The revenants are dependant on sunlight to survive and keep mobile; they're useless at night, and that's why your lusus always warns you to stay indoors when the sun is out. At the end of the dim season, however, something happens in the grublands. The news vids don't show anything other than a greenblood reporter standing in front of a lone communal hivestem and talking about how the traditional light season flu has come early, and that everyone whose blood is above lime should report to the authorities for a flu jab. The buzz on the illegal wireless channels was different than the official vids: anonymous sources reported ceruleans and blues hunting revenants and experimenting on them, even mixing them with maroon blooded slaves for an unknown purpose.
There was never any official statement about what had happened, but soon the grublands were being evacuated. The wireless channels yakked about the revenant/troll experiments fighting off the control of their creators and wreaking havoc, breaking into hives during the day and attacking trolls in their recuperacoons. A week later, there was a report about a teal blood mauled by a pack of revenants on the way to her hive, in broad moonlight.
"The night is no longer safe," an official wireless statement from the Threshecutioners reported at the beginning of the light season. "Make sure you travel in groups and arm yourself when leaving your hive. Are you lime or above? Contact your nearest flaysquad for a flu jab."
Eridan never contacted his nearest flaysquad: if he had done so, they would have arrested him on the spot for harbouring a fugitive from the culling squads, unauthorised science experiments, supporting propaganda against the Empire, contacting lowblood revolutionaries, and associating with mutantbloods. If found out, he would only have his high hemostatus to thank for not being culled on the spot. He and Feferi had been hiding out in the subterranean level of a communal hivestem in the imperial city for almost a sweep now, acting as an outpost for the rebels from the grublands and broadcasting their wireless transmissions further into the city while at the same time making sure they continued being scrambled and the source of their signal undetected. A long time ago, they'd swanned into the city, she the heiress apparent and he her loyal friend, thinking they would be welcomed with open arms. Instead, they were immediately thrown into prison to be culled next moonrise, and it was only thanks to Eridan's connections at court and Feferi's friendship with a yellowblood hacker that they were able to escape. The Empress did watch an execution that moonrise, but it wasn't theirs. Supporters had found them this dreary basement space, provided them with new papers and, with time, gave them the radio to boost the signal of the illegal transmissions.
colubrineAquarist [CA] began trolling cancroidGalvaniser [CG] 78 hours ago CA: wwhats up CG: IS THIS SERIOUSLY A QUESTION THAT I'M READING. ARE YOU REALLY, ACTUALLY TAKING YOUR TIME FROM DOING SOMETHING I EXPLICITLY TOLD YOU WAS EXTREMELY FUCKING IMPORTANT, TO CHIT-CHAT? CA: no im takin my time to check up on you because youre kinda the leader of this clusterfuck CA: i wwanted to knoww if you wwere still alivve CA: because if youd died then it wwoulda been pointless to continue this CG: IF I DIDN'T KNOW YOU FOR THE LAZY DOUCHEFIN THAT YOU ARE, I WOULD ALMOST FIND YOUR CONCERN TOUCHING. I'M FINE. THE UNDEAD ATTACK HAPPENED A HIVESTEM DOWN FROM MINE, BUT THEY WERE BAITED AWAY BY A REALLY DUMB OLIVEBLOOD. CG: AND, FOR THE RECORD: I MAY HAVE BEEN SHOULDERED WITH THE UNFORTUNATE ROLE OF BEING A LEADER, BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE OUT OF ALL OF US FUCKUPS, I AM THE LEAST INEPT ONE. IF I DO DIE, YOU WILL FUCKING CARRY ON AS NORMAL, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, I WILL RISE FROM THE GRAVE AND KILL YOU FOR BEING A TERRIBLE FRIEND. FEFERI'S THE ONE WHOSE SURVIVAL IS CRUCIAL HERE, NOT MINE. CA: youre the only person i knoww wwho feels offended at bein cared about CG: THIS ISN'T ABOUT ME. I JUST HAPPENED TO BE IDIOTIC ENOUGH TO HATCH AT THE WRONG TIME. CA: just dont get killed or turned into a revvenant CG: YOU TOO.
