Event: Consolidation Theory, Part Four and Five

[snowblindmods]

Characters: red-marked characters and their new friends
Location: ???
Date: Morning 354, Morning and Day 355
Summary: A quiet morning and a confusing morning, or maybe they're both, or maybe they're neither.
Warnings: gore, psychological horror, warn for specifics in the subject lines

Part Four OOC Post
Part Five OOC Post

Comments

[notaquaman]

[Well, the two of them aren't exactly familiar--especially not in a capacity outside of texting over the Network, but maybe the rapid, frantic pacing that Nathan is doing inside of his cell is enough to stop Karkat. He's muttering to himself and chewing on a nail, only about as banged up as if he got into the wrong end of a fist fight--but then, whoever the other guy was...well, we know who got the worse bargain.

He stops when he hears the voice, glancing over.]

Yeah, yeah, I got one for Bobby Miller. Lovingly, eat a dick.

[quadrangle]

[The pacing is enough, yes, and although Karkat doesn't recognize the voice, that sentiment is one he can fully appreciate.]

Preferably his own, right? Yeah, I'll tell him as soon as I can.

[notaquaman]

[Nathan nods sagely, as if to say, yeah, you got that one right, alien boy. But his eyes narrow. He doesn't begin to pace again, but the agitation comes back the more he stands still.]

I'll tip you the messenger's fee when we're not stuck in the sci-fi remake of Hostel, yeah? Sorted.

[He pauses again. Usually, he's much more chatty, but his well of inspiration is a bit dry at the moment.]

I didn't, uh...you know.

[Here, he gestures briefly at all of Karkat.]

[quadrangle]

[He's gotten pretty good at reading chatty, inscrutable assholes (fucking ow, thanks for the reminder, Past Karkat), so that narrowing of the eyes definitely gets a tiny frown in return. Aside from that, what the fuck is a hostel? He knows better than to ask, but he's heaving a brief, exasperated sigh anyway.]

As far as I can tell? No.

[Yes, masterful redirect right there. His ignorance isn't blatant at all, but the way he then forgets himself, goes to cross his arms, and has to stop partway in favor of tucking his hand to his chest again is.]

I don't remember. You pink monkeys all look the same anyway after a while, but whatever. None of it was really you.

[That's "you" as a general statement. He's not about to hold brainwashed people's actions against them, much as he's avoiding the fuck out of England right now.]

[notaquaman]

Let's not get into a racial debate, here.

[But, okay, despite this...whatever all this is, his lips crack up in the beginnings of smile at "pink monkeys".]

I just don't want "bit a chunk of face off some kid" to end up on my record, you know? I've got a reputation to uphold and an ASBO that's only just been expunged.

[quadrangle]

[Nathan's getting a tiny quirk of a smile back for that. Karkat still has no idea what the hell half of what he says means, but he's caring less and less that this guy knows it.]

Just telling the truth. What's an ASBO, anyway? And you'd never get close enough to try, but thanks for the thought.

[... He's probably tempting fate by saying that, but his well of fucks ran dry like two (days) torture sessions ago.]

[notaquaman]

It's a court order that means I've engaged in "antisocial behavior". Load of bullshit, right?

[Abruptly, he points a finger at Karkat, his expression mock-stern.]

Be a nonconformist! Fuck the police! Stick it to the man! You can't take the kid from the fight so take the fight from the kid!

[quadrangle]

[Karkat stares at him for several seconds, then points right back.]

I think you mixed up those last two, but sure. Why the fuck not.

[Cue eyeroll. Talk like that would get Nathan culled if he were a troll, but he isn't, so.]

[He drops the hand.]

Anyway, who were you again? I think I saw you on the network once, but I wasn't paying attention.

[Not closely, anyway, but he's starting to get the feeling that he should have.]

My name's Karkat. @carcinoGeneticist, if that's more familiar.

[notaquaman]

The first thing you're going to learn about me, kid, is that there's a 50/50 chance that I have any idea what the fuck is coming out of my mouth at any given moment.

[At least...he's honest? When the going gets tough, sometimes the only way to distract yourself is to be really, painfully annoying. So, things must be tough most of the time for him, in and out of Snowhell. Nathan's done pointing now, too, so he runs a hand through his hair.]

Nathan. Nathan Young. Or you can call me Captain Invincible if you'd like. You're ah, uh...

[He snaps his fingers restlessly as he tries to remember where he's seen the username.]

[quadrangle]

[... Yeah, that definitely sounds familiar.]

[Expression souring, Karkat stares off at some indeterminate point elsewhere in the room.]

Vantas, if we're doing last names. I was dead for like two weeks then came back around... fuck, whenever it was. Three weeks ago? Two? Something like that.

[It feels both longer and shorter than he knows it actually was.]

[notaquaman]

[Nathan's expression forms various forms of "not ringing a bell". A couple more finger snaps and the timeline falls into place.]

Porn kid!

why is writing these so hard

[quadrangle]

[He's not wrong, but Karkat's still staring at him for several seconds before sighing theatrically and throwing his hands up.]

Yes, porn kid! Smut peddler extraordinaire, that's me! My garden of carnal delights is one festooned with loose pages and enticingly situated pails, an invitation to rank debauchery the likes of which would make the mother grub weep tears of blood and shame.

I perform this grand service because everyone else has important, productive shit to do, like actually surviving and figuring the way out of this place. I am just that fucking magnanimous, and/or allegedly rubbing these novels against my naked body and breathing deep of their musty innards. No one knows!

grips your shoulder

[notaquaman]

You sure got a way with words, porn kid.

[That's apparently his title now. I'm sorry, Karkat. I'm really sorry that this is the life that you've been cursed to have. Nathan laughs, and he'd put his hands in his pockets if he wasn't in a weird jumpsuit.]

You come up with all that yourself, or did you borrow those from some of your wares? Hey, not judging, you can read all the homoerotic garbage that you want--far as I'm concerned, the sooner we teach the youth about raw, unprotected, bareback fucking, the better! Learn 'em before they squirt 'em, as they say.

[Nobody says that and that's fucking weird.]

[quadrangle]

[He understood maybe half of that, but either way, he's rolling his eyes hard before responding.]

All me, thanks, and who even gives a shit? They're just books. Anyone could pick them up if they went by the right hive.

[Including "the youth," which, yeah, Karkat doesn't really consider to include himself. Seven sweeps is old enough, isn't it? And Nathan doesn't seem that much older, so whatever.]