs. "But you'll let us know if you change your mind?"

Adjusting to accommodate the new position, Darkleer pauses to wonder if there's anything that could be done. His matesprit is quite possibly lost for good. He's managed to ostracize both of his pail interests. Signless is enraged with him, and considering the saltbag's connection to Eridan, he didn't have much of an interest with dealing with Dualscar either. That left, out of all the adult trolls, maybe only Disciple, he's managed to ostracize everyone.

"I will let you know," he promises anyway.

Darkleer, you are so dumb sometimes.

Equius knows he won't, but he's reassured by that promise anyway. He leans against Darkleer, more relaxed than he's been in days, now that he knows his ancestor is safe, and he chuffs air out his nose, making a soft, comforting horsey sound that means it's okay, i'm here now, i won't let anything hurt you.

He may have heard something like that before, yes.

Despite how much he knows Equius can't help, not in the ways he needs it, Darkleer still appreciates having him here. He presses his nose against his hair and snorts out some air as well.

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for some reason I thought I tagged, wtg self

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