thecapitol | (no subject)

Who| Cuthbert and Open
What| Extremely mature pouting and moping
Where| District 3 Suites, mostly
When| After his death and return to the Capitol
Warnings/Notes| none so far

Cuthbert Allgood is not taking his latest death well. It doesn't help that his fight with Sherlock is making the rounds in the highlight reel, and he's taking it harder than he has in the past. He hasn't talked to anyone so far, not even the avoxes who he will carry on half conversations with most of the time.

For someone who spends a lot of his time training normally he hasn't been further out of the District 3 Suites than to ride the elevator down to District 1 and back up. He hasn't even been able to get off the elevator to see someone he really wants to see.

Most people will find him wrapped up under a blanket from his room in the main District 3 eating area watching and (surprisingly) not commenting on their activities. All of this is abnormal behavior for him, not that he would notice or care at this point.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Yeah," Karkat says. "Maybe. I still don't get why it would be such a big deal, though, except that I'm a mutant."

"It just isn't done. Which doesn't make it right, but there are many things about your world that aren't right but must be followed all the same."

He is a little defensive about his own home because he's the only piece of it here, Susannah doesn't really count. He won't tolerate trash talk about a place he loves, warts and all.

Karkat opens his mouth, wanting to argue the point, then closes it. "Yeah," he says finally. "I guess there are."

Like the fact that back home what Initiate did to him would have been totally fine according to imperial law and actually probably considered justified.

He wiggles a little in his blankets.

"There might be room for someone else in here."

That's the closest to comfort that Cuthbert is going to give at the moment. It seems like they could both use it.

Karkat will take it. "Then move over, so I can get some thermal retention fabric."

He shifts over enough that Karkat can join him, but he's not inviting the tribble to this cuddle romp. It's by invitation only.

The whole thing is a tight fit, but Cuthbert pretty much glues himself to Karkat's side so they have that much more room.

"Did your lusus ever tell you bedtime stories when you were small?"

He almost says "smaller" but he's not in much of a teasing mood right now.

Karkat lets him.

"Of course not," he says, surprised at the question. "He was a giant crab monster."

What a weird question. Everyone knows that most lusus species don't talk. Almost none of his friends had been able to talk to their parents before they became gamesprites.

Bert hadn't really considered that before. But it makes perfect sense.

"Of course he was. So much about you suddenly became very clear." He takes any of the sting out of his words by taking Karkat's hand under the blankets.

"So if he couldn't tell you bedtime stories, how did he get you to sleep when you were being fussy and difficult as a wiggler? And don't tell me you were never a difficult caterpillar, no one who has ever met you would believe that."

"Well, he was pretty fucking huge," Karkat said, "even after I moulted a couple times. So he'd just pick me up and stick me in my recoupercoon and trust that I'd tired myself up enough during the day that once I was in the sopor it would take care of the rest."

He squeezes Cuthbert's hand. "Now that I think about it, though, it was kind of weird that I had him. Signless never had a proper one, he says, just this Jadeblood lady who went rogue. There weren't any his color. Your lusus shares the same blood color as you. It's done according to caste. So... how the fuck was there a mutant one just waiting for me?"

Cuthbert smiles to himself. "I will have to try that the next time you're too much to handle. You're probably still small enough that I could pick you up and drop you off somewhere to stew in your own anger for a bit."

It was very comforting to have Karkat with him.

"And if that's true, then it means you're very special. There was someone waiting just for you."

"Shut up," Karkat growls. "I'll be taller someday. You'll see." He doesn't mention that even when he is he'll still be short, at least if Signless is any indication.

"I never thought about it that way," he says after a moment. "Just... why? How did Crabdad know I'd be there?"

It actually makes Cuthbert smile to get Karkat's goat. However small that goat may be.

"How do any of your kind get picked up? Seems to me, without a clear mother and father it's all sorts of difficult."

He shifts enough to give Karkat a kiss on the cheek. "You turned out well enough, I'd say."