8 ∅ [Text/Action for Ecruteak Inn]

[callbacks]

[TEXT:]

currently taking your hottest exorcism tips
the top five submissions get a prize
the prize is whatever i get out of these boxes of abra jacks and if thats not your idea of a good time im sorry because theyre all i got stashed in this closet atm

if this is punishment for cultural appropriation at the festival im gomen
but can we maybe stop
onegai shimass

[ACTION FOR ECRUTEAK:]

[The great (???) thing about the ghost currently haunting Dave is that, for the most part, it stays out of sight, meaning that with everyone else distracted by their own phantasms, Dave managed to spend the whole day yesterday blatantly not acknowledging it, only twitching at its constant presence at the edge of his awareness. But after no sleep the entire night--negative sleep, probably, it's possible he will never sleep again, fuck every molecule of his being--he's just grabbed some foodstuffs, marched into the inn room closet, and settled in with his eyes shut, hugging the cereal boxes to his chest.

At least he can pretend Bro's not there, in the dark.]

Comments

I LOVE IT SO MUCH the expression her eyebrows it's perfect

[cyan_maid]

[Holy Miltanks, what the hell - Dinah stumbles, as if to follow Zaniah, but stops and looks at Karkat, noting how utterly drained he looks. What are these ghosts doing to her trainer and her friends?? This is all very distressing to her. Here, Karkat, have an Audino gently leading you into the room, where Jane is standing stark-still, hand on her chest, trying to calm her breathing down.

Jesus Christ, it was him. She didn't want to see him anymore, he was so creepy and pushy and that fucking goddamned codpiece what the ass-shitting hell. It's worth noting that Jane's not one to swear outright - more G-rated terms always come to mind before anything else - but if she's upset enough, then she will certainly let loose the vulgarity. Lucky you, Karkat.]

O-Oh...my God.

[Pause. A gulp of air.]

Oh my God. He's. He's been following you like that all this...d-does that mean he's...in the game, he's...

[Is he really dead?]

[quadrangle]

[He shuffles into the room after Dinah with only a glance or two over his shoulder, both in the hopes that Zaniah might be on her way back (she isn't) and to make sure that Gamzee is still out of sight (he is). He's not entirely sure what the Audino is trying to accomplish here because he's the leader checking up on people, goddammit, but far be it from him to upset the poor thing. Uh. Not that he cares.

Right.]

He'd have to be, wouldn't he? At least in that timeline.

[Karkat doesn't quite look at Jane when he says it, distantly aware that they still haven't gotten around to talking about that subject even as his mind wanders elsewhere. Gamzee dead in the doomed timeline... yeah, he's been fairly sure of it. Kanaya had been right behind him, so even if he sure as fuck hadn't been able to do anything, she would have taken care of it... of Gamzee. Someone had to do it.

He stares out into the hall again, then gently sets Sharru down beside Dinah and half-closes the door behind him. Sharru, of course, immediately puffs up and begins tugging at his pant leg because how dare you deprive him like this, but for the moment, he goes ignored.]

Sorry again about that. I know you didn't want to see him.

[cyan_maid]

[Excuse you, Dinah is the best Audino in the world and is full of love and cuteness. She's going to get all of you crazy people in one room and cute all the sads away, don't think she won't.

Jane's hand curls into a fist as she breathes in again, and uncurls as she takes a long breath out. More timeline shit. How great - but this is no time to ask about it. Not now, not in the middle of all this, so she doesn't ask Karkat to clarify.]

It's...it's not your fault. Like how - how my Dad isn't my fault.

[Said Ghost-Dad is peering out the half-closed door now, as if checking to see if whatever has caused these kids so much distress is gone for now. What a weird apparition.]

[quadrangle]

[OKAY FINE SO HE THINKS DINAH IS SORT OF PRECIOUS IS THAT A CRIME. Shut up. Also, ugh at everything they're talking about, why the fuck did this have to come up.]

Yeah, but your dad isn't a fucking murderclown, is he? I wish my lusus was here instead. At least I'm sort of fucking used to that.

[But Crabdad had gotten left behind with all the other sprites from his session, and fucking wow that probably wasn't the thing to say to Jane at all, was it? Nice job fucking it up again, Past Karkat.

The above realization may or may not have coincidentally happened around the same time Sharru decided to sink his claws into Karkat's leg, and hissing under his breath, Karakat bends to pick the damn cat up again and hopefully discourage further maiming. Goddammit, Sharru.]

It's this place's fault, if anything. I guess it's better than being back in the game, but...

[He trails off and shrugs, deliberately mussing the lock of white fur on Sharru's forehead. The Meowstic looks so very offended by this, but magnanimously, he retaliates only by nudging his head against Karkat's hand again. Pet him, you piece of shit.]

