[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?
[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.
[What's a consequence and can you eat it? Either way, he's keeping an eye on Karkat and he's waiting for him to get close enough before he brings Backbiter up enough to block and knock him backwards, leaping back out of the way.]
[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.
this comment reminded me to fill in the regain form
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. ]
[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?
[ 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. ]
Whoa, wait, time out. [UH.] We'll go back to the ogres thing in a second, but I think more importantly we need to talk about someone stabbing you? What the fuck. Who stabbed you?
When did you remember something like that? There has to be better context than "some guy stabbed me just because he felt like it." I mean not everything has decent context, like why I got punched by a flying boxing glove, but stabbing's a little more serious than that.
I honest to fuck have no context other than he stabbed me because he probably just felt like it. He just walked right up to me and went "shank shank motherfucker."
[ you know, karkat never even considered if he might have said or done something that would be a stab worthy offense. ]
Although now that I think about it... that happened in a place with blood everywhere too? Well. Besides my blood, I mean, as I was obviously bleeding because that's what happens when you get stabbed.
So if it was a place with a lot of blood...you think maybe it was like a battlefield or something? Or your guy went stab-happy before he found you? Sounds like you were caught in the crossfires of something way bigger. [A nod to the sickle.] Might also explain why you have that thing.
Karkat. [Not Vantas, for once.] What exactly do you remember already? Might be able to piece it all together if you really think about it but...[Oh.] On the other hand, if you don't want to yet can't say I blame you.
[Seeing how he's definitely avoiding some of his own conclusions.]
[ he has to stop and think about it. it's less that he doesn't really want to say... well, karkat doesn't go blabbing about his regains to just anyone, but luke has basically proven himself to be a good person to talk to about these sorts of things.
but no, he has to stop and think about it because he's not sure how to make shit sound not crazy. ]
I think I'm some kind of alien who was somehow able to talk to some human kids on the internet. [ karkat completely ignores the part where he was obviously trolling them on the internet because he refuses to get into that conversation with anyone. ] I think there was something wrong with me or something? Like I had the alien equivalent of being a fucking leper because apparently I was some kind of outcast because of something something blood.
[Backbiter is pointed down to the ground and non-threatening and he's listening, raising his eyebrows a bit. He's not discounting that Karkat might have been an alien (though it's certainly one of the more unusual theories) and he glances at the top of his head curiously before looking at his face again.]
The internet was supposed to be revolutionary. Wouldn't surprise me if it transcended time and space. [But...] Don't take this the wrong way, but you think maybe that's why Stabby McStabberson went after you? The mutant blood thing or whatever. [There's a pause.] You look fine so whatever happened hasn't transferred over yet at least.
[ the only reason karkat has leapt to the alien conclusion at all is because the chat logs he regained basically flat out say it. and also, you know, seeing what some of the other trolls look like... he thinks they're trolls, anyway. ]
I have no fucking idea. In the vision shit I just got, he didn't seem to be attacking us? He was just following along while we fought. But I have no idea if that happened first or if the other thing was first.
[ the lack of chronology makes making sense of these kind of hard. ]
And the most obvious question...nobody else here has memories of this guy or were around while all of this was going on? That'd be almost lucky, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
[ karkat just raises an eyebrow because, yes, that could have been phrased a lot better. he almost points it out but decides against it at the last second because he actually wants information out of luke. ]
She had horns? They were... different than mine though, more pointy. And she had short black hair that was also strangely pointy. And red sunglasses that were pointy-- what the fuck is with this theme here. [ why is terezi pyrope so pointy ] But uhh fuck, she was wearing a black shirt with a libra symbol on it? And, you know what, now that I think about it. In another thing I remember, I was talking to this dude who had a capricorn symbol on his shirt.
[Look, it happens. But he's listening to all of this with very careful consideration because that doesn't sound like anything he's familiar with just yet, but it's something to keep an eye on.]
So she was...a zodiac-loving bipedal shark? You guys are aquatic aliens? [He shakes his head because that sounds really stupid.] Maybe that means something. I'd say maybe it's a girl thing, girls love that kind of shit but if some guy had a capricorn symbol maybe it's a brand of some kind? [Oh no why is he taking this serious.] Libra's symbol is the scales and that usually means like balance and justice, but the capricorn's that water goat so again we go back to potentially aquatic aliens.
