The logical conclusion

[mutab1e]

Characters: One extremely sleepy Equius Zahhak and YOU.
Setting: Anywhere and everywhere.
Format: Either.
Summary: After being killed by the Grand Highblood, who just so happens to be his roommate, Equius has decided to simply stop sleeping in his room altogether. I think we all know what happens next.
Warnings: None.

[The premise of this thread is very simple: you have entered a room, and there's Equius, sleeping somewhere he shouldn't be.]

[Okay. So, this is basically the worst decision he could have possibly made. A few days after he respawned, Equius simply decided that he could get along with sleeping in the cafeteria instead of in his dormitory room like a good woolbeast. Unfortunately, as anyone familiar with the Tower could explain, any sleep you get outside of the dorms will do nothing to rest you. So basically, he's been trying to go about daily Tower business, but he's apparently fallen asleep in some... really unfortunate places. Under a cafeteria table, in the center aisle of the cathedral, right on the stairs. The bags under his eyes and general pallor of his face suggest that he hasn't slept in a while, of course.]

[Can someone tell this kid that he is a serious fire hazard?]

Comments

[restitchtime]

Says the guy sleeping underneath a musical instrument. [eyebrow raise] Honestly I'm just waiting for you to start screeching at me in German and trying to climb the walls with your bare hands.

[mutab1e]

[German? What is that? Must be some human invention...]

I'm perfectly fine.

[restitchtime]

And how long exactly do you think that's going to last?

[mutab1e]

How long should it last? [Not long at all, if the bags under his eyes are any indication.]

[restitchtime]

Considering that you look like a truck's been running you over and then backing up to do it again for a while, not more than another day at best.

[mutab1e]

I do not!

...

Do I?

[restitchtime]

You do. And I say that as someone who's spent some pretty rough patches of time without sleep.

[mutab1e]

[He grumbles a bit and turns away from her again, resting his head on his crossed arms.] Well I don't know what to do, then.

[And he really doesn't. Giving a shit about your well-being is hard work, he wants to go back to dying all the time.]

[restitchtime]

I'd suggest the obvious and say go back to your goddamn room, but I'm going to make a stupid assumption and guess that there's a reason you don't want to be in there.

[not that she expects much. everyone is so stupid in this tower.]

[mutab1e]

Right.

You may be pleased to know that it's a really stupid reason.

[restitchtime]

I'm just writhing in joy at that revelation.

[mutab1e]

Good, at least someone's getting satisfaction out of this.

[He doesn't seem to have registered that as sarcasm.]

[restitchtime]

I practically eat misfortune for breakfast. [dryly. god he must be out of it if he can't figure out she's being smarmy. that's pretty bad.] Why don't you give me a second helping and tell me the stupid reason?

[mutab1e]

[No, he's like this when he's normal too.]

You're a human. You wouldn't understand it.

[And he's a special snowflake too, now?]

[restitchtime]

Try me. [the most disbelieving tone ever. GURL YOU HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THE KIND OF SHIT SHE'S DEALT WITH]

[mutab1e]

[Siiiigh.]

Do you know anything about the hemospectrum?

[restitchtime]

You fuckers rank each other by blood color, yeah. [she's no expert but she got a crash course from her world's Nepeta. that's what happens when people assume humans have different blood colors and you're a mutant w h o o p s]

[mutab1e]

...That's one way to put it.

The hemospectrum is how trolls keep order in society. Everyone has an ineffable place, and when trolls keep to that place, everything runs smoothly. [Unless they're mutants, though Equius tries not to consider those.] If it should come to it, highbloods are to kill lowbloods, not the other way around. Weeding out the troublemakers is how the system stays operational; lowbloods have much shorter lifespans anyhow. One of my hivemates is an adult troll whose singular job is to cull other trolls; a subjugglator. [It isn't hard to guess by the way he looks and acts.] I, of course, am a yellowblood. A few rungs from the bottom of the ladder.

He had every right to do it, but... I still don't want to return. Not just yet.

[Or, you know, ever.]

[restitchtime]

Wait a minute. He killed you? [her voice is tight, although the anger starting to bubble inside her isn't outwardly visible. that wasn't right. that was bullshit and shouldn't have happened and fuck.]

[mutab1e]

Yes. Unfortunately, cullings aren't permanent anymore, so...

[Pictured: totally missing the point.]

[restitchtime]

Fuck! [Equius might miss it but Rose certainly doesn't. and she's starting to get pretty pissed.] You shouldn't have to sleep in halls and go crazy because your goddamn roommate might kill you again.

[mutab1e]

[He jumps and cranes his neck again when she curses, and only at that point decides that he should probably turn around, since this conversation is evidently a thing that's happening. So he does. Somewhat grudgingly, because not showing his facial expression is one of Equius' greatest comforts, but if she's going to be cursing, well...]

...No, I shouldn't. I should be back there. But I'm not.

[restitchtime]

You can't go back there until we deal with that fuckhead. This is too goddamn stupid to just leave alone.

[because this is bullying and superiority complexes and cruelty and everything that makes Rose see red and want to break bones. walking away from it is not an option.]

[mutab1e]

Don't!

[...Yeah okay that came out a lot squeakier than he expected. Give him a moment.]

...Don't. Just... don't.

It's my fault.

[restitchtime]

Unless you're about to tell me you ran at this guy with a knife I'm going to find that really hard to believe. [especially when you sound like a mouse on helium, dud]