crusthatecean | ♋ PCG 18

♋ PCG 18

[He isn't familiar enough to think twice before eating what just looks like another strange type of fungal food product. He doesn't feel the effects until later, when the feeling of intense terror and hallucinations overtake him. Even then, plagued by horrifying visions and the sensation of his vascular sac beating in his thorax so violently that he feels it might burst, he isn't aware this is not real or unusual.

In his visions, the walls are splattered with colorful gore. He's hunted by unstoppable predators he can't hope to flee or leave behind. He and everyone he knows is going to die. And worst of all? Preventing this was his responsibility, and he's failed. He's more than failed. All of this was his fault. The red lines cracking through the sky, destroying everything and everyone and ensuring their last safe haven will be gone is the same color as the red running through his veins. He is the cancer, and he will destroy everything he loves.

The sensation and knowledge is unsurprising. His worst fears come to life is something that by now, he is all too familiar with.]

[Action; 1338 Benny]

[Early in the afternoon, soon after the mushrooms have taken their effect, Karkat can be found in the family room of the house. He's still lucid, but he's pacing and clutching his garden sickle, and occasionally looking around at the walls and jumping at shadows. There's something clearly very wrong here; he looks either like he's about to bolt or like he's about to be sick, and he's muttering to himself.]

Oh god. Oh man. Fuck. Fuck. Oh man. Oh god.

[Phone]

[Karkat's voice over the phone is trembling badly; rather than his usual angry and loud tone, he sounds panicked and hollow.]

Okay. Fuck. Okay. I need everyone to fucking listen right the fuck now.

Those red lines earlier mean that Mayfield is going to be destroyed. We're going to need to find a way out, everyone, that's...that's something we can do. Shit. Okay.

If that's not enough, Gamzee, he's gone completely shitfucking off the fucking deep end again. He...fuck fuck fuck. If you see him around, stay away from him. Oh god. He's incredibly dangerous. I...shit, shit, I'm sorry, I promised I wouldn't let this happen, it's all my fault for not...I'm sorry...

You probably won't hear from me again, so don't wait for me to find a way out of here any way you can. I'm so sorry, you guys, I fucked up everything.

...Bye.

[He hangs up and won't answer any calls, but you may find him at or around 1338 Benny. He has definitely deteriorated from earlier, though, and it's evident from the way he'll react to anyone who approaches him that he may attack you with the sickle he's brandishing.]

((OOC: Sorry to post again so soon! I will still backtag the other post too. Feel free to action tag in response to the phone call or just in general, he'll mainly stay around his house but if you prefer he can be outside. Thanks!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

*There is a knock, a polite and dignified one as is her custom. And then when there is no answer, since Karkat's message has her rather concerned, Kanaya just bursts through anyway, chainsaw in hand if not running.

And... then she stops short at the two of them. Gamzee doesn't look murderous, but Karkat is radiating terror on such a level that she could swear she's suddenly developed Terezi's synaesthesia and smell it.*

Karkat? ...Gamzee? What's currently transpiring?

[Looking up immediately.]

Kanaya?

But you died.

Kanaya!

[He looks massively relieved - Kanaya's sensible and a lot smarter than he is, maybe she'll be able to figure out what's wrong and fix it.]

I think the town all up and fucked with Karkat's pan here. He's saying some real weird shit all of a sudden. [He attempts to say this in a discreet whisper, but seeing as how Kanaya is further away from him than Karkat is, fails miserably.]

*And she gives Karkat a flat Look, still glancing between him and Gamzee.* ...yes, Karkat, I died. And as previously related upon my arrival to this human hivecluster, I recovered - which would have no bearing on my health or lack thereof here.

*Her gaze then turns to Gamzee, and her tone becomes all the warier. He was obviously hallucinating the red lines earlier, but she knows Gamzee's potential for murder just as well as he does. But the clown looks as harmless as ever.* I heard his missive over the audio hooks, yes. You may be correct, but... *A frown.* ...Gamzee, perhaps it would be best if you ceased embracing Karkat for the moment and gave him some free space to respire.

I forgot about that.

[He doesn't register what else Kanaya says; he doesn't really appear to be fully present. He's still under the effects of the drug, but now he just feels too confused and lost to think straight.

It's clear Gamzee isn't going to hurt him and Kanaya is alive, but everything in him is screaming at him that he's wrong.]

[He hesitates for a second, but obediently lets Karkat go. There's a splash of indigo blood down his shirt from when Karkat had lashed out, but the wound's obviously shallow and it seems like Gamzee's already forgotten about it, looking to Kanaya hopefully.]

So...you got any idea how to fix it, sis?

*And as soon as Gamzee moves, Kanaya is there resting her chainsaw down and kneeling on the floor between the two of them. One hand comes up to firmly clasp Karkat's shoulder.* Not entirely, but I'm certain I'll think of something--

*She'd turned to him to answer his question, and only now catches sight of that wet indigo stain.* --you're injured.

