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I'm pretty sure I didn't get in trouble because one of them realized I wasn't trying to vandalize the dump so they let me go.
[ honestly karkat isn't the biggest fan of where he used to live before coming back to recollé for high school, so he's a little biased. ]
I gave them to people who wanted one, and mine died last year. [ rip crabcakes the hermit crab. ]
[ honestly karkat isn't the biggest fan of where he used to live before coming back to recollé for high school, so he's a little biased. ]
I gave them to people who wanted one, and mine died last year. [ rip crabcakes the hermit crab. ]
[There's a derisive sort of snort following that.]
It's a valuable life skill, Vantas. Being able to talk your way out of bullshit and knowing when to pick your battles. I don't even know how long hermit crabs live and now you just have cats. Big difference.
[And then, because Luke doesn't know how to shut the fuck up:] I'm pretty sure whatever happened in my old life meant I was on the road too much to even have pets.
[But okay. Here we are and it's a fairly large storage room with walls of liquor and cups and all sorts of supplies and he's taking Backbiter again, giving the sword a few test swings.] So be honest. How much have you actually practiced with the thing so far?
It's a valuable life skill, Vantas. Being able to talk your way out of bullshit and knowing when to pick your battles. I don't even know how long hermit crabs live and now you just have cats. Big difference.
[And then, because Luke doesn't know how to shut the fuck up:] I'm pretty sure whatever happened in my old life meant I was on the road too much to even have pets.
[But okay. Here we are and it's a fairly large storage room with walls of liquor and cups and all sorts of supplies and he's taking Backbiter again, giving the sword a few test swings.] So be honest. How much have you actually practiced with the thing so far?
[ he is about to comment on luke mentioning his memory regains, but then of course luke has to keep talking and karkat has to pick a topic. ]
I can manage to swing it and stuff and both not stab myself and also not accidentally let it go flying through the air and break a lamp?
[ things that have happened: both of those.
he'll go back to luke's previous statement in a bit. he figures he shouldn't distract the conversation here. ]
I can manage to swing it and stuff and both not stab myself and also not accidentally let it go flying through the air and break a lamp?
[ things that have happened: both of those.
he'll go back to luke's previous statement in a bit. he figures he shouldn't distract the conversation here. ]
[They can definitely get back to that later. Right now it's swiping and stabbing time.]
So I'm not under threat of decapitation. That's good to know. [He looks up from the sword in his hand before sizing up the sickle again.] I wouldn't care if you broke a lamp, but I appreciate that, too.
[He's easily sliding into a battle stance though, something he's finding to be more and more natural as time goes on.] I know how to defend myself pretty well, so come at me. I want to see what you can do.
So I'm not under threat of decapitation. That's good to know. [He looks up from the sword in his hand before sizing up the sickle again.] I wouldn't care if you broke a lamp, but I appreciate that, too.
[He's easily sliding into a battle stance though, something he's finding to be more and more natural as time goes on.] I know how to defend myself pretty well, so come at me. I want to see what you can do.
Maybe we could start by trying to get cops from another city in to investigate? I mean, if we're assuming Retrospec's only influencing our city, even just calling in help from right outside should work, yeah?
[COME HELP THEM, COPS FROM MYSTERIOUS SURROUNDING CITIES.]
[COME HELP THEM, COPS FROM MYSTERIOUS SURROUNDING CITIES.]
Maybe we could just trick 'em into coming over? Have Bigby tell the chief of police or whatever that we have some crazy drug rings going on.
[They all certainly sound like they're taking drugs, in any case... It's as good a cover as any!?]
[They all certainly sound like they're taking drugs, in any case... It's as good a cover as any!?]
[ okay, that was kind of cool. karkat flails slightly, regaining his balance and trying to look as if he meant to do that.
he did not. ]
Alright, fine, try to dodge this then.
[ karkat don't talk shit it's just going to make this embarrassing. either way, he'll run at luke again with the sickle. ]
he did not. ]
Alright, fine, try to dodge this then.
