The Peacekeeper

==> Bath Time, Story Time

It was like a breath of fresh air seeing them, or more, two breaths of fresh air. So far Karkat had been stuck skulking around the Feferi, Eridan, and Kanaya of this world but they weren't the ones he knew. They weren't his. And with all the extra responsibilities that came with his super impressive title he didn't have time to even try to talk to them. Not like he could, Eridan and Feferi were literal royalty and his bosses while Kanaya was on the clock 24/7 as Feferi's jade blood-in-waiting.

Equius was the first familiar face he encountered outside the castle. With Karkat protecting Her Imperial Radiance now he needed newer, better weapons and the troll for the job was Equius. His weapons were all hand-crafted to be stronger than a musclebeast on steroids. His impressive weaponry skills earned him the formal title of The Marksman. So he and Karkat at least had the experience of getting branded in common.

The first time Karkat saw Equius he had to resist the urge to scream. It was exhilarating seeing Equius and Karkat genuinely wanted to run over and hug him as hard as he could but he had a reputation here and he was intent on keeping it as it was. So instead he briskly retrieved his weapon and asked, though it sounded more like a command, that Equius join him in training soon.

Of course Karkat and Equius weren't anything close to being moirails in their original universe, they were barely even friends. But when you've essentially been isolated from the basics of day-to-day life with vigorous training and perilous battle, a conversation about how making weapons is really just about trying to channel the inner strength of wonderful wild life into a hunk of metal is enough to get anyone crawling back for more.

The two quickly became friends and even quicker than that, moirails. At least now Karkat didn't feel like a total stranger in a freaky world.

~

"Come on dude. You and I both know that not bathing isn't exactly the smartest fucking thing to do. We had this exact conversation just a few days ago!" It was like scolding a younger kid to stop playing and go to bed, only in this case it was an adult troll not wanting to take a bath. Again.

"I'm not a fucking pig I know I need to be clean and shit, but I just...can't. I somehow got myself emotionally attached to the fucking blood and...I don't know I'll feel naked if I don't look like I just came out of battle!"

"What?! What blood, Karkat?! All the blood you had on you was washed off the last time you took a bath, which by the way was over a week ago!" Karkat huffed in frustration and looked down. He knew this was silly and gross and he was just spouting out complete bullshit in an effort to get Dave to go away but he couldn't stop. He didn't want to see himself in the mirror, he didn't want to make Dave uncomfortable with his gross and fucked up body, and most of all, he didn't know why but some terrible feeling tugged at his gut and thinkpan that seriously made being clean sound like a terrible burden.

"Dave, I just don't want to take another bath! Can't you just accept and leave me alone!?" Dave let out a long defeated sigh and stood up, locking himself in his room. Karkat frowned and looked down, his hand tightening into a fist. He was being stupid and he knew it. He was being irrational and disgusting and difficult and...and he was making Dave's life harder than it already was. Here Dave was, willingly volunteering to spend his days taking care of Karkat and going to work and supporting the two of them with whatever money he had and Karkat wasn't making his life any easier by refusing to take baths.

Dave was frustrated, fuck he was so frustrated. Taking care of Karkat was really stressing him out and he just couldn't handle it at the moment. Yes, he loved Karkat to death. Yes, he loved having Karkat near him and knowing he was safe. Yes, he literally just told Karkat the other day that everything was fine and he wasn't bothering him or burdening him but...he was stressed.