deercountry | I see your face in every crowd (Closed)

I see your face in every crowd (Closed)

Who: Kyle Broflovski & Karkat Vantas
What: Shedding Ceremony stuff
When: Mid-Late January
Where: The Red/Other

Content Warnings: Explicit sexual content/phrases/jokes, themes of gender identity/trans/binaries, blood-based caste systems, mention of genocide/war/violence, body identity concepts, temporary/semi amnesia

(This time when Karkat sheds, he does so with grace and ease. He wakes up feeling like he has been this way most of his life, memories distorted both from home and from Trench, making for a cloudy mix. He goes about his day and remembers that he had somewhere to be. The Red. He was meeting someone special - a boy. A boy he apparently loved because he spent hours figuring out how to get ready. Karkat had an outfit that Madam Generosity had sent him, but the red accents felt jarring and wrong to this new Karkat. He felt the offense of misrepresented blood color and abandoning the outfit for something he picks out and pulls on.

If this boy was as important as he felt, then Karkat wanted to look nice. He ignores his female troll body as he feels he has ignored it since he was a child. There are very few visible differences. His chest plate was slightly raised. There was a bit more curve in his hips. Other than that, there were more obvious differences due to his Fuschia blood. Instead of pointy ears, he had fin-like ears on the sides of his head. His horns were a bit bigger, more pointed. He had Fuschia freckles scattered across his shoulders and across his face and ears. And instead of red eyes, Karkat's were now that vibrant, commanding pink. He was even taller - closer to 5'10 than Karkat's far smaller body. He was, as far as he was concerned, the first male fuschia blood to have existed. He didn't care if his body didn't quite agree with that, he knew he felt he was male in his soul, in his mind, so the details didn't matter. He would be the king of his race when it was time.

He decorates his horns with thin golden chains. He wears his golden tiara, complete with a 69 in its center. He keeps on his golden choker, also decorated properly, with matching golden cuffs around his wrists. He decorates his fins with golden cuffs and dangling chains. He paints golden glitter in a straight line down from a black mouth. There's effortless confidence in this Karkat that just simply didn't exist in the usual Karkat. He didn't slump over, but held himself regally. The outfit he wears makes it evident that he had none of Karkat's shyness when it came to exposing his body.

When he shows up to the Red, he waits inside where it's warmer, standing by the front, feeling only a curl of anxiety. He didn't know which boy he was waiting for. There were two in mind, but one felt more "right" than the other - the red one. He ignores stares sent his way and doesn't respond to idle chatter. He wanted to see Him first. Whoever he was waiting for.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You're not a piece of shit ruler.

We are, yeah. Lots of hand holding and crap. In public, I mean. We don't like, do sex stuff outside of the house. [Mostly.]

Yeah, yeah I guess so.

[Kyle relaxes.] Exactly. You are what you are. You're Karkat Vantas.

[Goddammit, how is he still so fucking precious?] Thank you.

Uhm. Not many. I don't enjoy it. I'm kinda more about figuring things out through compromise.

I appreciate the vote of confidence but I really should have a more substantial army at this point.

(Oh. He smiles. This Karkat definitely smiled far more. He seemed less tired too. There weren't as many things that kept him up late at night.)

That's sweet. I always wondered if I would ever get to have something like that.

(His fins don't perk as his normal ears do. Instead, they do a sort of wiggle that would no doubt be more prominent underwater.)

So you're the more lawful one. That's a reasonable balance. I can be bloodthirsty enough for the two of us. Compromise rarely gets anyone anywhere but sometimes it's good to pretend like it can.

Well. This world is pretty weird, so. Give yourself a break. You did adopt the ruler of hell, that's a big deal.

[Yup, stil going to build him up even if he doesn't agree with the ruler plan.

Oh fuck. Kyle misses the ears, but that fin wiggle is adorable.]

I am, but I really do believe it. And I know part of you believes in fairness, in not just ruling over people because you think they're beneath you. The Karkat I know is a leader, but not a dictator.

Is that impressive?

(He had no idea what Hell was but it sounded dope as fuck. He settles back into his chair.)

We are dictators by nature, Kyle. Our kind is meant to invade and colonize. We have been doing it for a long time. We find weak planets, weak civilizations, and we claim them as our own. That's how this works. I have more to prove than my former ancestors ever did. They think I'm weaker for presenting as male. They call it a refusal of the crown. But I know I can be better than any of those bitches. (He slumps in his seat, sulking down at his rings.) And I look better while doing it.

It is. Hell is like, an eternal torture zone.

Welllll... that's not ALWAYS what you have to do, though.

[Oh. Oh shit. The immortal queens. THAT'S what Karkat had told him about.

Maybe he should avoid the whole signless conversation a bit longer.]

I know you're not weak.

Oh, you were hatched female?

Dude, that's so fucking cool then. (Go past him.)

Maybe, but it's what I want to do. I have an entire plan.

(That was overly complex of course because nothing from this god-forsaken canon was simple.

