[network] @carcinoGeneticist; TEXT; NIGHT 351 [open]

[quadrangle]

HEY
HEY SO
I'M JUST GETTING THIS OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE THE OBITUARY RUNS, WHICH IS TOMORROW
I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS THEN. OR EVER
THE POINT IS DAVESPRITE'S GONE AND I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. SO IF ANYONE'S WONDERING WHAT'S UP, THERE, NOW YOU KNOW.
AND IT WAS AN ANOMALY. AGAIN.
THAT'S ALL.

Comments

@jwatson; text; private

[jumpthegun]

Have you got someone else with you?

text; private

[quadrangle]

[Oh thank god, it's John. He trusts John, and that's—that's something.]

THE CAT. JUST HIM.
WE'RE IN THE NEW AREA BUT I'M HEADING BACK TO WHEREVER HIS BODY ENDS UP. IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE HERE.

text; private

[jumpthegun]

Make sure to ask the Admin. She can save you a lot of time looking around. I'm sure he'll be back again, Karkat. Are you and the Cat physically okay, at least?

text; private

[quadrangle]

I KNOW. I'M GOING TO. IT'S JUST A LOT RIGHT NOW.

[Not having Davesprite with him. God, he has no idea how he's going to get to sleep tonight.]

AND YEAH, WE'RE FINE.

text; private

[jumpthegun]

[Physically fine, then. Nothing else.]

I understand. Would it be easier having me ask and tell you tomorrow or the day after, maybe? He might be back by then, of course.

@bucky; text

[advanced]

[Damn it, not again. Bucky feels a hollow punch of guilt, like somehow he should have been able to stop it. He doesn't know this other kid that well, he thinks they've spoken once, but Davesprite would probably want him to say something.]

Sorry.

[What else can he say?]

text

[quadrangle]

[He hadn't expected this username to pop up, but he recognizes it easily enough. Doesn't make it any easier to decide what to say, but fortunately, Karkat doesn't give a fuck right now.]

YEAH ME TOO.

[advanced]

[He doesn't really know what else to say other than that, but this is Davesprite's friend and the kid is obviously hurting, he can't just go.]

You need to talk?

[quadrangle]

[Well, that sure is a question.]

NO. DIDN'T I JUST SAY I DON'T WANT TO? I'M FINE.

[Sorry, Bucky, he doesn't know you and this is weird. Also, he's an excellent liar, what are you talking about.]

[advanced]

Doubt it.

[His friend just died, he's not going to be fine. But Karkat is right, he doesn't have to talk to Bucky, they barely know each other.]

Find someone you want to talk to and do it.

@duster, audio, Day 352; private

[bywolves]

[ It's after lockdown, in the middle of the night. Royce's voice comes low and - slurred. ]

M'sorry. I'm sorry, Karkat.

audio; private

[quadrangle]

[Oh. Well, that's...]

[Fuck. He'd stick with text for Reasons, but that slurred speech proves a very compelling case for why he shouldn't.]

It's fine. I mean, it isn't, but he'll probably be back in a few days, right?

[The words ring hollow even to him, but he soon shakes himself and presses on.]

Why the fuck do you sound like that? Your memories are back, right? What happened?

permaprivate

[bywolves]

[ There's a pause, and then he sighs out slow and shakily. ]

They're back. S'okay. I drank. S'okay though. M'sorry. [ A beat. ] He'll come back.

[quadrangle]

[Yeaahhhh, Karkat's settling in for a lengthy pause of his own now.]

He'd better. But, uh... seriously, are you okay? What's going on over there?

[bywolves]

Drunk. [ Sniff. ] I sliced Alfie open. Stitched it, but. S'fine. Don't need to fuss over me.

@beyonce | audio | morning 352

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen doesn't respond when he first sees the message. Can't respond when he's unable to type and he knows he won't be able to control his voice. When his message comes in the next morning (too late, Karkat is hurting and Stephen just didn't even reply), he sounds as even as he can under the circumstances.]

I'm sorry.

[No reassurances that Davesprite will be back. No self-sacrificing (self-aggrandizing) cries of "I should have been there!"]

We still...we're probably not far from you. Peter and me and...Bluestar, now. Five's not too many.

[He hasn't asked either of the others, but Peter wouldn't say no to this and to hell with Bluestar if she does.]

text

[quadrangle]

[Karkat's not quite feeling up to audio, unfortunately, but he's fairly quick to respond because any familiar voice is a comfort right now.]

YEAH
AND OK. MAYBE? I MEAN I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'LL BE UNTIL DAVESPRITE'S BACK AND I WAS GOING TO PARK MY ASS OUTSIDE THE VETERINARY WHATEVER UNTIL THAT HAPPENED. AND THEN GO SEE ALFIE AND ROYCE.
IT'LL PROBABLY BE ABOUT AS DANGEROUS EITHER WAY BUT I DON'T GIVE A FUCK. I CAN SEE YOU ON THE WAY OVER.

[Nothing about the others yet. He doesn't know either Peter or Bluestar that well.]

text

[thewarningafter]

[Until Davesprite comes back. Stephen's breath catches in his throat; he's lost the ability to convince himself of that kind of hope, but maybe--]

Where are you now? We're heading north of there, north of the vet's office.

[To SnowClan's "territory."]

text

[quadrangle]

STILL IN THE NEW ZONE. HEADING BACK NOW.
DAVESPRITE'S SUPPOSED TO REVIVE OVER THERE.

perma-audio

[thewarningafter]

Yeah? We can keep an eye out for him. Funeral home or--

[Karkat said he was going to park himself outside the vet's office. Stephen lets out a shuddering breath.]

The vet's office. Right.

[That's not okay.]

@Ecks | text

[ecks]

NO

text

[quadrangle]

[Way ahead of you, Ecks.]

DO YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD LIE ABOUT THIS. I DON'T LIKE IT ANY MORE THAN YOU DO.

permatext

[ecks]

I DO NOT WANT THIS
I DID NOT SEE HIM AGIN
HE WANSOT SUPPOSED TO DIE

[quadrangle]

NO! NO HE WAS NOT.
NONE OF THIS SHIT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, BUT HERE WE ARE!
HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE WITH ME, ECKS. HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO GO OFF AND DIE OR GET KIDNAPPED OR VANISH OR GET EATEN, HE'S SUPPOSED TO STAY WITH ME. I'M SO TIRED OF THIS.

[ecks]

I AM SAD
I DO NOT WANT THIS