[He leans into Kanaya's touch, his shoulders evidently extremely tense. When she points out Gamzee's injury, he immediately turns to look, concerned.]

What?

Huh?

[He blinks down at himself, looking as surprised as they are.]

Oh yeah, don't worry about it. What were you up and saying about Karkat?

Do you mean, about his audio hook missive? I heard it and made my way here posthaste. *She's rubbing that shoulder soothingly, trying to help put him at ease.* But I really think you ought to do something about your wound... it would be rather unpleasant were it to become infected.

[He's not at ease, but he's at least calm enough that he'll stay put and listen to what Kanaya tells him to do.]

Is Gamzee going to kill anyone?

[He gives Kanaya a blank stare, then takes his shirt off and wraps it round his chest as a makeshift bandage. What is antiseptic.

And okay, he's looking pretty hurt here that evidently he's the only person who Karkat thinks is going around murdering people, but tries to brush it off.]

I haven't -- I'm not gonna cull anyone, okay? You gotta chill and let that shit go, bro. [And if there's a rare glimpse of frustration peeking through on his face, well, he just spent a whole conversation trying to convince his best friend that he didn't just murder his own matesprit and everyone else, so it's understandable enough.]

*She frowns at Gamzee, and points a slender finger at his wound through the makeshift bandage.* Once this trouble is concluded I am going to thoroughly wash and disinfect that.

*And in the same motion she turns back to Karkat, that hand coming up to gently rest on the boy's cheek.* Shh. No, Gamzee isn't going to kill a soul. He won't do anything like that, Karkat.

Okay.

[He's aware enough to know he isn't thinking clearly, so he's going to ignore his own instincts and trust Kanaya's judgment instead. He sighs in relief.]

Sorry, bro. I really am.

Something is fucked in my thinkpan right now. I'm seeing things no one else can see and I can't stop feeling like something awful is about to happen.

[He gives Kanaya a happy smile, relieved that at least she's not agreeing with Karkat.]

Thanks, fashiontits. And yeah, I kinda figured. We cool, best friend, sometimes I all what see shit no one else can too.

*That's kind of a terrifying comparison, Gamzee... but Kanaya sits up on her knees, now fully enfolding him in a cooldown hug.* It's all right. In the unlikely event that your premonitions of disaster prove accurate we will deal with it together as we always have.

Perhaps it would help if you close your eyes. *And she looks back at Gamzee, giving a thin little smile in return - it's genuine, but she's too concerned to put more energy into it.*

All right.

[He closes them, but he's not sure this is helping; in some ways the panicked feeling is worse this way even if he isn't seeing blood everywhere again.]

You aren't seeing the red miles? Or blood?

Bro, I don't even know what a red miles all even is. And there ain't no one's hemo but ours, like I already said.

*And the hand on his shoulder moves down to rub his back in a way she hopes is reassuring. She can't imagine what he's currently going through.* I assure you I looked for the 'red lines' very thoroughly on my way here and saw none. And any blood here is well and truly accounted for.

Karkat, it's possible that the town is inducing hallucinations of some sort.

Yes. Okay.

It's more than that. I feel like...it's some kind of fucking physical thing, like my vascular sac isn't working right. I can't make myself calm the fuck down. It's inducing a panic response. I think I saw it happen to Feferi earlier, but it's hard to think straight right now.

Yeah, I ran into her too. Something was scaring her real motherfuckin' awful, but I don't know what.

[He hesitates, not wanting to freak Karkat out even more, but eventually reaches out and tentatively paps him on the cheek.]

Want some of my pie? That always chills a brother out fast.

Shh. *She gives a little shoosh in a way that she hopes is calming, continuing to rub his back - though she shoots a Look at Gamzee, not sure if the contact is going to terrify Karkat like it obviously was earlier.* The most likely hypothesis is that this is another trick of the hivecluster, but the answer to the enigma can wait.

Just try to calm down as best as you can; we're both here to help as much as we're able. Do you need something to consume-- *And another Look.* --that contains absolutely no sopor?

[His stomach drops out when Gamzee comes near him, but he feels guilty for that response, and the physical contact does make him feel better. Still, he shakes his head. Being sedated sounds tempting, anything to stop the sickening feelings he can't control, but the thought of eating sopor only makes him feel worse.]

I told you to stop offering to share that. My lusus will fucking die if I eat that.

[Gamzee understands subtlety about as well as he understands carbonation, so Kanaya's Looks earn her nothing but a blank stare.] Uhhh...do I got something on my face, chica?

Sooooooorry. You sure? I been chowing down on it for a while and my old goat was fine.

*Sigh.* No, Gamzee. Nothing more than your customary regalia.

And don't worry, there's nothing wrong with you consuming your sopor as you always have. Karkat's merely expressing... it's complicated, and perhaps we ought to leave it at that.

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