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[cpt-infrared.livejournal.com]

[Karkat is pacing the lobby, reading and rereading the letter clenched angrily in his hands with an ever-deepening scowl. Time compression. Cross-dimensional travel. This is such bullshit. He has important things to be getting on with! Never mind the fact that he'd pretty much just been assigned a mission quite obviously intended soley to get him out of his superiors' horns for a while – that detail is completely irrelevant to the fact that the Rebellion needs him.]

[He's not really looking where he's going, so chances are sooner or later he is going to bump into somebody. Not that he will accept any responsibility whatsoever for this inevitable occurrence. If anything he will appreciate the opportunity to yell at somebody.]

Comments

[moirailcompass]

[Nepeta, likewise is deep in thought. A lot of her friends had been arriving lately, some her age and from her universe, some her age but from a different one, and now recently Sollux and Kanaya who were both significantly older and from an Alternia where SGRUB had never happened. It certainly gave one a lot of food for thought and brought up some unpleasant memories that she would have been much happier leaving in the past.

So as luck would have it she wasn't really looking where she was going either, and she bumped right into Karkat. She stumbled back, almost losing her footing but managed to stay on her feet.]

Oh, I'm sorry I wasn't--

[And then she saw who it was. Oh. Was that.]

I. Uh. I wasn't. That is to say.

[...]

[cpt-infrared.livejournal.com]

[He glares down at her, about to snap at whatever stupid alien kid he's just walked into, but then he stops, surprised.]

[She's a troll. And – it takes him a moment, but she's a troll he recognizes.]

... Nepeta?

[he hasn't seen Nepeta in more than four sweeps. He only met her in person for a little while, and even then she was older than this. He has no idea what to make of this, and so he reacts with ill-tempered suspicion that doesn't really seem actually directed at her, specifically.]

What the fuck is this.

1/5

[moirailcompass]

[Oh my god what is she looking at. You would think that already seeing an older Kanaya and Sollux would have prepared her for something like this but somehow she would have expected Karkat. Hell, she would probably be less surprised if she had run into herself.]

[moirailcompass]

[Nepeta usually tried her best to be rather subtle around Karkat. One, because she obviously did not want him to know about her red feelings, and two after experiencing Eridan hounding her when he became her server player she knew what an unpleasant feeling it was to constantly be bothered by someone with a vested interest in you.

Right now she was failing miserably in being subtle if the way she could feel her face lighting up and her sudden loss of words were any indication because wow. Despite the worn look, Karkat had grown up well.

Gaaah what was that thing humans did whenever they were nervous in front of a person? Just try and picture them na---]

[moirailcompass]

[SWEET JESUS WHY THE HELL DID THEY THINK THAT HELPED ANYTHING?!]

4/4 i lied sjdfi

[moirailcompass]

[Okay Nepeta just calm down. He in all likelihood had just gotten here. Was probably confused, he didn't need some troll ogling him all day.]

E-eheh. Time compurression sure is a funny thing. Hi K-Karkitty. You're the third, suddenly much older furriend I've seen in two days.

Re: 4/4 i lied sjdfi

[cpt-infrared.livejournal.com]

[OOC: WHOOPS MADE AN ERROR IN MY LAST TAG that should have said two sweeps not four pretend i'm not incompetent]

[Backs up just slightly, kind of ... staring]

Time compression. Right. [he pushes a hand through his hair, hissing a frustrated breath out through momentarily bared fangs.] Okay. You know what, I'm just going to pretend this is a totally normal situation as opposed to completely fucking nonsensical and probably hallucinatory, and you're going to explain to me what the hell you're talking about, how does that sound.

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[Finding Kanaya so quickly had done something to bolster Sollux's spirits, and the fragile hope that it meant that others still may show up was enough to force him out of his room for at least an hour a day, despite how unwieldy everything out there seemed.]

[That is to say, when he finally sees Karkat stomping around out in the lobby he doesn't meet it with shock so much as powerful relief. He subconsciously grins, and moves quickly but cautiously in his direction, approaching from behind and speaking quietly:]

Got you, too?