The blunt question causes a bit of a pink flush to rise up into Karkat's face. He stares away from Kyle, having the strangest feeling bubbling in his stomach. The question implied this was news to Kyle. He wasn't a different troll before - shorter and a land dweller. Had he been... a hatched male in that body? He had to of been.

That made him feel validated in some small way. Like a big silent I fucking KNEW it. Maybe he was jumping to conclusions, but no way. No way. Not if his own mate was asking.)

On a strictly technical level, yes. The fuschia caste has always been entirely female. Except for me. I don't really care what my blood caste says, I know who I am. And who I am just so happen to be the first male ruler of my kind.

(He cuts Kyle an unsure look.) Is that a problem?

Exactly.

Do you?

[Kyle watches Karkat carefully. This isn't exactly the sort of situation he can just trample all over, because Karkat doesn't know who he was before. It's a lot to take in.

At the question Kyle smiles.]

THAT sounds like the Karkat I know: you will not be defined by your blood caste. You're different, and it's beautiful.

No, it's not a problem. I love you no matter what. I might just need to be walked through some stuff.

It's very complicated. There are a lot of mechanics going on behind the scenes.

(It was all sort of a giant headache to even think about.)

Most of it involves assassinating the current sea witch. She's been alive long enough if you ask me.

(Okay well that gets him blushing bright pink. And being called beautiful on top of it? His fins curl a bit and he smiles tentatively at Kyle.)

I'm starting to see why I'm in love with you, I think.

(It made sense that he would wind up with someone filled with this kind of compassion and loyalty.

He relaxes a moment later. That was reasonable enough and he shakes his head.)

That's fine. There are very few differences between male and female trolls anatomy-wise. We have a fairly broad binary. Males have internal shameglobes. You would never know the difference between a male nook and a female nook.

(He wasn't entirely sure if that's what Kyle was indicating, but it felt about right.)

Not to be crude. But I take it we're...involved...intimately.

Right. Only one rules st a time. Hm. But why do you want to rule? Like, deep down, what's the reason?

Because I'm really heavy handed with the compliments? Yeah, doesn't hurt, heh.

Right. Do females have tentabulges?

[He tries not to laugh.] Yes. We are. Frequently and with great enthusiasm.

Because I want to be a leader. (That seemed to translate across all Karkat's. He considers it heavily though in the broad spectrum. After all, no one had ever asked him that. In their culture, people just knew he would wind up their leader one day. What was there to talk about?

It was natural for him. Kyle's right though. Every great leader had a driving force behind their ruling. Goals they wanted to accomplish.)

I want to be loved by my people. I want to change things. I want to be worthwhile to my people. Plenty of trolls will hate me, but I want them to genuinely hate me. Not just hate me for the sake of hating me. Love and hate are necessary for any reasonable leader. But at least let the hate and love have some substance.

(He shifts around a bit towards Kyle and reaches out to touch his hand. Karkat was much cooler to the touch than when he was himself.)

No. Because you seem to support me regardless of the situation.

(That wasn't easy for many to do. Karkat fucked up a lot.)

Yes. Females have more protection around their chests as well, but that's mostly because female trolls tend to be more aggressive. (That's where Karkat felt he lacked. He had never felt aggressive. He was normal aggressive, but not "could cause sweeping genocide" aggressive.

He groans, blushing hotter, and drops his face against Kyle's shoulder.)

Jeeesus. Okay. I guess that's a good thing even if it's humiliating.

[Kyle is beaming by the end of that speech. It's Karkat. Even in a near immortal born genocidal fuchsia blooded body, it was undeniably him.]

Would you change things to be more fair? The caste system, for example, is kinda bullshit.

[He squeezes that hand back.]

I do. As you've done for me.

It's not humiliating! People are totally jealous. [He has no idea if that's true.]

Well...Okay, yeah, obviously that needs to be changed. Caste expectations are fucking stupid to uphold. They're completely outdated. What's the glubbing point? Some of the most capable trolls I've known are lower caste.

(He's liked lower caste trolls before. Granted, that didn't really say as much given some trolls' habit of fetishizing blood caste differences. So, he wasn't about to use that as a bragging point. It felt a bit gross to equate fuckability to basic rights.)

Trolls are so varied. There's no right way to be a troll regardless of your blood. We're shackled by our ancestors. It's fucked.

(He didn't want to be shackled by his, he knew that much.

God, this guy was really cute. He was glad they were actually dating already.)

Are they? (He smiles.) Good. (He smiles even wider and leans towards Kyle.)

Is it appropriate to ask for a kiss now or is it a bit awkward with my memories being jumbled?

It really IS you. That's so amazing, no matter WHAT changes, you're just... you're my guy.

[He's so relieved.

...and those teeth are definitely even sharper. Kyle smiles back.]

It's fine by me.

[He closes the gap between them, lips gentle on Karkat's. Yes, it's still definitely him.]

(Karkat can't help but blush bright pink. He never remembered being with Dave or any other attempts at a relationship. It makes him dizzy to be called someone's guy like that. He blushes even harder when Kyle leans over to kiss him.