[ karkat don't talk shit it's just going to make this embarrassing. either way, he'll run at luke again with the sickle. ]
[Hmm...]
That's not a bad idea. A tip-off doesn't necessarily have to have real backing to get them to check out, and we could make up some evidence if we need to. Dunno if Bigby would go for it if I'm the one asking but next time he comes by it couldn't hurt to see what he thinks. And anyway, it's a big city. If we don't have some kind of weird shit going on it seems a little too...perfect.
That's not a bad idea. A tip-off doesn't necessarily have to have real backing to get them to check out, and we could make up some evidence if we need to. Dunno if Bigby would go for it if I'm the one asking but next time he comes by it couldn't hurt to see what he thinks. And anyway, it's a big city. If we don't have some kind of weird shit going on it seems a little too...perfect.
[There's a smirk as Karkat works not to bite it, but he does look fairly pleased all the same. He wasn't lying. He apparently has been practicing enough and Luke's happy with that.
He says nothing else and he'll wait before lunging himself with Backbiter, sword swinging to try and deter the sickle. The problem with Luke's style of fighting is that it's rapid and rolled into a ball of slashing and hacking. He has zero intention of hurting Karkat, but it's a defense anyway.]
Surprised they didn't give you memories on fighting with the damn thing. S'what they did for me.
He says nothing else and he'll wait before lunging himself with Backbiter, sword swinging to try and deter the sickle. The problem with Luke's style of fighting is that it's rapid and rolled into a ball of slashing and hacking. He has zero intention of hurting Karkat, but it's a defense anyway.]
Surprised they didn't give you memories on fighting with the damn thing. S'what they did for me.
What, does he not like you? [SNICKERS like a punk.] I'll ask him if you want, then. He's been dealing with me so long that we have a little rapport going on.
[Is that really something to be proud of, Kashuu...]
But yeah, it's not like a little crime would be hard to believe or something.
[Is that really something to be proud of, Kashuu...]
But yeah, it's not like a little crime would be hard to believe or something.
Maybe it didn't count when I was doing it by myself?
[ it takes him two tries to get that full sentence out, since he starts talking right when luke makes his move. karkat definitely is not skilled enough to properly deflect that, so luke easily stops his attack. ]
Jesus, dude, tha-- [ he's still not used to the sensation of this, being somewhere and then suddenly it's like you're in another place entirely. he did think that this exercise with luke might make something happen, since it didn't make sense for him to get a weapon but no idea how to fight with it when so many others did.
what he did not expect was for that something to involve a place filled with... blood? it looked like blood. and weird... ogre... creatures, and a girl. he doesn't pay too much mind to the girl though, because everything else is too fucking weird.
he completely freezes after receiving the memory, so luke may want to like. stop. ]
[ it takes him two tries to get that full sentence out, since he starts talking right when luke makes his move. karkat definitely is not skilled enough to properly deflect that, so luke easily stops his attack. ]
Jesus, dude, tha-- [ he's still not used to the sensation of this, being somewhere and then suddenly it's like you're in another place entirely. he did think that this exercise with luke might make something happen, since it didn't make sense for him to get a weapon but no idea how to fight with it when so many others did.
what he did not expect was for that something to involve a place filled with... blood? it looked like blood. and weird... ogre... creatures, and a girl. he doesn't pay too much mind to the girl though, because everything else is too fucking weird.
he completely freezes after receiving the memory, so luke may want to like. stop. ]
[He's about to say "yeah that's possible" or even just commentating on his own skill, but one of the things that makes Luke a good fencing instructor and makes Luke, well, Luke is that he's attentive and always on guard. The moment Karkat freezes he manages to pull back with Backbiter in the air, arced and ready to strike but not quite bringing it down.
That's...not good. He doesn't lower the sword all the way just yet, but he's putting the fight on hold for a moment.]
What's wrong? [He has a good guess, but. Maybe he shouldn't ask? Everyone experiences the hallucinations differently but if there's a risk of Karkat actually getting himself hurt that's not good either.] What are you seeing?