cancroidGalvaniser [CG] began trolling colubrineAquarist [CA] 50 hours ago CG: SOLLUX AND NEPETA ARE DEAD. CG: EQUIUS ISN'T ANSWERING MY MESSAGES. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE I WOULD WANT TO TALK TO THAT SWEATY FREAK, ANYWAY. CG: TEREZI HAS HAULED HER BONY ASS HERE AND SHE WON'T STOP EATING MY GRUBFLAKES DRY. IT'S FUCKING DISGUSTING. CG: I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE ARADIA IS, THEY'VE KILLED ALL COMMUNICATION IN HER PART OF THE GRUBLANDS. CG: TAVROS HAS BEEN INFECTED, BUT GAMZEE DEALT WITH IT. CG: DON'T ASK HOW. I FUCKING WISH I COULD ERASE THAT MEMORY FROM MY THINKPAN. TAVROS IS DEAD NOW, TOO. FUCKING GAMZEE BROKE MY NOSE BECAUSE I STOPPED HIM RUNNING OUT ONTO THE LAWNRING AND LETTING HIMSELF BE RIPPED APART. NOW EVERYONE AND THEIR LUSUS KNOWS MY BLOOD COLOUR.
colubrineAquarist [CA] began trolling cancroidGalvaniser [CG] 5 hours ago CA: ivve not heard from kan in a day an that part of the city has been quarantined CA: fef and me are okay she just wwent to get some lavver and gas for the generator CG: YOU LET HER GO OUT ON HER OWN? HAVE YOU LOST GRIP ON YOUR THINKPAN? CA: shes got her disguise on CG: WHAT PART OF ZOMBIE FUCKING APOCALYPSE ARE YOU NOT GETTING? CA: theyre not in our area yet shell be fine CG: WHAT ABOUT VRISKA? CA: wwerent you handlin her CG: SHE'S YOUR KISMESIS, YOU LIMP-FRONDED STOOGE. CA: she hasnt trolled me in a wwhile CG: GREAT. THE BIGGEST TROUBLEMAKER IN OUR GROUP IS UNACCOUNTED FOR, AND YOU'VE SENT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE OUT ON ERRANDS INTO A FUCKING WARZONE WHILE YOU SIT IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HIVE WITH YOUR FINGERS UP YOUR NOOK. CA: remember wwhen they talked about ceruleans and blues experimentin on revvenants and maroons CA: and noww wwe cant get in touch wwith vvris or eq or megido CG: THAT WAS JUST A RUMOUR WE HEARD AT THE TIME. IT WAS BLAMED ON A BUNCH OF SHIT, SOLLUX EVEN READ SOME THREAD BY SOME BULGESUCK WHO CLAIMED THAT IT WAS A CONSPIRACY BETWEEN THE MIRTHFUL CHURCH AND THE CAVALREAPERS. CG: THOSE THINGS DON'T HAVE TO BE CONNECTED. CA: wwhat if they are CA: wwait i think fefs back CA: brb
cancroidGalvaniser [CG] began trolling colubrineAquarist [CA] 4:15 hours ago CG: WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?
cancroidGalvaniser [CG] began trolling colubrineAquarist [CA] 3 hours ago CG: IF THIS IS A CRY FOR ATTENTION, IT'S FUCKING UNCALLED FOR. I AM UP TO MY SHAME GLOBES IN REVENANTS, WE'RE OUT OF GRUBFLAKES AND I JUST GOT A MESSAGE FROM VRISKA WHICH ONLY CONTAINED A REALLY FUCKING THRILLED LOOKING EIGHT-EYED EMOTICON. BY EMPLOYING THE TIME-HONOURED SCIENCE OF EMPIRICISM, I'VE LEARNED THAT KIND OF MESSAGE FROM SERKET IS NEVER A GOOD SIGN. CG: ERIDAN. GODDAMN IT. colubrineAquarist [CA] is idle!
