Thicker Than Blood Start

[gamemakers]

For Tributes with keen eyes, they'll notice that Peacekeeper presence seems increased and yet infinitely more ineffective in the last few weeks. Peacekeepers seem harried, as do the Stylists, and most of the Escorts titter and plot without alerting the Tributes as to what, exactly, is so exciting. They simply say that this weekend they'll know.

And so it happens that on the weekend in question, the Tributes are woken by their Escorts early and brought to a restaurant for a hearty breakfast. The restaurant is nothing spectacular, although they seem to be trying to make an impression on the television cameras that float around. The sleepy, cranky meal goes by and then the Tributes are led back to their Suites for a mandatory meeting.

Sitting on couches and the floor, in chairs and on windowsills, standing off to the side - people from the Tributes' homes are waiting to greet them in each District Suite. Some are confused, some accepting, some frightened and some elated to see their beloved. Either way, it should be an eventful reunion.

Comments

(Later) Initiate and Goatdad, then Gamzee and Kurloz | OTA

[carnagecarnival]

Eventually, he's pulled away from the mess of district five's new arrivals. The escort leads him out and down. While the two look-a-likes are told to stay in the lobby, he's lead outside, around the building, to where the grass begins. He sees white before they even stop. He goes cold all over. They wouldn't, they wouldn't. His descendant, his alter, fine, but not this.

There's a pool built up, something done in haste and in it the beast thrashes. There's a muzzle over those great jaws and it must be made of something strong because it ain't coming off, even as the beast struggles.

"No..." The babbling escort falters and silences. "NO! Why is here?" He snarls at them, the escort and the peacekeepers. They flinch but don't answer. And he shouts, "WHY IS HE HERE?!"

The beast's head lifts and its eyes meet the Initiate's and he too goes quiet for a moment. He stares into sideways pupils, so sharp, so motherfucking lucid. His face twists and his hands shake. He forgets about the escort and walks to the beast.

The seagoat rears up hooves raising high and then splashing down, that great fish tail churning the water around. Those horns drop down with intent to charge him, all threat and challenge, and fuck him, he mirrors it. The seagoat surges forward through the water and the Initiate holds his ground right to where that goat reaches it's neck down and roars, baring every monstrous needle sharp fang, and the Initiate screams right the fuck back. The goat stops first and huffs and growls. The Initiate's breath comes heavy. His mind whirrs.

"You shouldn't even up and be here," He snarls. "I SHOULD MOTHERFUCKING DRAG YOUR GUTS OUT OVER THIS MOTHERFUCKING TOWER! I should take your color as my goddamn own! YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!" The old goat stomps his hooves in the grass, tail still within the pool. The old goat growls and water drips from that matted bone-white fur and the fins that flick with the goat's ears. "And you... you ain't even a got a goddamn idea who all I am to be. DO YOU?" The goat huffs again, hard enough to move the bangs from Initiate's face. Through grit fangs, and with shaking fists, claws digging into his palms enough to bleed, he corrects himself, "Or maybe you just ain't care."

He feels the eyes of the escort and peacekeepers on his back and he turns head to snarl over his shoulder, "WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?"

Hesitant and weary, they give the explanation. He will have to care for his lusus. He will have keep his lusus under control. He will be given food which he, The Initiate, must then feed to his lusus, while making sure that muzzle gets back on and no other is eaten. He must see to its needs where the capitol cannot. His lusus is in his care. He could laugh he up and could.

They could've just spat in his face, that'd be quicker, would have at for the same intent and meaning.

They go. His Da nudges him roughly in the chest with his muzzle, as if demanding it be taken off. Slowly he reaches up, running a hand through the wet fur between his Da's eyes, just past the muzzle. "I hate you," He whispers. His Da doesn't speak. But The Initiate knows, with how the goat looks at him, he's thinking the same.

He hears a cry of "Da!" and it's so motherfucking strange, hearing his own voice how it used to be-- funny how all they called their lussi by the same damn thing-- that he turns and sees his descendant running up, tripping over his pants, trying to get to the goat fast as he can. His alter too looks surprised, a recognition there in his eyes but he at least doesn't run. He sees that same escort disappear before he can meet those eyes, them no doubt aware now what it means when his eyes burn redder around the indigo.

