animus_network | [text] [locked to AU Karkat Vantas]

I'll kill her. [She says it without thinking, because that's what she does when she's upset, she talks without thinking about it.] If she goes near-- you, any of you, I'll kill her. [She catches herself before she makes it too obvious that she'd stick her neck out for Karkat again. The sentiment is pretty obvious regardless.

She's getting angry, too, but thankfully the Heart thing nips the rage in the bud before it can really start to overwhelm her. She feels more at ease in the midst of her fear now. Yet she can't help lifting her hands to shield her eyes, which are quite shamefully feeling a little wet. wow why is she so pathetic???]

[Stop stop stop stop stop.

Karkat's emotions are far too easily exploited in the midst of thieving another's and, because he's so focused on her and what's going through her head, he's all too aware of that cascade of rage and pathetic despair -- perhaps a feeling of failure somewhere inbetween. Its a little much, in combination with his own struggling to keep calm.

He takes a brief, shuddering breath that he passes off as a sigh before he drops his other scythe to the ground and attempts to pull her closer. One arm will find its way to wrap securely around Kanaya while the other gently runs through her hair in an attempt to soothe her.

Its fine. He's facing the door in case anyone tries to sneak up on them, and he checked the room beforehand to make sure nobody had followed her. Times are too dire to cut corners, if Karkat has any hope of avoiding bloodshed.]

Shoosh.

[She buries her face in his jacket and clutches at his lapels -- which she immediately feels bad for, since she knows how important it is to Karkat that he's dressed well and looks sharp -- but she can't really stop crying now that she's started. They're very quiet sobs that shake her shoulders more than anything, tapered in intensity by Thief of Heart shenanigans.

It's a few seconds before she's able to manage a soft:] Sorry.

Don't apologize.

[Its quiet admonishment, the one hand on her back gently rubbing in a pacifying fashion. Karkat's not exactly happy about the state of his suit, but again, it wasn't as if he had time to afford little things like that. Better translucent red than cherry syrup, after all.

With the steady channel of emotion that he's holding between them, he can feel his own eyes pooling lightly with cerulean tears, though not a single one will manage to spill over.]

Its ok.

[Kanaya can't even think about how often she doesn't hear that tone out of him or it'll just be too much at once. She can feel her fangs puncturing her lower lip from her attempts to cut her sobbing short so she can stop being a burden for once.

She tilts her head a little, to maybe avoid staining the suit jacket more than she already has, and takes a deep, shaky breath. Gradually the shared hysteria begins to subside -- Karkat might even feel an inkling of the appreciation beneath.

Kanaya doesn't risk saying anything even after she calms enough to stop the heaving of her shoulders and the shaking has been reduced to a steady tremble. She's grateful, though.]

[Karkat doesn't seem to be paying attention. He's focused on keeping her close, finally resting her chin on top of his head when he senses that she's begun to calm down. He can feel his eyelids falling a bit in exhaustion, but it doesn't slow down the gentle circles he continues to draw with his hand over her back.]

We'll get by.

[He doesn't meet her eyes just yet. He wants to wait until he's sure that cerulean that had gathered there is gone.]

Do you still have your chainsaw?

[She eventually raises a hand to oh-so-gracefully wipe her face on the hem of her sleeve, sniffling a few times and nestling shamelessly into Karkat's embrace. It's kind of embarrassing. She feels like such a wriggler.]

Yes. It requires cleaning, but it is usable. I will take measures posthaste to bring it to full slaughtering capacity. [She just wishes she had a more portable weapon. Oh well.]

Good. Much as I hate to admit it, I think you have a better shot at handling her than I do.

[He glances down briefly at his scythes before looking back at her, this time daring to meet her eyes.]

I can probably hold her still if it comes to it, but it won't be easy. Never is the higher you get on the spectrum.

[If she notices any trace of cerulean that might be lingering in his eyes, she considerately decides not to comment. While she's flattered that he'd admit something like that, she also looks distinctly worried at the possibility he mentions.]

Will her instability [to put it very lightly,] put your own mental state at risk if you were to attempt something like that?

[She still isn't totally sure how the psychic thing works, and who knows what gross horrorterror gunk Feferi might have in her head? She doesn't want Karkat going near that if he doesn't have to.]

I don't know, but I think its a risk we might have to take. Because if you miss, she won't.

[She seems like she's going to protest at first, but then, quiet and resigned, she concedes:] ...alright.

[And then, a worse thought, one that is voiced with pretty obvious fear, for the both of them.] What if she finds one of us and the other is not present?

Well, that's why I came to sharpen those. [He jerks his head toward his scythes.] Because if that happens and you and I ain't near a terminal, it won't mean much.

[Fair enough. Though the thought of being alone with Feferi again...

She shivers a little involuntarily, remembering the battle royale of the Veil, and then makes a frustrated sound.] The communication in this place is the worst--

[And suddenly, a thought!] If Feferi ever does happen to find you-- perhaps it is a possibility that you could alert me with your abilities. I am usually in room 2-01. I can't always find myself there, but...

[She trails off and averts her eyes. Not that she even knows how exactly he'd let her know where he is, but she's kind of feeling the desperation and hopelessness right now okay?]

I can't. Not without crippling you or myself, there's no real way to tell you anything. Even if I could locate you, I'd have to transmit something, and chances are it'll be fear or anger, neither of which will lead you in time.

[When he feels her shiver, he hugs her a little tighter and reaches down to pull her chin up to meet his eyes again.]

I said we'd get through it, didn't I? Where'd all that faith in me go? Maybe I ought to start charging you for these little sessions we keep having.

[A light smirk.]

[She has some pretty intense dislike for the idea that the tealblood could corner either one of them and the other wouldn't know, but she doesn't exactly have any other brilliant ideas.

There is an intense wave of feeling very small and scared when she suddenly has to look at Karkat again, as she was thoroughly unprepared for eye contact.

After a moment, though, the corner of her lips turns upwards a little.] Well, unless faith is what you would like me to pay you in, I do not think there is much I could give in exchange.

I'm sure I could figure something out.

[He smirks himself, though the smirk is much heavier, and much less playful. Its only there for a second before its overtaken by a light scoff.]

Let me do the worrying. You just worry about that chainsaw, yeah?

[text] [locked to AU Karkat Vantas]

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