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[bethehugejerk]

Who: Karkat (bethehugejerk) and the Sufferer (onlyasign)
When: Saturday, July 27 (backdated)
Where: Sufferer's hive
Style: Action
Status: Closed

[The first day back was utter globes. While some things went easier than others, and he was honestly glad to be back in a place where his friends are alive, well, and not so caught up in their own lives as to have no time for him, he was not anywhere near the right mental space to take enjoyment from it. Two quadrants put on hold, one headache pounding at his skull, and a two different selves he couldn't (and still hasn't been able to) parse into a single, coherent whole: those are all what he had to deal with. After a night's rest in his recuperacoon the headache has faded, but he's still nowhere near 100%.]

[He did, however, promise his ancestor a reunion today. That or yesterday, but yesterday had been enough without meeting a third person. The Signless at least he doesn't have other encounters to compare with, just here; it's not hard to separate him from Kankri with the initial text color-based confusion cleared. Kankri's a fucking douche.]

[Still, three years of not knowing him have mixed with the time he did. It's an odd feeling.]

I'M ON MY WAY TO YOUR HIVE.
IF YOU'RE NOT THERE IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT, AND I WILL FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO SPEND MY DAY ON.

[It's a quick message, terse, but with that sent he sets out. Scrounging his memory a while had luckily been enough to remind him where he lives.]

Comments

[onlyasign]

I'LL BE WAITING!

[Sufferer wants to be out of the porch, watching the street, but he's sure that would make Karkat cranky even on the best of days. Instead, he busies himself inside, getting some water boiling, two mugs on the table (one with tea for himself, the other with hot chocolate for Karkat), and setting out a plate of bakalava that Psii made yesterday. He is ready for this.]

[bethehugejerk]

[Karkat wouldn't reject tea! He likes tea. But unknowing of the choices in drinks or other preparations his ancestor is making, he continues across the city. It's a lucky thing that navigation has been relegated to easy memory; he's been through this town so often he barely has to think.]

[As such, it's not too long before he's at the door, knocking. He's much cleaner and drier than he was yesterday, and while his head doesn't feel much clearer, he's pretty sure he can handle this much.]

[onlyasign]

[Sufferer knows Karkat likes tea! He also knows that he likes sweets, and that he had a rough day yesterday, so he's made the executive decision to go with hot chocolate. They can have tea together sometime when Karkat is feeling better.]

[Karkat won't get too many knocks in on the door before it's flung open and Sufferer practically lunges at him, trying to capture him in a huge, all encompassing hug. Surely Karkat expected this, right?]

I'm so glad you're back.

[bethehugejerk]

[Generally speaking, Karkat has not reacted well to sudden demonstrations of affection in his time back. He froze up on Gamzee. He shoved Eridan away. This time, when he sees the arms out trying to seize hold, he stumbles quickly backward, loses balance, trips over his own shoe, and falls flat on his ass.]

Fuck!

[Suffice it to say, he does not get hugged.]

[onlyasign]

[Unlike Gamzee and Eridan, however, Sufferer is bound and determined to get his hug, and so follows Karkat straight down to the ground, dropping to one knee beside him and trying again to get in there.]

[bethehugejerk]

[Karkat hasn't even sat up yet when his ancestor grabs hold of him. Instead he gets pulled into it, still hissing with the impact, the jostling prompting him to squirm a bit.]

Jegus fuck, would you warn a troll? Would it kill you? A little, "Hey, mind if I hug you?" before you go in for the cuddly, arm-circle kill?

[onlyasign]

I was afraid you weren't coming back.

[That is a totally legit excuse for a hug assault, right? Sufferer hears the complaining though, and only holds on for a moment or two before letting Karkat go and leaning back, although his hands don't leave the younger troll's shoulders.]

Look at you, you're growing up! Your eyes are going to start changing soon!

[That might be pushing things a little, but yes, Karkat is definitely older.]

[bethehugejerk]

[Karkat accordingly swats at his hands. It is weird to be fussed over like this, as though the Signless were an overbearing yet well-meaning lusus.]