cancroidGalvaniser [CG] began trolling colubrineAquarist [CA] 2 hours ago CG: OKAY, I AM WILLING TO ADMIT THAT I'M WORRIED. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT, YOU RAGING NOOKFUCK? CG: EVEN AS REVENANTS ARE MAKING THEIR WAY UP THE STAIRS TO MY RESPITEBLOCK AND MY MOIRAIL HAS BEEN BITTEN BY ONE PRETTY BADLY, I AM WORRIED ABOUT A SELF-ABSORBED DOUCHE. IN CASE YOU MISSED THE HINT, THAT SELF-ABSORBED DOUCHE IS YOU. CG: JUST TELL ME YOU'RE NOT DEAD. colubrineAquarist [CA] is no longer idle! CG: WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED? CA: fef is dead CG: SHIT. SHIT. DID THEY GET HER TOO? CA: no CA: i did CG: FUCK. ERIDAN, I'M REALLY SORRY. CA: im sorry about gam CG: IT'S JUST A BITE, HE'LL BE FINE. CA: he wwont CA: fef said it wwas just a bite too and then she CA: she wwasnt fine CA: i had to kill her or she wwoulda got me CG: SHIT. CA: get outta there CG: NO, FUCK THAT. I CAN'T LEAVE HIM, HE'S MY MOIRAIL. CA: he wwont be for vvery long CA: look kar im serious ill drop the accent so you know how important this is CA: she tried to rip my throat out while i was bandagin her bite CA: it wasnt a mercy kill i was fightin for my life CA: when she attacked me she wasnt fef anymore she was just CA: i dont know CA: a thing CA: are you there CG: YEAH. FUCK, I CAN'T JUST KILL HIM. CA: you have to or hes gonna kill both of you CA: do it with your sickle it wont even be messy CA: hed do the same for you
Eridan is surprised he can even type from how badly his hands are shaking. Feferi's blood is on his cuffs and all over his front. His rifle wouldn't start: when she had lunged for him, he had to strike at her repeatedly until she stopped; and even then, he kept hitting her, until the corpse had stopped twitching, until he was sure she - it - wasn't getting up again. His eyes are raw from crying. She was the closest thing to a quadrantmate he'd had.
The black and white television in the corner of the room flickers to life. Every hive was supposed to have a set which was to be plugged in at all times: it would switch itself on sporadically during the night to play propaganda from the government, or information vids about the Empire's latest conquests. This time, the tiny screen shows a street which Eridan recognised as not being far from where he and Feferi lived. Trolls were running down the street towards the camera, and a gaggle of revenants was shambling after them with alarming speed and purpose.
"All residents are advised to stay in their hives!" warns the voiceover. "It is not safe to go out at this point, but the imperial forces are on the job and in full control of the situation." The camera quickly swerves away from a blueblood who was having his bloodpusher pulled out of his chest by a revenant. "There have been reports of revenants from all areas of the city." Eridan watches an image of a group of undead herded together by a cerulean blood. They stagger towards her and he thinks they are going to gang up on her, but they seemed unusually docile. "There is no cause for alarm." The cerulean blood laughs, and then as one, the revenants turn away from her, sprinting towards the camera. "We repeat, there is no cause--" Before the cameraman is knocked down and the transmission cut off, Eridan recognises the cerulean blood.
CG: I CAN'T DO IT LIKE THIS. I NEED TO TALK TO HIM. I OWE HIM THAT MUCH. CA: i think i know where vris is CG: WHAT? WHERE? CA: ive got it under control CG: YOU ARE AN INSUFFERABLE RETARD. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE I CAN DO ANYTHING TO STOP YOU, OR LIKE I CAN FUCK THIS UP ANY WORSE THAN IT ALREADY IS. CG: TRY TO STAY ALIVE. CA: ill do my best CA: take care kar CA: and aim for the head colubrineAquarist [CA] ceased trolling cancroidGalvaniser [CG]
FILL: TEAM ERIDAN<3FEFERI<3SOLLUX<3<ERIDAN (1/2)
-------------------------
The revenants are dependant on sunlight to survive and keep mobile; they're useless at night, and that's why your lusus always warns you to stay indoors when the sun is out. At the end of the dim season, however, something happens in the grublands. The news vids don't show anything other than a greenblood reporter standing in front of a lone communal hivestem and talking about how the traditional light season flu has come early, and that everyone whose blood is above lime should report to the authorities for a flu jab. The buzz on the illegal wireless channels was different than the official vids: anonymous sources reported ceruleans and blues hunting revenants and experimenting on them, even mixing them with maroon blooded slaves for an unknown purpose.