Take care of his Da. Take care of his descendant and alter. He swallows back that rage and focuses on keeping the old goat from killing the kid.

[futilecycle]

Sigma's first thought after meeting Diana is to find the Initiate. Asking her to stay in District 10's suite for now, the Doctor makes haste to head downstairs. If all of them had had 'loved ones' brought in, there would be trouble for more than a few of the Doctor's friends. He worries about Eponine, but Eponine was not as immediately emotionally volatile as the boy was. It would be a mess for the peacekeepers and escorts if Sigma did not go quickly, he worried.

His suspicions are confirmed when he cannot find him in District 5's suite. Sigma swallows, surveying the room, searching for any sign of wreckage or panic. Of course, he realizes with a start, if they had brought the Initiate the family member he had mentioned, it wouldn't be one they could bring to the upper floors.

Sigma bolts into the elevator and orders the door shut, waiting with bated breath to reach the bottom floor. Could it be? Would they really do such a cruel thing to him?

And Sigma does find him outside, though not as he had expected. There is, at the moment, a brief peace, until the child rushes forward.

Sigma realizes with a start who the child resembles and finds himself almost winded with surprise. He comes up behind the Initiate carefully, quietly, clearing his throat. His hand is on his chest timidly to convey he means no harm.

"Initiate..." There is a note of both reverence and affection.

[carnagecarnival]

That's too much all at once. The Goat's eyes open, Gamzee's running, Sigma's behind him, and the goat is just starting to rear up at the new threat. He leaps before the goat gets too far out of reach, swinging round by the horn and stepping down hard at the back of his Da's head, getting the goat's attention.

"GAMZEE DOWN!" He hollars, and his descendant skirts to a halt, wide-eyed. "Da, easy!" The goat growls, thrashes for a moment, trying to shake the initiate off. He stomps down harder. "I SAID EASY!" And he makes sure to knock at the muzzle strapped to his Da's head, just to remind him of the situation he's in. His Da's eye holds him, one last defiant snarl-- less like a goat and more like a monster-- and then with an extreme reluctance, he starts to lower, hate burning bright. Fuck you too, he thinks, amazed the goat listened at all. The capitol must have done something to make the goat receptive. He pushes the thought aside.

Back down, the Initiate lets go of his Da's horn and slips off. He shakes off that tenseness and looks over to see his alter has clasped a hand on Gamzee's shoulder which Gamzee seems to be trying to slowly wiggle away from. He breathes out and looks to Sigma, already feeling tired, but glad to see the man.

"Sigma," He greets, with a breath almost like relief. He doesn't quite catch the tone Sigma speaks his title with, too caught up in his own head (he likely wouldn't understand it anyway). "COME," He commands of the trolls off to the side. His alter lets go of his descendant, giving a short nodding bow, before walking over. Gamzee refrains from commentary, eyes still on the goat, but the kid too makes his way over. His alter, whom he knows now is only a little younger than him, is smaller, frail, strangely feminine in some respects, different paint, and of course the stitched smile and hollowed face are hard to forget. His hair curls with purpose, while Gamzee's is a wirey mess. Gamzee himself, at least two whole sweeps younger, appears something of a mess in general. Even with the Capitol's intervention, Gamzee's very essence and way of carrying himself tells of a mess, but one he seems happy in.

As the boys walk over, the Initiate asks Sigma, "They got motherfuckers at for you too? PEOPLE WHAT ALL BE OF RELATION?" His son, maybe? Would they inflict that upon Sigma again? Well, they'd brought him all this, it certainly isn't out of the question. Once the two get close enough, Gamzee mutters, "Whoa."

The kid's eyes go up at sigma, and he remembers again that in that time, none of them have seen an adult before. His alter doesn't seem so perturbed, smiling still. The Initiate wonders if they both just smile like this all the time. He looks from Sigma to the boys, then gestures with a hand to them, "This here be Gamzee Makara--"

"Sup motherfucker!" Gamzee interrupts. He catches the look the Initiate gives him and goes, "Haha, sooorry."

"AND THIS--" His alter gives a sudden gracious bow. He is beaming as he rises back up, stitches pulling. The Initiate hesitates. "...My alternate."

He looks back to Sigma with just the barest trace of helplessness.

