i came home like a stone

[sleeplessinalternia]

Who| Karkat and the Signless
What| Murderparty Deluxe Extravaganza: the Fallout
Where| Signless' room, District 12 Suites
When| as soon as Karkat is revived in the Capitol after his death during Week Four
Warnings/Notes| References to pretty heavy shit, most likely



The first thing Karkat does when he wakes up in the Training Center is take the elevator up to District Twelve. He doesn't know if the Signless has been revived yet--he doesn't even known if Signless died in the arena--but he suspects he died not all that long after Karkat did. Yeah, the fucking Initiate said he wouldn't kill Signless, but Karkat doesn't trust that fuckshit further than he can throw him. And if Signless isn't back yet, well, Karkat can camp out in Signless' room and wait however long he needs to.

Because he needs to see Signless. Needs to show him that he's okay, that he came back, that he didn't blames Signless for what happened--and he doesn't. If it was anybody's fault, it was the fucking Initiate and his stupid highblood grudgekeeping.

It's probably a good thing that most of the District Twelve people are used to Karkat showing up for extended visits.

As it happens, the Signless isn't there yet when Karkat gets to the room. So he sits on the bed, turns on the tv in hopes that Caesar will show some clip that'll let him see which trolls are left in the arena, and waits. It takes a few hours--in the meantime he finds out that Terezi's still alive, thank fuck, and he makes a note to send her shit if she's still in tomorrow--but eventually the door opens and it's him. Signless. He looks like shit.

"Before you say anything," Karkat says, "it wasn't your fucking fault."

Comments

[69problems]

"It must have been delivered while we were... while we were in the arena." He stumbles over the end of the sentence, but pushes on.

"I bought it, because I thought I might like that, having a sort of pet. One that's so simple that it just cares unconditionally."

It coos again. It doesn't care about whatever happened in the arena, it doesn't care about who he is or what he does or doesn't do, it just likes him being there -- or at least he thinks that's what the cooing means. Maybe it can't even feel affection, but it's nice to think that it does.

[sleeplessinalternia]

"Oh," says Karkat. He looks at it, frowning slightly. He's never had a pet. Never really thought about having one. Part of him--the part of him who'd been slowly starving in the arena--wants to kill the thing, skin it, and roast it, but that's stupid, they can eat whatever they want when they're in the capitol, he doesn't have to cull Signless' stupid little fuzzbeast.

He reaches out, gingerly, to touch it, just like Signless had.

[69problems]

It's soft, soft like something specifically manufactured to be soft, and it coos at the touch. It doesn't seem to be capable of much else, though.

"And I'll need something to be with me when you can't be. Have you been to see Cuthbert yet?"

[sleeplessinalternia]

He shook his head. "I came here first. I'll... I'll go find him. Maybe when you're asleep. You have to sleep some time."

He looks down at the fuzzbeast, then gets up to fiddle with the thing that sends food to the respite blocks. He's kind of hungry. Signless might be too by now. And if he's not, Karkat can always feed the leftovers to the fuzzbeast.

[69problems]

"I do. And sleep does sound good." He nestles the tribble up against his cheek. It feels nice there, comforting.

"Karkat. Whatever happened in the arena, it isn't your fault that he died." He assumes Cuthbert died, anyway, if Karkat can go visit him. "I'm sure he'll just be happy to see you."

[sleeplessinalternia]

"Sherlock got him," Karkat says. "I didn't get to him to save in time. I mean, I got Sherlock back, but it didn't make me feel all that much better, like it was supposed to." He sighs. "It's why I was dumb enough to get caught by the Initiate, you know. Because I was too busy being upset about Bert to hear his big ugly feet galumphing about. I hope whoever kills him takes a very fucking long time."

[69problems]

"Revenge usually doesn't really make anyone feel any better about anything," Signless says, but with a lot less than his usual amount of conviction. It's more like he's reciting the words from memory than like he actually means them.