There was never any official statement about what had happened, but soon the grublands were being evacuated. The wireless channels yakked about the revenant/troll experiments fighting off the control of their creators and wreaking havoc, breaking into hives during the day and attacking trolls in their recuperacoons. A week later, there was a report about a teal blood mauled by a pack of revenants on the way to her hive, in broad moonlight.
"The night is no longer safe," an official wireless statement from the Threshecutioners reported at the beginning of the light season. "Make sure you travel in groups and arm yourself when leaving your hive. Are you lime or above? Contact your nearest flaysquad for a flu jab."
Eridan never contacted his nearest flaysquad: if he had done so, they would have arrested him on the spot for harbouring a fugitive from the culling squads, unauthorised science experiments, supporting propaganda against the Empire, contacting lowblood revolutionaries, and associating with mutantbloods. If found out, he would only have his high hemostatus to thank for not being culled on the spot. He and Feferi had been hiding out in the subterranean level of a communal hivestem in the imperial city for almost a sweep now, acting as an outpost for the rebels from the grublands and broadcasting their wireless transmissions further into the city while at the same time making sure they continued being scrambled and the source of their signal undetected. A long time ago, they'd swanned into the city, she the heiress apparent and he her loyal friend, thinking they would be welcomed with open arms. Instead, they were immediately thrown into prison to be culled next moonrise, and it was only thanks to Eridan's connections at court and Feferi's friendship with a yellowblood hacker that they were able to escape. The Empress did watch an execution that moonrise, but it wasn't theirs. Supporters had found them this dreary basement space, provided them with new papers and, with time, gave them the radio to boost the signal of the illegal transmissions.
colubrineAquarist [CA] began trolling cancroidGalvaniser [CG] 78 hours ago
CA: wwhats up
CG: IS THIS SERIOUSLY A QUESTION THAT I'M READING. ARE YOU REALLY, ACTUALLY TAKING YOUR TIME FROM DOING SOMETHING I EXPLICITLY TOLD YOU WAS EXTREMELY FUCKING IMPORTANT, TO CHIT-CHAT?
CA: no im takin my time to check up on you because youre kinda the leader of this clusterfuck
CA: i wwanted to knoww if you wwere still alivve
CA: because if youd died then it wwoulda been pointless to continue this
CG: IF I DIDN'T KNOW YOU FOR THE LAZY DOUCHEFIN THAT YOU ARE, I WOULD ALMOST FIND YOUR CONCERN TOUCHING. I'M FINE. THE UNDEAD ATTACK HAPPENED A HIVESTEM DOWN FROM MINE, BUT THEY WERE BAITED AWAY BY A REALLY DUMB OLIVEBLOOD.
CG: AND, FOR THE RECORD: I MAY HAVE BEEN SHOULDERED WITH THE UNFORTUNATE ROLE OF BEING A LEADER, BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE OUT OF ALL OF US FUCKUPS, I AM THE LEAST INEPT ONE. IF I DO DIE, YOU WILL FUCKING CARRY ON AS NORMAL, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, I WILL RISE FROM THE GRAVE AND KILL YOU FOR BEING A TERRIBLE FRIEND. FEFERI'S THE ONE WHOSE SURVIVAL IS CRUCIAL HERE, NOT MINE.
CA: youre the only person i knoww wwho feels offended at bein cared about
CG: THIS ISN'T ABOUT ME. I JUST HAPPENED TO BE IDIOTIC ENOUGH TO HATCH AT THE WRONG TIME.