[futilecycle]

Sigma watches the events unfold in a stunned shock, fear springing inside of him - not for himself, but for the Initiate. When the situation is resolved without casualty, he is visibly relieved. He's surprised the Initiate continues to use the Goat's nickname after all that had happened, but he supposed it was only natural for children to imprint upon their parents, no matter how monstrous they were.

The question about his family is not as disturbing to him as the Initiate expects, and rather than recoiling in pain, Sigma answers with a slight blush to his cheeks. "Ah, yes. I suppose you could say... how would you put it? That my 'matesprite' has been brought to me." Slightly hoping to impress the Initiate, he hopes he is using the correct singular form for 'matespritship.' "I shall have to introduce the two of you later. As it is, Diana is somewhat overwhelmed." Her name rolls off of his tongue with deep, sickly affection.

As the boys are introduced, Sigma watches the family assemble with eyebrows raised. "Hello, Gamzee," Sigma says politely, despite the boy's language. It was really nothing in comparison to the Initiate's turns of phrase, after all. "And..." he was not sure it was appropriate to call the alternate 'The Initiate'. Awkwardly, Sigma faces him with a deep nod and skips to, "Welcome." He does not want to stare, but the visible injuries the other Initiate has sustained make him cringe. He wonders what horrible things had happened to make him so.

The Initiate is clearly exhausted and Sigma communicates his sympathy. Still, his curiosity gets the better of him, and he keeps his voice low: "Alternate... Pardon me for asking. Do you mean to say he is a quantum version of yourself?" It's something Sigma clearly understands, he is no stranger to other selves. Then he clears his throat and shuffles, more flustered than he had been after bringing up Diana. "As well. Is Gamzee... yours?" He cannot help but cast a grandfatherly look of endearment at the child.

There was one the Initiate had not introduced, and Sigma turns to the violent old Goat. He does not look upon him long, giving the Initiate's 'father' a hard gaze of mutual respect. Neither of them deserved such, but there was something Sigma felt he shared with the Goat that perhaps no one else in any universe could know.

[carnagecarnival]

"YOUR MATESPRIT?" The Initiate says-- Sigma's approximation is certainly close enough in surprise-- in surprise. Perhaps more than is needed. He wouldn't be old if he didn't have a matesprit. Though no a kismesis because humans didn't to that officially. Or maybe all the rules got turned up on their head, he ain't even know. He guesses his matesprit to be female, by how all the other Diana had been a girl too, and says, "He looks forward to meeting a sister Diana true. MAY MIRTH COME OF HER IN HER NEEDING OF IT." He smiles a bit even. Sigma is beaming and it takes some of the weariness out of him-- even when Sigma glances at the goat, what all he wishes weren't here.

He focus on Sigma's questions. Yours. He looks at Gamzee and Gamzee looks up back. Messiahs know he'd never even... considered the meeting of this troll before here. And even here, he never thought it'd come to be. There are so many things he wants to ask this boy, that his pride won't allow him to.

"Supposing he must be mine," The Initiate says, slow at first. "HE IS FROM THE END OF THIS BROTHER'S TIME. A good thousand sweeps--"

Gamzee cuts in. "You're being a thousand motherfucking sweeps old?"

"NOT YET, KID, INTERRUPT AGAIN AND YOU'LL END UP LIKE HIM." He jerks a thumb at his alter. He doesn't mean it, but it effectively shuts Gamzee up. "...He is of my hatch symbol and of my blood," The Initiate continues. "CAPRICORN. If he ain't to be my descendant, and I his ancestor, I ain't know what all he is. BUT HE CLAIMS CALLING OF GAMZEE AND A GAMZEE MAKARA IS WHO ALL MY DESCENDANT HAS BEEN TOLD AT ME TO BE." Gamzee makes all to speak again and The Initiate holds up a finger before he does. He looks at his alter, who is strangely unoffended by the reference to his muteness.

