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

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.

Everything's complicated.

...Fuck. My lusus is alive, isn't he?

[Not meant as a question; it's honestly slipped his mind in the midst of the delusion that he has his lusus down in the basement, and he's only just remembered. But he isn't certain enough to not need confirmation.]

Kanaya, will you check on him?

Naaaaw, the world gets easy enough to deal with once a motherfucker stops thinking about it.

And yeah, your old crab's still kicking around, don't stress out about it. [He's not sure if it's a good idea for Kanaya to leave or for him to be the one to check on Karkat's lusus, so he just stays put, awaiting advice.]

*A pause, and another look between Gamzee and Karkat. She knows Gamzee wouldn't hurt Karkat; it's certainly not him she's worried about if she leaves the two of them together. But for the sake of Karkat's dwindling sanity...

...she stands slowly, reaching out to extend a hand down to Karkat.* Of course I will. Would you like to come with me and confirm his health for yourself?

He'll be a pain in the ass.

[He definitely doesn't want to make his lusus worry about him, and he knows he's obviously kind of a wreck right now.]

[He wavers, looking back and forth between the two.]

Uhhh...do you want me to go check up on him, bro? I think he's starting to warm up to a brother, he ain't tried to take my horns off in a while.

No, that's all right, Gamzee. It isn't a problem if I do it.

*A pat on the shoulder, and she steps back.* Don't worry, I'll return posthaste.

No, Gamzee. I need you to not leave.

[He nods at Kanaya.]

Just make sure he's not freaking out and tell him I'm fine and I'll be back later.

[He slowly brightens up at Karkat's words, looking like the sun's come out.]

Really? You motherfuckin' got it, best friend, I won't move an inch.

Of course. *And then she absconds, quickly - where was Karkat's lusus again? Was he on the lower level? She really wants to find him fast so she can return to her friend in need.*

[He's down in the basement, asleep since it's day.]

If you go wandering off I'll forget you aren't going to hurt anyone.

[And he's back to wearing the disappointed, kicked-puppy expression.]

Oh. Okay. [He tries his best to smile and pats Karkat's hand reassuringly.] It's cool, I still won't go nowhere. Shit falls out of my thinkpan a lot of times too, haha.

*Okay, good. Yes, he's fine, and Kanaya's going to say in a low voice,* Pardon me, master lusus, but Karkat wished me to inform you that he will see you later and that he is perfectly fine despite the oddities of the town, which occurs to me is a rather strange missive to pass on under normal circumstances when one shares a hivedwelling.

...but nevertheless, that is what he wished me to tell you, and now that I have, I shall be on my way. Good-bye.

*And leaving! Back to Karkat. She hopes he hasn't relapsed in her absence.*

[He takes Gamzee's hand and squeezes it with his own, not letting him pull it away.]

It's not your fault, I'm just fucked up in the pan right now and I need to keep it together.

[He glances up worriedly when Kanaya comes in. He hasn't relapsed, but he's still finding it hard to remember what's really true and what isn't. He has a sense he accidentally killed his lusus again, and he's trying to remember if that's something that really happened or just something else he imagined.]

[He still looks a little hurt, but his smile grows more solid and he squeezes back.]

Whatever you need, best friend. I'm here.

*Good, things are... progressing. Perhaps not smoothly, but progressing as well as she could hope. She once more kneels gracefully next to the two of them.* I have relayed your missive to your lusus, Karkat, and I assure you he is perfectly fine.

All right.

[As soon as she says it, he can't remember if she said he was fine or if she said he was dead. But he's aware enough at this point to know which direction his mind is playing tricks on him.]

What now?

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