[Hmm...but wait.] You didn't grow your horns until recently, right? Just like people's eyes didn't start changing 'til recently...maybe these people really are here and they just haven't changed or whatever yet. That sounds like someone who would stand out, but no offense, Vantas, if you'd told me month ago you'd have candy corn horns growing out of your skull I wouldn't have believed it.
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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?
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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. ]
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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.
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despite that nagging thought, he'll grip his sickle in his right hand, wait a few seconds, before charging??? at luke?? ]
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Try that again.
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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. ]
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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.
this comment reminded me to fill in the regain form
[ 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. ]
I helped :3
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?
you did <33
[ 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. ]
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Whoa, wait, time out. [UH.] We'll go back to the ogres thing in a second, but I think more importantly we need to talk about someone stabbing you? What the fuck. Who stabbed you?
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[ you know, like people tend to do. ]
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When did you remember something like that? There has to be better context than "some guy stabbed me just because he felt like it." I mean not everything has decent context, like why I got punched by a flying boxing glove, but stabbing's a little more serious than that.
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[ you know, karkat never even considered if he might have said or done something that would be a stab worthy offense. ]
Although now that I think about it... that happened in a place with blood everywhere too? Well. Besides my blood, I mean, as I was obviously bleeding because that's what happens when you get stabbed.
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[ he thinks that, maybe, it could be something other than blood. lots of things are red and liquid-y. but he also just... knows that's what it was. ]
It could be a battlefield though? Since we were fighting those other dudes.
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Karkat. [Not Vantas, for once.] What exactly do you remember already? Might be able to piece it all together if you really think about it but...[Oh.] On the other hand, if you don't want to yet can't say I blame you.
[Seeing how he's definitely avoiding some of his own conclusions.]
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but no, he has to stop and think about it because he's not sure how to make shit sound not crazy. ]
I think I'm some kind of alien who was somehow able to talk to some human kids on the internet. [ karkat completely ignores the part where he was obviously trolling them on the internet because he refuses to get into that conversation with anyone. ] I think there was something wrong with me or something? Like I had the alien equivalent of being a fucking leper because apparently I was some kind of outcast because of something something blood.
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The internet was supposed to be revolutionary. Wouldn't surprise me if it transcended time and space. [But...] Don't take this the wrong way, but you think maybe that's why Stabby McStabberson went after you? The mutant blood thing or whatever. [There's a pause.] You look fine so whatever happened hasn't transferred over yet at least.
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I have no fucking idea. In the vision shit I just got, he didn't seem to be attacking us? He was just following along while we fought. But I have no idea if that happened first or if the other thing was first.
[ the lack of chronology makes making sense of these kind of hard. ]
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And the most obvious question...nobody else here has memories of this guy or were around while all of this was going on? That'd be almost lucky, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
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[ he could ask dave but dave would probably ignore him so there's no point. ]
I haven't seen the girl in real life so I don't think she actually lives here.
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Describe her for me. Just for shits and giggles, just to see if anything comes from it. Maybe I'd seen her around, I get around a lot.
[That could have been phrased better but whatever.]
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She had horns? They were... different than mine though, more pointy. And she had short black hair that was also strangely pointy. And red sunglasses that were pointy-- what the fuck is with this theme here. [ why is terezi pyrope so pointy ] But uhh fuck, she was wearing a black shirt with a libra symbol on it? And, you know what, now that I think about it. In another thing I remember, I was talking to this dude who had a capricorn symbol on his shirt.
[ is he missing anything. oh wait. ]
Oh and she had grey skin and pointy teeth.
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So she was...a zodiac-loving bipedal shark? You guys are aquatic aliens? [He shakes his head because that sounds really stupid.] Maybe that means something. I'd say maybe it's a girl thing, girls love that kind of shit but if some guy had a capricorn symbol maybe it's a brand of some kind? [Oh no why is he taking this serious.] Libra's symbol is the scales and that usually means like balance and justice, but the capricorn's that water goat so again we go back to potentially aquatic aliens.
[Hmm...but wait.] You didn't grow your horns until recently, right? Just like people's eyes didn't start changing 'til recently...maybe these people really are here and they just haven't changed or whatever yet. That sounds like someone who would stand out, but no offense, Vantas, if you'd told me month ago you'd have candy corn horns growing out of your skull I wouldn't have believed it.
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