"As for he," The Initiate says. "HE IS WHAT ALL HAS BEEN EXPLAINED UNTO HE AS A LIFE DONE PRIOR. My world is of two iterations, one of supposed 'peace' and my own. MIRACLE BE OF GIVING SECOND CHANCES UNRECALLED UP IN THIS BITCH. From what all he understands, this motherfucker is at near the future-end of his iteration, where as all myself gets residence in what be the furthest past of any other troll what be here. WE ARE THE SAME PERSON DONE UP ON CIRCUMSTANCE DIFFERENTIATED. In outside altered by world, but core done the fuck the same. IF THAT IS WHAT ALL YOUR QUANTUM IS NAME TO, THEN YES." Which is still a heavy ass thing what all to say he doesn't do it without meeting the eyes of his alter, wondering.

He pauses, fangs nicking at his painted lips. Then he adds, with hesitance, "His name is Kurloz Makara, brother Sigma." Hurriedly, to take weight off the confession, he looks to the other boys and says, "NOW, YOU MAY SPEAK OR OTHERWISE."

Gamzee rounds this eloquently with, "Fuck, bro, your hair is a motherfucking trip. How all is you even being getting it to do that? Where your horns at? Are they tiny all up ins, not even to be seen? Be all gettin some nubby ass little miracles what I ain't even to be comprehending. I bet it's reeaaal easy to be getting a shirt on though, haha!"

[futilecycle]

Sigma blushed somewhat at Initiate's blessing, feeling the words were meant for someone decades younger than he was. But he closed his eyes with a smile and nodded, thankful for his kindness. "Thank you very much," he says with genuine gratitude.

To hear that this child is of relation to the Initiate secretly endears both the child and Initiate to Sigma a little more. So the Initiate would have children... the thought secretly pleased Sigma for selfish reasons. He hoped to meet them, someday. As for his alter, Initiate's response answers his question perfectly. It hurt him to think that the Initiate's world was one of violence and war, apparently, and that this quiet and mild-tempered boy was what he could have become. There was not a day that passed where Sigma did not consider what he, himself, would have grown into if the mass extinction had never occurred... would the version it would create even be comparable to the man called 'Zero'? Finally, he stiffens to hear what he supposes must be the Initiate Fraysong's real name. Kurloz Makara... he would never forget it.

"Well, then hello, Kurloz," he says directly to the Initiate's alter, careful to communicate to the Initiate that he would not commit such disrespect as to refer to them both by their real name. Then the excitable child is on his case about one thing or another, and Sigma laughs heartily. It is, perhaps, the first time he has laughed so joyously since he has arrived in Panem. After having one of his own, the Doctor loved children.

"Oh, my dear boy, I am not a troll. I am human, a species that does not grow horns, and when we grow old, our hair changes to this colour. Did you have any other questions?" He did not seem to mind humouring Gamzee at all.

[carnagecarnival]

Trolls didn't work like humans did. Descendants were coincidental, as a rule, born sweeps and sweeps after the death of their ancestor, a luck of a genetic draw when all trolls were born of the same genetic slurry, a miracle that they reflect the ancestor at all. Though certainly there could be any number with traces of his DNA, the only direct child of the Initiate would be Gamzee and it would be such for all time.

Kurloz looks quite pleased to have any comment referenced to him directly. He beams and the smile even reaches his eyes. He presses the flat of his palms together and nods again. He finger-spells out an Alternian--Beforan?-- hello that not a single person here or anywhere could understand. The he offers a small wave to translate.

Gamzee meanwhile stares, amazed. He says with every tone of awe, "Miracles." The Initate rolls his eyes, but even he has the smallest smirk. "Fuck, dogg, i got my self all wonderstruck reveramazed as what's all like a subjugglator with attentions beholding strung up on the minstrels motherfucking rise as all i'm to be feeling to be. Motherfucking ain't never weren't to being not all seeing no adults or motherfucking old people up beforeways. I didn't know at you was to be being so motherfucking chill. I was to be figuring you'd be all scarier like... like him, haha." He turns and points at Initiate who in turn raises a brow. He turns back to Sigma. "You feel me, brother?"

The Initiate cuts in. "The wicked business at for them don't work like that, he's human, he explained this! AND DON'T BE ALL PLAYING ADMITTANCE TO FEAR JUST AT WHOEVER, THAT'S MOTHERFUCKING...!" He huffs at Gamzee's confusion and shuffling. He sighs, "He'll explain later."

Gamzee is apparently reassured by this and goes back to questioning. "So... like... you're an alien then, is a brother to be being right?" Kurloz watches in silence, eyes sharp.