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

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.]