Homestuck Afterbound

Act 8 Part 16

(this is gonna be a long chapter guys)

**After that day.

Tareli still wore her shades, she insists it's force of habit. Gracer continues to hide them. Gracer made her way down the steps, it was a routine now. Gracer hopped down the last step before sniffing the air, "There she is." She walked into the kitchen to find Tareli and Kanaya talking, Tareli was cooking at the same time. "Good morning." Gracer chirped walking up behind Tareli, lifting onto her tippy toes to peer over Torelli's shoulder. "Looks Great!" She smiled. "Thank you." Tareli smiled back before returning to the conversation she was having with Kanaya. Gracer slipped some pancakes onto her plate before tip toeing over to the bacon, taking a few extra pieces, glancing over at Tareli. She added one more piece. "Not so fast!" Tareli said throwing a kitchen knife that caught at the edge of the bacon and flew into the wall. "Eeek!" Gracer shouted before hugging her plate of food and sprinting out of the room. "Oh my!" She could hear Kanaya say. Gracer sat down at the Coffee table double-taking before taking abite of the rich and crispy bacon. "Soo Goood." she mumbled as she started on her pancakes. She finished her plate before sneaking back into the kitchen to put her plate in the sink. Sneakily walking behind she scurried out of the kitchen once the deed was done. Gracer hummed a song as she sat back down on the couch.   

Tareli stared at the kitchen door before retrieving the kitchen knife. "What was that!?" Kanaya asked exasperated. Tareli looked at Kanaya with a blank stare. "Someone always takes too much bacon." Tareli answered. "I am the hero this kitchen needs but not the one it deserves." She said before throwing her arms back, running out of the kitchen. Kanaya giggled as she watched her Matesprit leave the room. "Oh Tareli, always so silly... I wish I could see Rose again...she acted almost like Tareli." Kanaya thought to herself. She, too, walked out of the room to see what Gracer was doing. Gracer lazily slumped on the couch as she flipped through pages of a book. "Hello, Gracer. What Are You Reading?" Kanaya asked. "Fifty Shades of Grey." Gracer responded. Kanaya blushed at the title. She snatched the book away. "Do Not Read That!!!" she shouted. "What aren't we reading?" Tareli asked running into the living room arms still thrown back until she came to a stop. "I-it's nothing." Kanaya chirped hiding the book behind her back as her bush turned 5 shades darker or you could say, 50 shades darker. (lol) Tareli tilted her head to one side waiting for Kanaya to fess up, arms crossed and balancing herself on her hip. Gracer kinda just stared at the two, also waiting for a response from Kanaya who kinda just stood there. "I'm j-just gonna go check on the uhhh, food! Yea the food! I'll just be in the kitchen!" Kanaya smiled wearily before racing into the kitchen. Gracer stared at Tareli, "I'll get it out of her." Tareli nodded while also walking into the kitchen to find Kanaya working at the stove. "Hey, Kanaya?" Tareli chirped. "Y-yes?" Kanaya answered reluctantly. "Can I borrow a book?" Tareli asked inching closer. "You s-still have to finish th-the first one." Kanaya answered backing into the counter. "No, I already finished it. I wanna see that book." Tareli said pointing to the unsuspecting item in Kanaya's hand. Kanaya gulped before taking a deep breath. She glared at Tareli before sliding the book into her Ribbon thing sash. And ducking under her Matesprit. She dashed down the halls, Tareli close behind. Sliding down the Hallway to a stop, and jumping onto the banister she ran up the railing, up the stairs, and into the Library closing the door and staring at her Gallery. Kanaya sighed before putting the book back it it's place and smiling. "You won't be able to find it now." You really think?" Tarli said from behind her. "Aah!" Kanaya screeched. Tareli slowly removed the book from the shelf as Kanaya id behind her hands. "50 Shades of Grey? This is what you we're hiding?" Tareli laughed before putting the book back. "You probably think I'm weird." Kanaya grumbled behind her hands. "What are you talking about, I have my own copy. I like romance just as much as the next hopeless romantic." Tareli smiled. Kanaya stared at her Matesprit in shock. "Are you serious?" She asked. Tareli bent down and kissed her cheek. "As serious as ever." She whispered in her ear. Kanaya got flustered and turned a very bright Green. Tareli smiled at her blushing matesprit, "We gotta finish Breakfast." Tareli said before taking Kanaya's hand and leading her back down and into the kitchen. While the sneak she is, Gracer walked into the Gallery. "Where are you?" She looked around before finding said book. Whisking away with the book, Gracer ran out of the room. "You took my book." She said to Kanaya when she entered the kitchen. "It was not a proper book to read for someone your age." Kanaya said. "It's still my book!" Gracer retorted. "When did I get you that book?" Tareli asked her arms crossed. "You didn't get it, I bought it with my own money!" Gracer smirked. "Okay, go on and read it." Tareli said. "What!? She can't read that!" Kanaya whisper shouted. "She's too innocent to enjoy it, if she does like it then." Tareli shrugged. Gracer began reading, flushing now and then. Kanaya watched hopelessly horrified. After a while Gracer had finished the book. "I umm, I don't know how to put it?" Gracer had a weary smile. "If you liked it, then you can like it. We just didn't expect you to, not a lot of people enjoy the romance genre." Tareli smiled. Gracer nodded as she hugged the book and left the room. Hosheo walked in his arms wrapped around Karkat's hips. They giggled as they continued to trip over each other and waddle to the fridge. Tareli smiled at the cute couple before throwing another kitchen knife hitting the wall next to the fridge. The two jumped, their happy love quickly turned into flushed faces. "No eating until i'm done with dinner." Tareli said blankly. The two nodded before Karkat nudged Hosheo's arm and they resumed their 'Newlywed' act. Tareli smiled as the two left before retrieving the kitchen knife. They suddenly heard a sound. It was a strange sound...like a guitar? "Do you know if Karkat or Dave is playing the guitar?" Tareli asked Kanaya. "No...I Believe Neither Can Play." Kanaya admitted. "What about Hosheo?" Kanaya asked. "Maybe. But he can also play the drums?" Tareli asked. Kanaya shrugged and walked towards Karkat's room. They opened the door to find Hosheo ripping on the guitar and Gracer banging on the drum set. Sweat particles were flying in the air when Gracer hit the cymbals on the drums. The two older trolls noticed they were playing a song, but with no vocals. KarKat stepped up to a microphone, which was hanging from the ceiling, and started lightly singing. "Turn away, If you could get me a drink of water, cause my lips are chapped and faded, call my Aunt Marie," He sang, matching the beat of the other instruments. Hosheo kept their eyes glued to the neck of the guitar, only to look up at Karkat from time to time and to start blushing. Gracer beat the drums, biting her bottom lip and green sweat droplets forming on her head and dripping on the drums. Karkat continued to sing. " Help her gather all my things, and bury me, in all my favorite colors, my sisters and brothers, still-" Tareli and Kanaya started cheering them on, which made KarKat sing louder and prouder. "I will not kiss you, Cause the hardest part of this, is leaving you. Now turn away, cause I'm awful just to see, cause all my hair's abandoned all my body, all my agony, know that I will never marry, Baby I'm just soggy from the chemo, but counting down the days to go." Gracer beat on the drums harder, which made the house shake. "It just ain't living, and I just hope you know, that if you say, good bye today, I'll ask you to be true, Cause the hardest part of this, is leaving you," Graysil had walked in at this point, now cheering on the 'band' as they finished the last lyric. "Cause the hardest part of this, is leaving you..." Karkat sang. Tareli and Kanaya clapped at the excellent performance. "You guys were great!" Kanaya smiled, Tareli gave her silent thumbs up. "Thank you! Good night!" Gracer shouted in her fake accent. "That was amazing!" Graysil said running up to Hosheo to give them a hug. Hosheo put his guitar down and picked Graysil up to hug her. Gracer giggled at the affection Hosheo was giving their sister. She got up from the drumset and walked into the guest room (the one her and Tareli were staying in) Dave walked into the house. "I'm here" he sounded. Karkat released himself from Hosheo's grasp and hugged Dave. "Took you long enough." Karkat said into his shoulder. Hosheo growled, crossing his arms. Dave noticed this and smirked "Would've been here shorter if you had just called." he winked. Karkat left the embrace before showing off the now usable music room. Dave grabbed the mic before looking around his eyes stopping at Tareli, she held a stoic face similar to his. He walked up, pointing it toward her. She looked down at it before back at him. "I don't really want to" she said pushing it away before taking Kanaya's hand. "You scared?" he taunted. Tareli stopped in her tracks before turning back and almost leaving. "I knew it, you really are just a pre-sketch." He mumbled into the microphone. She stopped, dropping Kanaya's hand she turned back. Taking the microphone she started.

