5 ∅ [Anonymous Text]

[callbacks]

[You'd think Dave would have learned his lesson about anonymity, but maybe learning doesn't stick so well at ass in the morning when he can't sleep. At least it doesn't seem like he's really trying to mask his identity, here. It's just...a plausible deniability thing, maybe. Probably, given the content of his message.]

what was growing up like for you
like
how was your childhood
were you happy

Comments

[callbacks]

i have an idea what youre talking about
but im probably wrong

was time travel involved at any point

[heartdive]

[ he opens his mouth to say no but... ]

Not... Directly? I mean the guy that's causing all of our problems sort of did that.

[callbacks]

[He's gonNA cRY...]

anna
thanks
thanks for talking to me
that really helps to hear too
i hope you get to be the happiest person alive someday cause you should be

[loveisanopendoor]

it's my pleasure!!!!! i'm always happy to help, if you ever want to talk some more feel free to message me!!! you can even keep your anon on if you'd like i don't mind (◍•ᴗ•◍)

you deserve to be happy too though!!! you really do! thank you for listening, it helped me sort some stuff out and i think it'll help a lot in the long run

[callbacks]

nah
next time i talk to you ill just be me instead of playing phantom of the operating system
ttyl princess

[callbacks]

time travel its always time travel
i dont know why i asked


but anyway
ok so you and your friends
youre all dealing with an outside threat?

[loveisanopendoor]

only one person gets to call me that!!!!!! but i'll look forward to it!!!!

see you around friend!!! thanks again! <3

[heartdive]

Yes and no. The place that we're from? It's not just one world, but many. Each world has their own light - their own heart. The heart of all the worlds - the light that binds them all together - is called Kingdom Hearts.

The bad guy? Xehanort wants to restart a war that happened a long time ago. Pretty sure he wants the power of Kingdom Hearts to himself.

[callbacks]

ok wait
i follow most of that but how does restarting the war net him the thing

[islandshore]

Pretty dull, honestly.
Lived on a tropical island, but when you live there all your life, it's less like a fancy resort.

But i guess I had it good. didn't have much to worry about besides a personal score in all the stupid games we'd play and getting good grades at school.

Honestly, the most exciting things that happened were when two strangers dropped by from the outside world, and when a girl washed up after a meteor shower.

[callbacks]

what kind of meteor shower
like not the kind that destroys planets i guess

[heartdive]

Something about hearts of light and hearts of darkness fighting will make the χ-Blade appear. Only the χ-Blade can open the door to Kingdom Hearts.

At least that's the version I got. Some of this stuff is just a little over my head sometimes.

[callbacks]

oh
prophecy shit
ok thats all i need to know
im assuming this guys like super crazy powerful right

[heartdive]

If you say so.

But powerful? Not... Really? The problem isn't how strong he is. It's that he's planned everything out. He has something planned for any and every turn his original plans may take.

...That and he kind of can possess people. So we don't really know how many people he has under his control yet. There won't be more than twelve, but how strong they are is kind of important.

[callbacks]

that sounds obnoxious
sorry dude you ended up with the most annoying villain in the history of ever

[action]

[quadrangle]

[It may not be enough to erase his worries completely, but some of the lingering tension in Karkat's shoulders eases at the question anyway, then a little more from that last remark. What the fuck, Dave.

Impulsively, he ruffles the hair he'd been meticulously grooming mere seconds ago, and even if he immediately goes back to carefully teasing each strand back into place, he just. Shut up, he doesn't need to explain himself.]

The petting is fucking crucial, and I will fight anyone who claims otherwise. [He really will. Maybe. Okay, probably not.] I can't believe you're choosing now to analyze it. Didn't you say I was the one who overcomplicates things? Shoosh and leave the thinking to people who are mentally qualified to handle it, moron.

[... Yes, even though he'd also just spent some time previously establishing that no, Dave is not an idiot. This is clearly different.