That's...not good. He doesn't lower the sword all the way just yet, but he's putting the fight on hold for a moment.]
What's wrong? [He has a good guess, but. Maybe he shouldn't ask? Everyone experiences the hallucinations differently but if there's a risk of Karkat actually getting himself hurt that's not good either.] What are you seeing?
It's not that, but authority and I aren't always the best of friends. [So yeah, maybe.] That'd be really good though. See what I mean? You're still helping. [A shrug.]
Now we just gotta make sure Retrospec doesn't get any stupid ideas and escalate the crime rate to cover their tracks further. Maybe it's paranoia but ever since Jim said they're watching everything? Kinda feels like nothing's helping yet.
Now we just gotta make sure Retrospec doesn't get any stupid ideas and escalate the crime rate to cover their tracks further. Maybe it's paranoia but ever since Jim said they're watching everything? Kinda feels like nothing's helping yet.
Giant... ogres?
[ he blinks, snapping out of it, and almost drops his sickle to the ground but he grabs onto it again at the last second. seriously, what the fuck was going on there. ]
I was fighting? With some girl, and also the dude who stabbed me was there too.
[ karkat forgot that he never mentioned the stabbing thing to luke before. ]
[ he blinks, snapping out of it, and almost drops his sickle to the ground but he grabs onto it again at the last second. seriously, what the fuck was going on there. ]
I was fighting? With some girl, and also the dude who stabbed me was there too.
[ karkat forgot that he never mentioned the stabbing thing to luke before. ]
Ah, right, right. You're a trouble-maker. [SAYS THE UNDERAGED DRINKER.] But that's fine, I can do at least that much.
[And then Bigby rejoined the regular populace and Kashuu ended up useless yet again GOOD WORK PEANUT.]
They probably won't have to resort to something so boring when they can apparently just change the fabric of reality as we all know it, yeah? But I don't really think that's paranoia, honestly...
[And then Bigby rejoined the regular populace and Kashuu ended up useless yet again GOOD WORK PEANUT.]
They probably won't have to resort to something so boring when they can apparently just change the fabric of reality as we all know it, yeah? But I don't really think that's paranoia, honestly...
We do, but it's possible these lives will start to feel pale in comparison. Maybe not for some, but given the sword you're rockin' and my flashsteppin', the hallucinomemory experiences for both of us are going to be vivid and maybe impossible to reconcile with the lives we have here. In which case, it could end up being a competition where the strong impression wins out on our personalities.
Well. [A grin.] I ever tell you I sorta lied to Milligan to get this job in the first place? There's a reason for that. But good, glad to have you on our team.
[There's a sigh.] You think crime rate is boring? [Come on.] I'd like to find a way to stop them from watching us but who knows how we'd even get that far. That's something you can help me brainstorm, too.
[There's a sigh.] You think crime rate is boring? [Come on.] I'd like to find a way to stop them from watching us but who knows how we'd even get that far. That's something you can help me brainstorm, too.
So a case in which whatever we're remembering alters us completely and changes us for better or worse. I could say that some of us are stronger than that and won't let this bullshit change us, but pretty sure we both know that's a lie. [That's also disturbing.]
Everything you've remembered so far. Has it changed you a lot?
Everything you've remembered so far. Has it changed you a lot?
No, but I'm also not surprised. [SIGHS why are all of his friends like this...]
Anyway, I don't think it's boring on its own, but compared to people who can erase entire species from reality and do this? [GESTURES TO HIS TINYASS SELF.] Yeah, I'd say so. I'll definitely help you brainstorm that though, 'cause the whole invasion of privacy thing is old as hell.
Anyway, I don't think it's boring on its own, but compared to people who can erase entire species from reality and do this? [GESTURES TO HIS TINYASS SELF.] Yeah, I'd say so. I'll definitely help you brainstorm that though, 'cause the whole invasion of privacy thing is old as hell.
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