capeandcowl2020 | Open Post 001

Good, cooperation. [he makes a show of standing, dragging Karkat along with him while keeping the latter's face obscured. he heads for the back room, murmuring something to the other employees about good talking-tos and suchlike business.] And it's pronounced Arkady.

[he guides them into a storage closet and makes sure the door is securely shut behind them before turning around to face Karkat directly.]

You're fuckin' stupid, Karkat.

[ there aren't many situations more awkward than being walked across a cafe being clutched to your long lost frienemy's chest like a lost rag doll. he is making muffled noises into it which may or may not be highly indignant insults.

he is contemplating biting him when he is allowed freedom into the storage closet. lucky for him. he takes a few steps back and draws himself up defensively. ]

This might come as a shock to you, but not all of us have the luxury of fancy bullshit shape shifting powers to cover our asses for us, Eridan. Some of us actually have to work to survive in this crapsack world. And I don't mean by serving tea and crumpets.

[Eridan is busy vaguely panicking, though by now he's perfected the Lalonde Pokerface - the only show of anxiety is running his hand through his hair, mussing it up. he undoes his apron, balling it up in his fist.]

One, we don't fuckin' serwe crumpets.

[he wings the apron at Karkat's head.]

Two, I got a shitload a really god damn incriminatin' shit in my house! You're gonna take the both a us down, do you fuckin' realize that?

[ he's halfway into retorting something scathing about crumpets when he gets a face full of apron. he breaks off, struggling with it for a few moments, muffled, wordless noises of anger issuing from within- before ripping it off, balling it up, and throwing it onto the ground in disgust. he stomps on it a few times. ]

You self absorbed bulge biting fishstick, do you think I knew that? Do you think I selected this one, little, particular cafe out of all the multitudes of cafes there are in this godforsaken city because you worked here, and I knew you worked here, just to get my ass caught and drag yours in with me, out of spite? You're fucking stupid. You haven't changed at all.

[ he pauses. he remembers there are more pressing concerns than chewing eridan out for his self centered stupidity. he glances at the supply closet door. he brings a hand up to his face. ]

You are a first class retard, I hope you know that. I hope you've been given the awards due for such staggering lack of intelligence in the past few sweeps, I really do. Are the police actually on their way? You didn't even think to pick my fucking shades up, did you, when you were smothering me in your chest. What do you expect me to do now? I'm basically waiting for my globes to get served to me with one of your girly little tea sets, here. Thanks for that. I'm the one who has a whole lot of incriminating shit on my face. So you'll forgive me, but I think my situation is just a tad more dire right now.

Edited 2012-05-20 13:35 (UTC)

Yes, that is exactly what the fuck I think you did!

[he roars, and then smothers it in his hand. his heart is racing, because if they figure out who he is - get their hands on him - he doubts they'll be graceful and just kill him. not with his powers, not with hope at his command. visions of dark rooms, men in jackboots and rats in face-shaped cages spin behind his eyes.]

Why are you here? [his voice is strangled.] I thought you ran off to the fuckin' swamp or whatewer with Gam.

Shut up, shut up, are you trying to get us both killed?! [ karkat's voice is suddenly frantic, and he almost moves to try and cover eridan's mouth, but he beats him to it. ] Unless you're not telling me something and you have a sound proofed supply closet for some unfathomable reason keep your piss slurping noise flap shut, for the love of god! [ he says. loudly.

it occurs to him that this might be a good time to utilize his powers, but he doesn't think he's capable of calming himself down right now. he is freaking the fuck out here. for more reasons than one. ]

It's been sweeps since then you moron, Gamzee and I haven't been at the swamp in fuck knows how long. The government stormed us. They caught Khisanth. It wasn't safe there anymore. Not that anywhere is actually safe, but it was especially not safe. And contrary to your egotistical delusions, I had no idea this was your shitty little cafe. I didn't know you were here. I didn't know you were even alive. And as for why I'm here, it was to dine and dash. How could that not be clear?

Like I bothered keepin' tabs on you or that sopor-slurpin' degenerate you call a moirail. I couldn't ewen keep track a half my friends, god dammit.

[he glances back at Karkat then, examining the smeared makeup and red eyes. he can't very well throw Karkat to the wolves without incurring some suspicion himself.

he doesn't really want to do that anyway, but Eridan doesn't acknowledge said hesitance.]

This is a supply closet, find somethin' at least pinkish colored. I don't care if it's fuckin' industrial cleaner, just do it. I'll... [he rubs his eyes.] I'll pick up your tab, make up some bullshit story about you bein' a kid I seen around, turn you out and you newer come back.

[he turns, leaning against the wall.]

I finally see one a you miserable lot again and it almost kills me, fuck.

How're the rest? Is anybody else still aliwe?

Right of course because you're the victim here and it isn't like if you'd have let me go instead of throwing what smelled like boiled urine in my face and tackling me to the ground neither of us would have been any the wiser in this situation. You are also the very clearly alien fugitive with the threat of dissection and vivisection and whatever-the-fuck-else-section they do to us after they catch us hanging over your head. I hope you ordered sarcasm, Eridan, because I am your waiter for today and I just served you a hot fresh nutrition plateau full.

