vatheon | 1st clover

Entry tags:

1st clover

Who: Yotsuba and anyone
Where: The Plaza
When: The 25th, middle of the day
Status: open
Style: starting post is action, but I'll match you

[Just after lunchtime, a small child can be found in the middle of the plaza. She is soaking wet, but she doesn't seem to care, since she's found something to amuse herself.

Namely, she's siting on a high-up branch of the coral, swinging her legs and laughing happily. She seems completely unaware of any danger she could possibly be in, too.]

It's so high up! I can see everything!

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[As adventurous as Yotsuba had been earlier, she suddenly goes shy. The Dolorosa is really tall, and she's an alien too. She doesn't look threatening at all, but Yotsuba is still surprised by the tallness.

She'll move closer to Karkat and hang onto his arm while she waits to see what he has to say.]

[Yeah, Karkat isn't looking too happy about this visit. It's a shame, because he wishes he could be glad to just visit the Dolorosa, He looks from her to Yotsuba and sighs.]

This is Yotsuba. I met her when she was climbing on the coral like a moron, and made an idiot of myself in the process, but the point is that she's a human kid who's new here and her custodian isn't in Vatheon. She's going to need a place to stay, and I haven't got the faintest clue of what to do with her. I figured you might know something after raising the Signless, and I didn't know where else to bring her.

[But he should do introductions the other way too, right?]

--This is the Dolorosa. She's...

[Wait, shit, how does he explain?]

Think of her as my grandma, because that's probably the closest human analogue you can get and I am not going to try to explain the details when you wouldn't follow half of them.

[Oh, poor Karkat.. of all people to find and take charge of a human child.

The Dolorosa crouches down, significantly reducing her height and hopefully making herself less intimidating in the process. She smiles in a way that's soft and mostly conceals the fact she has a mouth full of sharp teeth, a look that warms all the way up to her eyes.

It's half for the benefit of the child, and half because she'd never thought to have that particular human-familial term applied to her by Karkat.]

Hello, Yotsuba. Has Karkat been taking good care of you?

[She nods.]

He got me ice cream. He's a good alien.

[Then she pauses, and she considers the Dolorosa carefully before speaking again.]

You don't look old like a granny.

[Yep. Of all the things she could say here, she's saying that the Dolorosa is too young to be a grandmother. But it's true, the Dolorosa looks more like a mom than a grandma.

Also, crouching down and looking gentle really does help make Yotsuba feel better. She'll detach herself from Karkat's arm and pull away a bit, though she still hangs onto his hand with hers. She's more curious than scared now.]

Trust me, Yotsuba, trolls can get ancient compared to even the oldest humans. ... Some anyway.

[His lifespan: something kind of worrying that he doesn't really like to think about.]

[Looking at the Dolorosa again, he says,]

If she asks for anything sweet, don't give it to her today. She has a sucker that some shopkeeper gave her before we could even get to the ice cream place, and while we were there she wanted candy corn on top of that.

[But he is calming a bit now, shoulders losing some of their tension and expression smoothing to a more normal level of frown. Things feel more under control. It really does help to have someone who knows how to deal with kids helping the situation.]

[She chuckles, holding out her hand towards the child, and turns her smile up to Karkat.]

Would you like to come in?

[Just leaving the little girl here with a stranger seems a touch cold-hearted, after all...]

Both of you.

[The easy solution to this is that Yotsuba will grab onto the Dolorosa's hand, but she won't let go of Karkat's. Now everyone has to go inside!]

But candy corn is yummy! And your horns look like candy corn.

[He gives the Dolorosa a bit of a helpless look when Yotsuba takes hold of her hand too. He has no choice. He is this small child's prisoner.]

[That's quickly stopped, however, by what the girl says. He sends a sharp look her way.]

They look like horns. And if you have too much sugar you'll get sick, stupid. Do you want that?

Ssh, now. There is no need to speak so harshly.

