♋ PCG 18

[crusthatecean]

[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!))

Comments

phone;

[byakkoyagirl]

[......Eh, why not? It won't put Karkat's mind at ease, but he may as well say it either way.]

Red Miles cannot be active without Jack Noir.

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

[Dialtone.]

[byakkoyagirl]

[Eyeroll.]

What an idiot you are.

action;

[spaceshadowfax]

[This is somewhat worrying. She's only known him a few days but this type of behavior seems very strange and different from what she's seen so far.]

Is something wrong?

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

[He looks at her initially like he doesn't recognize her. After a few seconds, recognition dawns, but his panicky attitude doesn't change.]

No. No, not really.

I think something bad is happening.

[miraculls.livejournal.com]

[He hadn't meant to listen in on the phone call, but Karkat's tone and then his name had caught his attention. None of what he's saying makes sense though; Gamzee doesn't feel any different from normal and he certainly doesn't feel dangerous. He tries to remember everything he's done today - there's the usual blanks here and there where he spaced out, but nothing long enough to account for warning everyone to stay away from him.]

...bro? What's going on?

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

[He hears Gamzee approaching behind him, turns around, and his eyes widen.]

...Bye.

[He hangs up the phone.]

action;

[coolbowtie.livejournal.com]

Karkat.

[The Doctor leans against the entryway, keeping a distance.]

What's happened?

[miraculls.livejournal.com]

[He frowns as he approaches, worried about that look on Karkat's face.]

Is shit going down again? With the town?

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

Did you kill her? Is that blood hers?

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

[He looks up, his expression fearful and sick.]

We don't have much longer. How many people can you fit in that spaceship you have? I need you to get my friends out of here.

We're only thirteen; you can leave me and Gamzee, and I think Jade is dead.

[spaceshadowfax]

What sort of bad? There are a lot of different kinds of bad.

[miraculls.livejournal.com]

[He glances down at himself instinctively and then around the room, looking more and more confused by the second.]

Uhhh...what blood? There ain't no hemo except what's all running in a motherfucker's veins here. And I didn't kill anyone. [He pauses, remembering what this town can do - has done - to them before, and amends his statement.] Least I don't remember it if I did.

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

We're probably all going to die. Permanently.

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

[His breath hitches and he wipes his eyes; he doesn't really seem to register exactly what Gamzee said.]

How could you do that to her?

Oh god, Gamzee, I'm sorry.

[coolbowtie.livejournal.com]

I could fit everyone in town in, if I had to.

[He steps forward, gently and slowly.]

Jade's not dead.

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

I think she is.

I didn't tell you about this because I didn't want you to hurt him. I thought I could handle him myself.

[miraculls.livejournal.com]

I don't -- to who?

[He's getting pretty fucking worried here - Karkat is crying and Gamzee has no idea why, except that it seems to be his fault.]

I don't got a motherfuckin' clue what you're going on about, best friend. What the fuck's going on?

[spaceshadowfax]

[...That's concerning.]

And what makes you think that? Has something happened?

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

Jade. You killed Jade.

Are you going to kill me?

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

It's the cancer.

[spaceshadowfax]

That's human disease caused by out of control cell growth and a Milky Way star constellation. I can't see how either could be a threat to Mayfield as a whole.

[coolbowtie.livejournal.com]

I was just speaking to her.

[He's still maintaining a slow approach.]

Handle who? I'm not going to hurt anyone, Karkat.

[miraculls.livejournal.com]

[He sucks in a startled breath.]

Jade's dead? When? I didn't even know -- wait, you think I pulled some kind of nasty shit on her?

[Then the rest of what Karkat says catches up to him and he recoils, shocked and appalled.]

What? No. No, of course not, I wouldn't ever lay a claw against you, that ain't what best friends do. Motherfuckin' messiahs, why would you even all be asking that?

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

There's a constellation?

That's where it comes from. It's both. It's a disease, but the entire universe has it.