ghostytrainer | prank #16

[True to his word, he shows up pretty quick. Knock knock, John.]

[When he opens the door, there are no smiles to be had, an unusual look for John. Instead he just looks...well kind of dead.]

Hey.

[That actually does a remarkable job of pushing back some of the ire Karkat may have otherwise spat at him. He might not have lost a best friend himself, but he can understand the sentiment enough.]

... Hey.

Can I come in?

Yeah.

[Opening the door a little wider, he steps back and waits for Karkat to enter the room. None of the lights are on and for once, there are no random pokemon wandering around the room. Since he knew that would probably only piss Karkat off. Well more pissed off than he likely already was, anyway.]

... You don't have to leave the lights off, you know.

[Still, Karkat comes inside. Somehow despite everything, he's finding a note of worry springing up for ~~his earth human buddy~~ John.]

[He shrugs and closes the door.] I know. I just didn't feel like turning them on. [Yeah, he's just been sitting on the couch in the dark cuddling with Luda ever since she showed up. This is how he copes with Dave leaving, okay. :| Don't judge.]

[He lets out a breath, looks back to John, then to the room proper. He goes and takes a seat on the couch.]

Fine.

Come on, sit your ass down. You look like you need to talk, too.

[Saying he was surprised by that last comment would be an understatement, but it would also be a lie to say he wasn't grateful for it. As commanded, he takes a seat on the couch next Karkat.]

Yeah I do, but...you first.

Mmph.

[Not so easy to take the proverbial floor first. He folds his arms, head drooping as a sort of tired, disappointed look comes over his face.]

The whole thing's been like a slow-motion locomotive device crash since he came back. Not that it was easy the first time around, but I just kept making a fucking idiot of myself because--[He shifts uncomfortably.] Because I hate him, you know? But he didn't even hate me platonically, and just... nothing really worked.

It sucked after everything before, and now he's not even here, so I doubt he'll remember anything if he comes back another time. No fucking point in trying it again.

Guess I'm not cut out for a kismesis after all.

[Hugging his knees up to his chest, he rests his head on top of them, turning his head to face the former troll and listening intently. He says nothing when Karkat finishes, letting the words sink in for a minute before deciding what to say.]

Just because Dave doesn't hate you that way anymore doesn't mean you'll never have a kismesis. Just because you lost one doesn't mean you're doomed to be alone forever. I'm sure you'll find someone. And you never know, maybe if he does come back you'll have more luck. You convinced him once before, after all and with everything that's happened here since he got back...well it's no wonder you didn't really get a chance to try.

But even if it isn't Dave, I'm sure there's somebody else out there who would be more than willing to hate you. But if you give up, you'll never find out if there is or not.

No.

[He points one finger at John, to help emphasis what he's saying.]

I'm done with him. I'm not going to try that shit again and make an idiot of myself when I've done a fucking spectacular job of that already. I don't give one measly shit whether or not you think my luck might be better; I don't keep running face-first into a wall because I didn't break my nose trying to go through it the first time.

And it's not an...

[Actually, people not hating him has been the problem thus far. His expression darkens, and his arms recross.]

My standards are way fucking high, and out of the extremely few people I've ever felt that way about, I've had shitty fucking luck except for the one time. And that... that hardly even counts, when it got taken away like it did.

[Shrug.]

Alright then, don't try again. I was just making a suggestion. If you're over him though then that's good. I guess? I mean it sucks that you don't have that anymore but at least you won't be upset if you lose him again? Wait. That doesn't...did that make any sense? I know what I'm trying to say I just can't word it right.

Anyway, I don't see how it doesn't count though. It still happened. It's still proof that you are capable of having a kismesis. If you weren't cut out for one then you wouldn't even have that.

[Sigh.]

I'm not sure I am over him, because it still fucking hurts, but... I'm over trying to get anything with him now.

And it's not an issue of me being able to have one, it's an issue of...

Fuck it, I don't know how to explain. It's just, when that gets taken away, and then shit goes like it does after that, it's not exactly encouraging. Not like you've ever been in the same boat, so don't think you have any fucking room to talk.

Oh...

[He's not really sure what to say to that, really. Karkat has a point, John really doesn't have any room to talk. He's trying to understand but...he really can't.]

Well...isn't it better to have had something and lost it then to have never had it at all? I mean it may hurt but, at least you had it. You know you had it. You can still look back on it fondly.

[Blind optimism is always the answer, right?]

Fondly? He didn't even hate me platonically this time! Let alone caliginously. You're a fucking idiot, you know that?

I meant the first time! When it was, you know hate-romantic or whatever it was. That's what I was talking about. And jeez, I know you're upset but don't take it out on me. I am trying to make help you feel better and I'm sorry if I'm not the best at it but I am trying!

And I already feel like shit, so if all you're going to do is make me feel even worse about myself than I already do, then just...just leave. Okay? The last thing I want to listen to right now is you telling me how stupid I am.

[Grumblegrumble.] I know what you meant, but the fact it went nowhere this time makes the relationship kind of pointless now.

But fine. I'll shut up, alright? Now stop whining about me and get onto the main issue, because I'm tired of talking about my own issues when you haven't shared a damn thing yet.

[John stares at Karkat for a moment before turning his head, resting his chin on his knees and staring at the opposite wall.]

I...almost wish that he'll just...stay home this time.

[Karkat blinks once or twice, then his brow furrows. He reaches out as though to touch John's shoulder...]

[Then thinks better of it, dropping his hand back to his lap.]

Why? Aren't you two pretty close? It's not like he forgets you every time.

[John doesn't even notice the attempt at a comforting gesture, but since he wasn't really expecting it he wouldn't know to look for it. Head still forward facing, his eyes flit down to stare at some point on the carpet several feet away.]

No...we are and he doesn't but...

...I'm really getting tired of him leaving. As much as I would love to have him here again, if he's just going to leave a third time...

[His head droops, gaze finding his hands, his shoulders slumped.]

See. That's why I'm giving up. He left the first time and took everything. He left the second time without anything happening. If he comes here a third time, who even knows if trying anything will work, and even if he does, what if he just leaves then, too?

I can see why you would now, when you put it that way.

[He sighs.]

It was cool the first time around, for a while anyway. Then after he passed out that one time things...changed. We got into a stupid fight over it and even though I apologized he just became distant. He was there, but at the same time he wasn't. And I still don't even know if that was my fault or what I did. It probably was though.

Then he came back and he didn't remember the fight or whatever it was I did that pissed him off so everything was great again! Or at least it was until I fucked up so bad that he got his head beat in because of me. [A nervous laugh.] Wow, there's another reason for him to just stay in the medium. If he does back, I will probably manage to get him killed somehow because I am just the best friend a coolkid could ever ask for!

[Karkat's jaw tightens then. For all he likes to play the asshole, and for all the difference of his situation, the guy does care sometimes. By the end of it, his hand, which had been twitching uncertainly where it lay, finally does reach out to touch his shoulder.]

John? Stop. Stop that shit right now. You maybe be an idiot - and don't bitch at me about that because I'm stating it as a plain fact, and I'm admitting for the record that I can be a pretty big dumbass myself sometimes - but stop thinking you're that stupid.

If anything anyone would get killed because I was too much of a fucking shitty leader to keep an eye on Gamzee.

[The fact that Karkat is actually touching him is enough to get him to stop trying to bore holes into the carpet with his eyes. The statement that follows? It's enough to get him to look turn his head and gape at the former-troll. That was pretty much the last thing he ever expected to hear.]

[He doesn't even know what to say to that.]

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