[cpt-infrared.livejournal.com]

[Karkat literally jumps]

[... and then pretends that is not what just happened and turns round sharply, frowning and – oh.]

[oh, it's Sollux. Good. He isn't terrifically surprised either, after what tiny alternate universe Nepeta said, but, while he's very obviously relieved, he seems a little apprehensive.]

Sollux. [looks him up and down, trying to ascertain whether it's the right one...] You'd better not be from some fuckawful alternate timeline or something or I swear I am going to flip the few shits I haven't already lost.

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[Sollux had enjoyed a few moments of anxiety at the idea that, while physically similar, this Karkat was at a different stage from where the one he'd known had been - but thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case, based on the reaction.]

[He comes a bit closer, letting out a snort of quiet amusement.]

Don't think so. But there's a tiny blind one that is.

[He gaze wanders over Karkat and then down to the floor, and he adds as a more official greeting:]

Hey.

[cpt-infrared.livejournal.com]

[relaxes some more, visibly, and nods, sticking the hand he's not holding all this paperwork with into the pocket of his dapper jacket.] Nepeta didn't mention he was blind.

[... pause.] How long have you been here?

[lt-scintillate.livejournal.com]

There you are.

[she sweeps over]

[trailing bandages like a mummy]

[no that's not true now that she's acquired bandages they're very neatly wrapped.]

[cpt-infrared.livejournal.com]

[He hears her voice before he sees her, so he's relieved first and then surprised and worried; the last time he saw her she'd already healed enough to take those off.]

[More weird time shit? It must be. Probably best not to mention it, although he keeps inadvertently glancing at the bandages.]

What, were you expecting me sooner? Sorry I couldn't get the time vortex compression bullshit to spit me out any quicker. [he is very slightly smiling, though.]

[lt-scintillate.livejournal.com]

Your gracious apology is accepted, conditional on your not doing it again, naturally.

[She notes the looks.]

You're from further along on our timeline.

[cpt-infrared.livejournal.com]

Right, I'll try not to –

... Yeah. Spoilers, your head gets better.

[knightofmirth.livejournal.com]

[Dave stops in his tracks when he sees this older Karkat. It takes a fair amount of self-control to keep from blurting out a confused 'Best friend?'

Not with this body.

Not with time shenanigans involved.

Instead he stands there casually, hands in his pockets.]

S'up? Feelin' mislocated?

[cpt-infrared.livejournal.com]

[geez, why do the aliens keep all these children here? Karkat frowns down at this one, not looking terrifically impressed by him.]

I'm working it out. What's it to you?

[knightofmirth.livejournal.com]

Just a concerned citizen or some shit. That ain't allowed?

[Trying so hard not to stare. Karkat doesn't look half bad all grown up.]

[cpt-infrared.livejournal.com]

[... something about this weird alien kid is ... distantly familiar, in a way Karkat is probably never going to put his finger on unprompted, and it's kind of unsettling. He doesn't like it at all.]

Okay, great. Go point your concern at someone who gives a fuck.

1/2

[ragesnake.livejournal.com]

[Oh well this is bound to be surreal and varying levels of fucking hilarious.]

[Karkat is pretty oblivious to the presence of an Older Him prowling the halls at present, as he's pouring himself over a notebook as he walks, which is never a good idea, so combined effort of neither of them paying attention results in a tumble and a spill of aforementioned notebook onto the floor. Karkat swears.]

Fuck-- watch it, would you? [Of course, he shouldn't have to watch it himself. Nope.]

i lied, 2/3

[ragesnake.livejournal.com]

[...Oh.]

[ragesnake.livejournal.com]

...What. The fuck.

[hindsight2fold.livejournal.com]

]

Oh sorry.

]

[cpt-infrared.livejournal.com]

[Karkat's about to snap at him, but wow geez is he ever going to run into anyone here who isn't familiar? that would be great, that would be seriously awesome because then he could just yell at someone without feeling compelled to acknowledge them as anything other than some asshole who bumped into him.]

... Sollux. [he sounds more irritated than curious.] The tiny blind one, right?

[hindsight2fold.livejournal.com]

]

Is this revenge for all the short jokes I make, or are you just relishing in being able to finally call someone else tiny?