I was only gone three days here, wasn't I? They hardly measure up to the three years I spent in the labyrinth of corridors and teenage desperation that was the meteor. And no shit I'm growing up; I kept telling everyone I was going to.

[Nevermind this "growth spurt" he's hit isn't giving him much. He's always going to be short. He will always have nubby horns. Who knows about the eye change. Thanks Hussie.]

[onlyasign]

[Sufferer is so proud of Karkat he'll be seeing threads of red running through his eyes before anyone else does, whether they're actually there or not.]

It was a long three days.

[But all right, all right, he gives in on the touchy feely and just sits across from Karkat, his legs crossed neatly underneath him.]

Sola is gone, and I... I was afraid you'd be gone too.

[bethehugejerk]

[Karkat rolls his eyes first. He'd probably understand it better if it had been longer since he returned - he's had those worries himself in the past - but for now, it seems overblown. Then the roll turns to a blink, and a mild scrunch of his eyebrows.]

Who the hell is Sola?

[He only ever spoke to him once.]

[onlyasign]

Didn't you ever meet Sola?

[Sufferer's expression grows somber.]

He was from Zelda's world, and had been made in a copy of Link. I met him when he first arrived here, and got him a sylladex, and helped him adapt to life. [Sufferer smiles, a trifle sadly.] He called me his father.

[bethehugejerk]

If I have, I don't remember. And that? Went right over my head.

[He gestures accordingly.]

Congratulations on taking some kid from another world under your wing, and my condolences on losing him, but the name means basically nothing to me personally.

[onlyasign]

[Sufferer shrugs, then stands up, offering Karkat a hand to pull himself up.]

It's okay. There's always a chance he might come back, right? I mean, you did.

[He smiles again, this time a little more happily.]

Would you like to come inside? Psii made bakalava yesterday and I could make you a hot drink.

[bethehugejerk]

[Karkat considers a brief second, but takes the hand and stands up.]

Yeah, the chance is there. Just don't cling too tightly to it in case it doesn't turn out.

[He's not trying to tell him to give up, but no reason to let himself be disappointed. He brightens at the offer, though.]

Yeah, I'll come in.

[onlyasign]

I know. I... I know.

[He does, really, and he's trying to not get his hopes up too high. Still, he smiles beatifically at Karkat and turns to open the door.]

Come on in, then.

[And just in time, too: the kettle is starting to whistle on the stove, and he hurries over to get it off. There's a fresh plate of bakalava on the table.]

Help yourself while I get the drinks ready.

[bethehugejerk]

[Just like the Signless his Vatheon self remembers. He hesitates, but ultimately gives him an awkward pat-pat to the arm as he heads in. Otherwise, he lets his ancestor for for the kettle.]

[Besides, something else grabs his attention.]

Baklava? Did the Psiioniic make it?

[He's going to go take a seat and grab a piece for himself. Baklava is wonderful.]

goddammit, I keep misspelling baklava in all these tags

[onlyasign]

[Sufferer laughs quietly as he pours the hot water into their cups.]

He sure did. I'm pretty sure only someone with psionics could make that stuff and have it turn out right.

[He brings the mugs over and gives the hot chocolate to Karkat, content for now to just sit with his descendent and drink hot drinks while eating baklava.]

[bethehugejerk]

[Karkat frowns up at Signless as he brings the mugs.]

Excuse you, bulgewipe. He taught me how to make it and I can do it just fine. It's fucking delicious and I will bake you some to prove it someday.

[It may not look as elegant, but it's not like his efforts with standard cooking that leave so much to be desired. His offense doesn't stop him from partaking, though, either of the baked treat or his mug of hot chocolate.]

[onlyasign]

My apologies. You're more skilled than I, then; everytime I set foot in the kitchen I think Psii almost has a blood pusher attack.

[More like he's very gently but very firmly removed from the premises with psionics.]

I'd like that. I'm sure it's excellent.