[ he pauses for breath. and remembers eridan asked a question. ]

... Kanaya is the only other I've found so far. She runs an- [ he breaks off. he can't just trust eridan not to fuck him or anyone else over straight off the bat. he knows better than that. just because he might be somewhat relieved and/or gratified to find someone alive and seemingly well doesn't mean he can go blathering his chute with reckless abandon. he has to be cautious. the sweeps have not been kind to karkat in assuaging his paranoia and difficulties trusting; rather, they had exacerbated them exponentially. ] She's alive. I've been searching for the others for sweeps now, but I haven't had many leads. I don't think they want to draw attention to themselves. It figures after all the effort I've put in and risks I've taken to try and track you incompetent dipshits down, when I finally find one of you it's by accident.

[ he nudges a bottle of something that looks like bleach with his foot. he finds it hard to believe that eridan actually intends to help him, be it selfishly motivated or not. weren't they supposed to be enemies, the last time karkat checked? then again, the last time karkat checked was a long, long time ago. and even then things had been confusing and complicated and upsetting to think about. he really doesn't want to get into that again.

he looks up, scrutinizing eridan, as though he could discern where they stood with each other if he glared at him hard enough. ]

... You're missing a contact.

I don't exactly blame 'em. None a us want to risk gettin' snatched up and hawe who the fuck knows what done to us in the interim between that and dyin' horribly.

[he makes no comment on Kanaya - it's been ages since they'd seen one another, and he's not sure if he's relieved or disappointed that she's managed to stay alive.

he stops at that last bit, hand on a large can on a back shelf. then, hissed low:]

Shit.

[there are voices outside the room, and he wastes no time tossing the paint can at Karkat.]

It's peach. We had to redo the buildin's coat a while back. Best you're gonna get on short notice, gutterblood.

[and he takes a step towards Karkat.]

Listen, I need you to punch me in the eye. The one missin' the contact. Considerin' the amount a ass currently sittin' right the fuck on the line for you, I think that's the least you god damn well owe me.

I've tried to leave clues of my own for them to follow, but there's a fine line between leading friends back to you and leading government pukethrashers back to you.

[ karkat fumbles the paint can and nearly drops it, before steadying it in his hands. at eridan's request, he starts, incredulous. ]

What the fuck? You want me to hit you? [ well. the one purple eye thing might throw a wrench in what looks like eridan's cozy little cafe job. and karkat isn't really out to fuck that up for him. karkat hesitates for only a few beats before drawing back his fist.

the punch is considerably weaker than the one he threw back on the cafe floor, but should be enough to give eridan a black eye all the time. ]

[he curses at the punch, muttering something about that was the weakest ass hit I ewer had the displeasure a sufferin'.]

Shit. Alright, that oughta cower our bases.

[he could go out right now, of course. but he lingers, looking Karkat over with something dangerously close to genuine concern.]

...You ain't been liwin' real easy, huh.

[is this sentimentality? wow, fuck everything.]

[ he hasn't. karkat was always slight of build, but he'd always had enough puppy fat and muscle to make up for it. now he was rake-thin, unfortunate, grumpy baby-face from his childhood replaced by something almost gaunt. it makes him look hardened. he has a hunted, wary look about him.

he opens up the tin can, uncomfortably avoiding eridan's gaze. he doesn't really know how he feels about him after all this time. he still has the scar on his chest and back from dying. he hasn't forgotten all the things eridan has done, to him and to those he cares about. but he'd be lying to himself if he tried to say he didn't miss him. or worry about him. ]

No one has. Everyone's living rough now; life and easy don't correlate anymore, that is if they ever did, which is doubful. Why do you give a fuck?

I dunno. I shouldn't.

[Eridan busies himself with tying his apron back on, eyes on the floor. his voice is quiet.]

Ed's... I think they killed him. Sweep or so back. Ewerybody's dead, turncoat, or dyin' as rebels. You can't trust anybody these days.

[a pause. he laughs, low.]

I don't know why I'm tellin' you any a this. Rose just ain't a real great listener, I guess.

[ he was expecting something scathing about he didn't give a fuck, so that response throws him off.

oh.

edward nygma dead. well. fuck. ]

... Sorry about Nygma, bro. [ feels strange to call eridan that again. ]

Khisanth started working for the government. After they caught her. I've pretty much given the fuck up on trusting people since then. [ he really hates to admit it, but he'd gotten pretty attached to khisanth. she hadn't been a friend, but she'd been something. he'd respected her. she'd been the closest thing he and gamzee had had to a guardian figure in this hell. the bitterness in his voice is heavy.

wait. ]

You found Rose? She's alive? Have you found any of the other humans? Who else are you in contact with?

[he grunts in response to... well, it isn't exactly clear what he's referring to, but it isn't until the comment about Rose he speaks again.]

Rose is doin' pretty well for herself, actually. Seer bullshit. Couldn't keep track a anybody else, though.

[ there is a long, awkward silence after that, which karkat fills by applying the paint to his face, muttering curses every now and again. ]

I'd have expected this kind of bullshit on Alternia, you know. We were all about segregation and subjugation. That was basically the foundation of our society. I didn't think the humans had it in them to pull this kind of stunt, though. Before.

[ another pause. the next words are quiet and angry, ground out through his teeth. ]

All of this feels too much like home.

Open Post 001

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please save me from my emotions

all of my tears tbh

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