[But she smiles - she understands, little ones can be difficult, and Karkat is barely an adult himself. She stands, though still needs to drop her height a little so she isn't simply lifting Yotsuba from the ground, and takes them both inside the house with her.]

I am afraid that I am unfamiliar with 'candy corn'...

[She would love to dangle from the Dolorosa's arms and get dragged everywhere, it's like flying and flying is fun. But Yotsuba is ok with walking for right now.]

I'll get some so you both can try it!

[Eventually. When she finds a candy store.

But right now there are more pressing issues.]

Should I call you 'Mom' or 'Granny?'

I speak that way to everyone, Dolorosa, and you know it.

[Plus he's stubborn as it gets. He heads into the hive along with her, frowning a bit as usual, but peers back at Yotsuba's question.]

Can't you just call her by her name?

I know, little one.

[When she's drawn them both inside and closed the door, she takes them to the main room, where she pats a seat for Yotsuba to sit and nods to Karkat to do the same. It doesn't seem as if she wants to let go of their hands, anyway.]

Now, Yotsuba... for what you should call me, which would you prefer?

['Mom' and 'Grandma' have no translation in their language, after all, but how to explain that to a human child? It's better not to try, she thinks.]

[She sticks out her tongue at Karkat, because Dolorosa being ok with a new name = Yotsuba totally won. But then she thinks long and hard about it, because she's not sure which would be better. Karkat said Dolorosa is his granny, but Dolorosa looks too young to be a granny...

Eventually she makes a decision based not on what Dolorosa looks like, but because she'll technically be above Karkat in family ranking.]

Okay, you're Mom.

[Karkat sits, though he'll take his hand back now if Yotsuba will let him. With her in relatively safe custody, his willingness to go along with her whims is starting to run low. Though, he sticks his tongue out right back at her. It's grey.]

[He looks to the Dolorosa again.]

So what are we going to do with her?

Hm..

[It's a good question. The little girl seems to have attached herself to Karkat, so she's not sure how the suggestion will be received, but she makes it in any case.]

She may stay here, if she would like to.

Won't Daddy miss me?

[Staying with the cool troll aliens does sound awesome, but she doesn't want her Dad to be lonely.]

[Here's the part where he feels like an ass again, but there's no use keeping it secret. He sighs and says:]

He's not here, Yotsuba. He's back in your world which is entirely separate from this place, and he can't even realize you're gone because of the way this place works. Someday you'll go back and see him again, and you won't remember having been here at all when you do.

[Let's hope (he's hoping) that she'll take the better part out of that when she processes it.]

[Karkat you could have put that a little bett-- oh never mind. She pats Yotsuba's hand gently.]

Your father cannot be here with you, but you do not need to worry, do you understand? I, and Karkat here, will take good care of you in his stead. Is that not correct, Karkat?

[She looks over at him. The right answer is 'yes'.]

He would be very proud of how brave you are being.

[What Karkat said sounds a little scary, but the Dolorosa is doing well at reassuring her, so she nods to show that she understands.]

Okay. I'll be brave and a good girl and not even cry that much.

[Karkat shoots the Dolorosa a look of pure how do you expect me to look after a child. He will have words for you later, "grandma". Words.]

[But at least she smoothed over what he told Yotsuba. That's a small relief.]

... Until you see him again, you'll be kept safe from the dangerous shit that goes on here sometimes. Sometimes monsters invade, and if that happens, you either find her - [A nod to the Dolorosa.] - or find me, or someone else who's proved you can trust them. Other times there are curses that can turn you into different things, but odds are we'll be able to figure out what's going on and explain it to you.

[And to the Dolorosa again--]

What's your abstratus, anyway? Makeupkind like Kanaya?

[Just go along with it Karkat she knows what she's doing okay.]

You understand, Yotsuba? If anything frightens you, or if there is something you do not understand, you can find one of us, and we will take care of you.

[She looks over to Karkat, smiles one of those patient, motherly smiles of hers, and shakes her head.]

No. Chainsawkind.

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