Gradually, his hand slows, then stops. Dave may seem to have improved over earlier, but with a subject like this... there has to be more he can do to help him. For once, he thinks he might have an idea of what that could be.]

You don't have to be afraid to talk about things with me. I'm not going to... fuck.

[He pulls his arm back just long enough to scratch at his own head, then wraps it around Dave again.]

I don't think there's anything you could tell me that would make me stop... you know. [Fuck, why is this so hard this time, he'd said it enough times before.] My feelings for you aren't going to change. Not over something like this.

[action]

[callbacks]

[He lets one of his brief, voiceless laughs escape into Karkat's collar, just a breath of amusement rising out of all this bleak shit. Yes, fine, he will leave all the heavy thinking to the professionals. That actually sounds kind of nice. Dave might not mind just curling up next to Karkat and not thinking at all for a while, but that's probably unreasonable to ask for. He sighs and tries to usher anything resembling normalcy into his voice.]

I. I know. I just...

[His mouth is open, like the words might just fall out, but there's nothing there. His shoulders slump a little more.]

It's hard to talk about. [That comes out way too plaintive, so he takes a deeper breath and tries again.] And I don't want to give you the wrong impression, like...i-if I'm wrong about it, or making stuff up. If I'm being too...

[Too sensitive. Too needy. Too, he doesn't know, too something. He shakes his head a little against Karkat's shoulder.]

I know you said I wasn't, but it's still...that's why I had to ask so many people, I don't know what was. What was wrong. Or where to start. ...Or if I should.

[So much for sounding normal. He can't get much louder than a mumble. But he's not shaking anymore, at least. He rubs his palm over the flat of Karkat's back to ground himself more than anything.]

It's been a really long time.

[islandshore]

Nah, nothing lethal. Just a lot of streaking lights, and a kid popping up with no memory of who she was or where he was from.

Re: Text

[coolskeleton_95]

I....YES, IT WAS. IT REALLY WAS. NO MATTER HOW BUSY HE WAS WITH HIS JOBS, SANS ALWAYS FOUND TIME FOR ME.

SO...I SUPPOSE NOW THAT I'M ALL GROWN UP, IT'S MY TURN TO BE THE RESPONSIBLE ONE.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

it's good that you're trying this
even if it's scary
especially because it's scary

you're very brave

[text]

[charcoalfeather]

Well, the honest answer is that I can't remember it.
a Haibane can never remember what their life was like before they became a Haibane.
I mean, that's what I am. Or was.

[action]

[quadrangle]

—Hey. Hey, no, shhh, that's not what I meant.

[How many times does he need to shoosh this human, surely there's some upper limit. Not that Karkat actually minds, however much he'll pretend otherwise once it stops mattering, but it still kills him a little every time Dave's voice falters and he struggles to speak. He's making Dave too defensive, and how the fuck had he even managed that? It's the exact opposite of the effect he'd been aiming for. Fuck, he's so stupid.

Biting his lower lip, he gives his moirail another squeeze and tries to think of the best way to phrase his response. If this incident were absolutely one hundred percent guaranteed to be the last time Dave faced this dilemma, he wouldn't think anything of it, but yeah no, there's no chance in hell. So...]

Needing time to sort it out is different. And I'm not going to blame you if you need to ask other people first, especially if it's about human bullshit I don't fucking understand. I mean, it's—something we're both going to have to get used to. Our cultures are too different.

[Except Dave had a metric fuckton of humans to choose from while Karkat haoh wow look at that, a change in subject! Fucking focus, Present Karkat, this isn't about you.]

So if you're not talking to me because of that, or because you're just not ready yet... that's totally fine, all right? I just don't want you to hold back because you think I'll judge you for it or flip my shit or whatever.

You can tell me anything, Dave. When you're ready.

[callbacks]

[A pause.]

im not that brave




im not brave at all really

[text]

[callbacks]

oh
right
everyone gets made human here

so uh
you started as something else
before you became a haibane?

[callbacks]

i gotta ask
did she fall off one of the meteors