[cyan_maid]

[As if she really knows what a lusus is. She wants to ask but, again, it's way too tense in this entire hotel from all the ghosts, wow, let's not.

Also holy cow, Sharru, you little shit. Dinah will leave you to your trainer while she goes back to hers, holding Jane's hand with both of her own.]

It's still...upsetting, to see him. Even if he's possibly the most polite ghost that's ever existed.

[quadrangle]

[Yeah, they should definitely save the highly disturbing troll upbringing talk for later. Or... maybe it could distract them, but for now—]

A polite ghost?

[He sounds slightly incredulous, but at the same time, it sort of makes sense. and, fuck, he can also see how the ghost staying polite even when he's already upsetting her could make things worse. Doing something wildly out of character would be better, almost. Uh, depending on what it was.

He stares down at Sharru, who has resumed purring now that he's being thoroughly spoiled.]

It should be over in a day or two, anyway. Not that that really fucking helps now, but it could be worse.

[cyan_maid]

Yes. As I understand it, ghosts are supposed to cause the living more trouble than just standing around. They had numerous television shows dedicated to ghost hunting on Earth that went to explicit lengths to shwo us that, even when you couldn't hear the "voices" being caught on recorders or can't spot the rock that hit the host even with the slow-motion replay and a circle drawn around it.

[She may have seen a couple of them in passing...not that she or her Dad watched them regularly, but if nothing else was on, shit like that played all the time in October.]

How do you know it'll be over in a day or two?

[quadrangle]

[... What the fuck is wrong with Earth's ghosts, then? Because Karkat's pretty sure none of the ghosts Aradia hung out with were that pathetic, especially if they had gotten to Vriska, of all people, and wow he's not sure he wants to think about this.

Aradia would be really fucking useful right about now, though. Goddammit.

He sighs and gives a vague shrug.]

That's how long this shit usually lasts. Switching bodies, regressing in age... think there were some days people couldn't sleep or something, but I sure as fuck didn't notice. It all ended eventually.

let's just pretend jane made a point in that ramble orz

[cyan_maid]

[Ghosts on Earth are not subject to alliance with powerful psychics, just mediums who talk for them. That's it, really.]

And we just...sort of live through this? I know we don't have a choice, but...

he's mostly wondering why earth ghosts sound so fakeyfake :( no worries <3

[quadrangle]

[Another shrug, this noticeably more... helpless? Or fucking resigned, something, it's not like he's any fonder of this than Jane is. At the same time—]

It's better than Sburb. And this is... the ghosts haven't done anything. So I guess there's that.

[cyan_maid]

It was better than Sburb when I found out there were more than three other people here.

[It's said rather bluntly. She sighs, though.]

I suppose we can't expect everything to be perfect and trouble-free.

[quadrangle]

[... Yeah, the more people thing is pretty nice. Even if they're all humans. Wow, okay, he is so not saying that.]

It'd almost be too fucking weird if it were. Perfect and trouble-free, I mean.

[Alternia never had been. Sgrub sure as fuck wasn't. The three years on the meteor... they were pretty okay, actually. Comparatively. At least no one had died.]

[cyan_maid]

Yeah, it really would. But at least it feels like, with all the folks around and all the relatively normal lives folks can lead here, there...seems to be the possibility of making things better for yourself. You know? Nothing's set or destined or etched into stone.

[quadrangle]

[...........................

HAHAHA OKAY WOW, the first thing that springs to mind after hearing that is yet another thing Karkat is not going to say. Jane doesn't... fuck. Fuck, he has no idea how he's ever going to broach that topic, assuming he does at all. Maybe he won't have to.

He's uncharacteristically silent for a second or two because holy shit, they need to stop accidentally drifting toward the subject of doomed timelines and, urgh, why does he have to be the only one even aware of it, but anyway. ANYWAY—]

Is that what you're planning on doing here? Making a better life?

[And great job, Past Karkat, on asking people you barely know uncomfortably personal questions. He doesn't retract it, though, even if he is wincing a little at himself. Oh well, it's not like he hadn't already fucked up any chance of a normal conversation with Jane a while ago, probably. As usual.]

[cyan_maid]

[Surprisingly, Jane doesn't react negatively to that personal question. It was in the vein of what she was saying, after all.]

Of course! Why would I try to do anything else? I've got the chance, the resources - it'd be silly not to.

[quadrangle]

[A tiny smile flits across his face at that, and while it's short-lived, it takes some of the tension in his shoulders with it.]

Yeah, I guess that's one way to look at it.

[A better way than he'd been looking at it, anyway, or maybe just framed differently? Whatever. He still feels a little better after hearing it.]