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

[bywolves]

[ Royce flinches down at the reference to the torture tower. He hadn't handled waking up here well, reminded firmly of the last time he'd woken up in a cell, and he doesn't want that panic to take over now. It'd been a good ten minutes of Alfie soothing Royce before he'd been able to function, earlier. Yesterday? Fuck.

He's taking deliberately slow and even breaths, keeping himself calm. ]

Thank you. [ He says after a moment, soft. ] If I remember, I'll tell you. If you want to know.

Are you okay? [ He can't remember if he asked that already. He's so unsure of everything. ]

[quadrangle]

[Karkat isn't able to discern offhand what may have caused that flinch when so much about this situation is upsetting as hell, but he resolves to be more careful anyway before he speaks next. Was it the thought that Alfie might have been the one to hurt Royce or vice versa? Something else? God, he hates this.]

I'm okay.

[He's quick to affirm it after that reaction, and hey, why not another demonstrative hand squeeze. (Royce was so much better at this than him.)]

My hand's fucked up, but that's about it. Some of you tried to rip off my horns too, but I guess they're too fucking tiny to get a good grip.

[The other injuries are barely worth mentioning, as far as he's concerned. Oh no, some scratches, fuck, better go crying to his lusus. Wah wah, who cares?]

[bywolves]

[ Honestly, Karkat coming by and trying at all is making this so much easier for Royce to bear. He feels a little more centered. A little more like he can hold onto some form of sanity. ]

M'sorry. [ Royce mumbles. ] If I did, I don't remember.

[ He squeezes Karkat's hand in return. ]

How is your hand fucked up? [ He sounds a little distant, but he's trying. A beat, and then, quieter, like he's talking to someone else, under his breath: ] Not now, shut up.

[quadrangle]

Not your fault. If it was you.

[He's going to need to say that a lot today, isn't he? The thought gets another sigh.]

And, I don't know, someone bit it. I don't really give a shit, but it hurts like hell. It's going to make carrying my stuff a pain in the ass later.

[Not as bad as a broken arm, though, or as a totally random example, bleeding everywhere. He couldn't even read when that happened and he's still angry about it.]

[bywolves]

You should come to us. After this. If we survive.

[ Sniff. ] We have disinfectant and bandages. And can help carry your things. If you want.

[quadrangle]

[The offer is neither unexpected nor unwelcome, but...]

I have to check on Davesprite.

[bywolves]

Yeah. I know. [ A beat. A little smaller, hesitant: ] If you need company... just ask.

[quadrangle]

[There's a really, really, really stupid, sentimental line he's considering saying, but yeah, no. Not now.]

I'll let you know, okay? I just... I need to wait for him. Maybe it won't be that long.

[bywolves]

Okay. [ Royce says, quietly. ] The offer is open-ended.

[ He closes his eyes. ] If you need to move on, you can. I won't keep you. [ Not that he necessarily wants Karkat to leave - he's still got a hold on Karkat's hand. ]

[quadrangle]

[Yeah, he's not letting go of that hand either. He does feel a pang, though, at practically everything Royce just said.]

I can't just—he might come back, okay? He will come back. I'm not—

[Karkat stops, closes his eyes, and tightens his grip. He can't bring himself to say anything more just yet, not while they're here.]

[bywolves]

Yeah. [ Royce says soft. ] He'll come back.

[ He sounds tired, and out of it, half-asleep. ]

[quadrangle]

[Which only makes it less convincing, for the record, but Karkat can set that aside for now. Mostly.]

Get some sleep, okay? I'll wake you up if anything happens.

[bywolves]

Okay. [ He sighs. And - without letting go of Karkat or moving away from him, Royce eventually drifts off. ]