"Listen little boy why don't you go play with your toys, let the adults talk and stop making noise!" -Tareli

"Hah, i'm not a child, i'm the God of time! You need to know who you're talking to before you rhyme!" -Dave

"God? please, you're a mere prince of stride. While I am number one, This won't be as fun for someone so young, nothing to say, cat got your tongue?" -Tareli

"Sorry, i'm laughing. Your raps simply leave me gasping. You're new at this is it true? Weren't I supposed to be you?" -Dave

"You can't hurt me! You're a copy of a copy and your rapping skills are sloppy, who are you to talk I mean, Look at you you're a mess, you insecure and depressed, You hide your eyes and tell all these lies, Don't you know Dave? Strider's don't cry!" -Tareli

"I know i'm not the only one, we have the same story! Sadly yours is a little bit more gory, I mean losing your Mom might have really made your life a bomb, ticking down by the second it had left you with no call or beckon!" -Dave

"Who are you to talk? You couldn't keep hold of your bro, you rely on a screwed over timeline to keep your family alive. How do you feel when you know you're gonna die? A bomb ticking by the second if I do recall, one day we all know it your excuses will fall" -Tareli

"Let me tell you how the odd's gonna stack up, you die hard, i die smart, how's it working out for you in the back, huh? I've seen your weaknesses and what you lack!" -Dave

"What I lack? Sorry to inform you but I am your original, you are like a criminal who just stole the spotlight, hussie chose you cause he didn't want me to die, you're nothing more than trash, you will kick and lash as you watch your family fall. Cause word by word you'll watch me grow tall, go ahead and fold I got the cards in this game, one day you'll lose all your fame, as a goddess of time yea I have your title too, you really are nothing new!" -Tareli

"Hey all those flaws you've been talking about take a moment and think aloud cause if you haven't noticed yet this match is set, sad to say we're at a tie! I won't let you deny that no matter how you look at it, we're the same guy." -Dave

(next part will be awhile, me and my friends are still working on this story XD)