CA: just dont get killed or turned into a revvenant
CG: YOU TOO.
cancroidGalvaniser [CG] began trolling colubrineAquarist [CA] 50 hours ago
CG: SOLLUX AND NEPETA ARE DEAD.
CG: EQUIUS ISN'T ANSWERING MY MESSAGES. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE I WOULD WANT TO TALK TO THAT SWEATY FREAK, ANYWAY.
CG: TEREZI HAS HAULED HER BONY ASS HERE AND SHE WON'T STOP EATING MY GRUBFLAKES DRY. IT'S FUCKING DISGUSTING.
CG: I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE ARADIA IS, THEY'VE KILLED ALL COMMUNICATION IN HER PART OF THE GRUBLANDS.
CG: TAVROS HAS BEEN INFECTED, BUT GAMZEE DEALT WITH IT.
CG: DON'T ASK HOW. I FUCKING WISH I COULD ERASE THAT MEMORY FROM MY THINKPAN. TAVROS IS DEAD NOW, TOO. FUCKING GAMZEE BROKE MY NOSE BECAUSE I STOPPED HIM RUNNING OUT ONTO THE LAWNRING AND LETTING HIMSELF BE RIPPED APART. NOW EVERYONE AND THEIR LUSUS KNOWS MY BLOOD COLOUR.
colubrineAquarist [CA] began trolling cancroidGalvaniser [CG] 5 hours ago
CA: ivve not heard from kan in a day an that part of the city has been quarantined
CA: fef and me are okay she just wwent to get some lavver and gas for the generator
CG: YOU LET HER GO OUT ON HER OWN? HAVE YOU LOST GRIP ON YOUR THINKPAN?
CA: shes got her disguise on
CG: WHAT PART OF ZOMBIE FUCKING APOCALYPSE ARE YOU NOT GETTING?
CA: theyre not in our area yet shell be fine
CG: WHAT ABOUT VRISKA?
CA: wwerent you handlin her
CG: SHE'S YOUR KISMESIS, YOU LIMP-FRONDED STOOGE.
CA: she hasnt trolled me in a wwhile
CG: GREAT. THE BIGGEST TROUBLEMAKER IN OUR GROUP IS UNACCOUNTED FOR, AND YOU'VE SENT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE OUT ON ERRANDS INTO A FUCKING WARZONE WHILE YOU SIT IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HIVE WITH YOUR FINGERS UP YOUR NOOK.
CA: remember wwhen they talked about ceruleans and blues experimentin on revvenants and maroons
CA: and noww wwe cant get in touch wwith vvris or eq or megido
CG: THAT WAS JUST A RUMOUR WE HEARD AT THE TIME. IT WAS BLAMED ON A BUNCH OF SHIT, SOLLUX EVEN READ SOME THREAD BY SOME BULGESUCK WHO CLAIMED THAT IT WAS A CONSPIRACY BETWEEN THE MIRTHFUL CHURCH AND THE CAVALREAPERS.
CG: THOSE THINGS DON'T HAVE TO BE CONNECTED.
CA: wwhat if they are
CA: wwait i think fefs back
CA: brb
cancroidGalvaniser [CG] began trolling colubrineAquarist [CA] 4:15 hours ago
CG: WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?
cancroidGalvaniser [CG] began trolling colubrineAquarist [CA] 3 hours ago
CG: IF THIS IS A CRY FOR ATTENTION, IT'S FUCKING UNCALLED FOR. I AM UP TO MY SHAME GLOBES IN REVENANTS, WE'RE OUT OF GRUBFLAKES AND I JUST GOT A MESSAGE FROM VRISKA WHICH ONLY CONTAINED A REALLY FUCKING THRILLED LOOKING EIGHT-EYED EMOTICON. BY EMPLOYING THE TIME-HONOURED SCIENCE OF EMPIRICISM, I'VE LEARNED THAT KIND OF MESSAGE FROM SERKET IS NEVER A GOOD SIGN.