It felt right. It also felt familiar amazingly enough. Like they have done this a dozen times before. And he supposed they have. It feels like his first kiss, the best kiss, and he feels - loved. They were in love. They had to be.

He breaks the kiss to briefly hide his face into his hands and conceal that stupid smile on his face. Once he gains control of his face, he lowers his hands, his freckles brighter.)

Okay. So. We're in love. (Not a question.) And we're at a party. So let's...Dance and go be in love.

[Kyle's pretty used to Karkat hiding his face by now. It's just surprising that he's not screeching, really.]

We are. I'd like that, but I warn you that I'm not a good dancer.

[He takes Karkat's hand though, and tugs him toward the dancefloor.]

(Royal decorum was the main reason he wasn't screaming. This Karkat had to have some presentable chill. He's eager to grab Kyle's hand.)

It's okay.

(Normal Karkat wasn't much of a dancer either. Dave would be the one roping him into dancing or sometimes Rose or Roxy when they were getting a bit tipsy.

But this Karkat? Yeah, he had some moves.)

I can show you some steps? They are easy.

That would be nice. I can follow instructions pretty well.

[It's such a comfort to be close to any version of Karkat.]

You look really pretty tonight, did I say that? Because you do.

I bet you can.

(He lifts his hands in the air and explains some simple steps. It wasn't too dissimilar to a simple Bollywood-type dance with an emphasis on mimicking each other's moves. It wasn't as snuggled up as ballroom dancing, but there was a greater need for syncing up with your partner.

There's some golden bells sewn into the waistline of Karkat's outfit that jingles with his motions, especially as he rolls his hips effortlessly in time with the beat. He smiles at the compliment.)

You're a flirt. (He clearly appreciates it.) You look handsome too. I really like your outfit. It's colorful.

(Which Karkat clearly saw as something significant- but of course, he would. It was so rare he saw anyone wearing things with multiple colors on them. In his world, that meant something big. It struck him as brave, even if he knew it probably didn't carry the same meaning to Kyle.)

[Kyle lacks much natural rhythm, but he can mimic well enough. Being relaxed in Karkat's presence helps, too, and so he manages better than he thought he would.

Karkat's hips are a little distracting, though.]

Only with you.

Thanks! [Something about the way Karkat says it reminds him suddenly and fiercely of the Signless mushing all of his fingerpaints around, explaining how it was colourful blood that meant nothing.]

I kinda think it looks good with the red hair, actually. That's a troll thing, isn't it? Colour associations because of class? Do you just have a favourite colour outside of that? I like green.

Good. I would hate to be jealous.

(Especially with the new blood. That would get dangerous real quick.

It was exactly like that. He smiles, nodding.)

Yes. It is. (A huge thing.) It looks beautiful with the red hair. (Kyle was stunning to look at.

The question visibly surprises him. Most trolls just liked their own blood color as their favorites. Then again, that wasn't entirely true. Terezi loved the color red, but she was also a blind, crazy bitch so her opinion might be skewed.)

I think I like red. (Looking at Kyle's hair. Red reminded him of something else he couldn't remember.)

It's a bold color. I like gold too. Obviously. (He shakes his head to jingle the golden chains around his horns.)

What do you like about green?

You never have to be jealous. I am strictly a one-troll man. I'm more worried about people hitting on YOU all night. This outfit is something else.

[Red. Oh, be still his palpitating blood-pumper. Kyle beams.] Red is a great colour.

I love that stuff on you. You look so regal, dude.

[He thinks, still dancing.] It's alive. It reminds me of trees, mostly.

You're very cute. (He really, really can see where the appeal was. He looks down at himself and smiles.) Thank you. I had a feeling I was dressing nicely for a specific someone.

(He looks back up at Kyle, grinning.)

That is the point. Tells people I'm no joke.

(He dances with Kyle, content to listen to him talk.)

That's poetic of you. I grew up in the ocean. Everything was colorful and lively down there. Did the place you grow up have a lot of trees?

I'm flattered.

You are definitely not a joke. No matter what form you're in. [He's tempted to just sweep Karkat up into his arms. He's pretty much forgotten anybody else is on the dancefloor.]

Oh, I bet. Fish and coral and all of that. I bet it's so beautiful.

It did, yeah. I loved it.

(Karkat does move forward to slip his arms around Kyle's neck, his eyes bright. He didn't exactly remember Kyle, but the feelings he had for him were overwhelmingly sincere and undeniable.)

I think my soul and body and all that shit remember you. (Because yeah. Wow.) It is beautiful.

(He smiles, glad that Kyle loved where he grew up too.)

Mmm- do you want to go somewhere private? I'm not trying to be salacious or anything. I just think the privacy would be nice.

Dude, at this point I'm convinced I'd remember you in my soul no matter what happens.

[Ugh, he's getting so sappy and he can't even bring himself to care.]

I do, yeah. Uhm, where would you like to go? I'll take you anywhere.

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