CG: ERIDAN. GODDAMN IT.
colubrineAquarist [CA] is idle!
cancroidGalvaniser [CG] began trolling colubrineAquarist [CA] 2 hours ago
CG: OKAY, I AM WILLING TO ADMIT THAT I'M WORRIED. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT, YOU RAGING NOOKFUCK?
CG: EVEN AS REVENANTS ARE MAKING THEIR WAY UP THE STAIRS TO MY RESPITEBLOCK AND MY MOIRAIL HAS BEEN BITTEN BY ONE PRETTY BADLY, I AM WORRIED ABOUT A SELF-ABSORBED DOUCHE. IN CASE YOU MISSED THE HINT, THAT SELF-ABSORBED DOUCHE IS YOU.
CG: JUST TELL ME YOU'RE NOT DEAD.
colubrineAquarist [CA] is no longer idle!
CG: WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?
CA: fef is dead
CG: SHIT. SHIT. DID THEY GET HER TOO?
CA: no
CA: i did
CG: FUCK. ERIDAN, I'M REALLY SORRY.
CA: im sorry about gam
CG: IT'S JUST A BITE, HE'LL BE FINE.
CA: he wwont
CA: fef said it wwas just a bite too and then she
CA: she wwasnt fine
CA: i had to kill her or she wwoulda got me
CG: SHIT.
CA: get outta there
CG: NO, FUCK THAT. I CAN'T LEAVE HIM, HE'S MY MOIRAIL.
CA: he wwont be for vvery long
CA: look kar im serious ill drop the accent so you know how important this is
CA: she tried to rip my throat out while i was bandagin her bite
CA: it wasnt a mercy kill i was fightin for my life
CA: when she attacked me she wasnt fef anymore she was just
CA: i dont know
CA: a thing
CA: are you there
CG: YEAH. FUCK, I CAN'T JUST KILL HIM.
CA: you have to or hes gonna kill both of you
CA: do it with your sickle it wont even be messy
CA: hed do the same for you
Eridan is surprised he can even type from how badly his hands are shaking. Feferi's blood is on his cuffs and all over his front. His rifle wouldn't start: when she had lunged for him, he had to strike at her repeatedly until she stopped; and even then, he kept hitting her, until the corpse had stopped twitching, until he was sure she - it - wasn't getting up again. His eyes are raw from crying. She was the closest thing to a quadrantmate he'd had.
The black and white television in the corner of the room flickers to life. Every hive was supposed to have a set which was to be plugged in at all times: it would switch itself on sporadically during the night to play propaganda from the government, or information vids about the Empire's latest conquests. This time, the tiny screen shows a street which Eridan recognised as not being far from where he and Feferi lived. Trolls were running down the street towards the camera, and a gaggle of revenants was shambling after them with alarming speed and purpose.
"All residents are advised to stay in their hives!" warns the voiceover. "It is not safe to go out at this point, but the imperial forces are on the job and in full control of the situation." The camera quickly swerves away from a blueblood who was having his bloodpusher pulled out of his chest by a revenant. "There have been reports of revenants from all areas of the city." Eridan watches an image of a group of undead herded together by a cerulean blood. They stagger towards her and he thinks they are going to gang up on her, but they seemed unusually docile. "There is no cause for alarm." The cerulean blood laughs, and then as one, the revenants turn away from her, sprinting towards the camera. "We repeat, there is no cause--" Before the cameraman is knocked down and the transmission cut off, Eridan recognises the cerulean blood.
CG: I CAN'T DO IT LIKE THIS. I NEED TO TALK TO HIM. I OWE HIM THAT MUCH.
CA: i think i know where vris is
CG: WHAT? WHERE?
CA: ive got it under control
CG: YOU ARE AN INSUFFERABLE RETARD. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE I CAN DO ANYTHING TO STOP YOU, OR LIKE I CAN FUCK THIS UP ANY WORSE THAN IT ALREADY IS.
CG: TRY TO STAY ALIVE.
CA: ill do my best
CA: take care kar
CA: and aim for the head
colubrineAquarist [CA] ceased trolling cancroidGalvaniser [CG]