I don't sleep.

What's the point to it? Give me three reasons and explain them. Then let me say no, that's stupid. But everyone has limits. Limits that seem to come all too quickly.

"Karkat," Kanaya's smooth voice interrupted me from a stupor, her fingers tapping my shoulder apprehensively.

"What?" I brought my head out of my hands, turning just slightly to see her.

"Can you please come to the library?" She asked with an amount of politeness that I would deem pointless.

"Yeah, sure." I stood up slowly, metal chair scraping against the floor. "What the hell's it for?"

"Rose has found a few more clues to the session from some text. She'd like you to come down to survey the unearthed data." Kanaya's tone lightened as we headed down the stairs to the cluttered library.

I rolled my eyes silently behind her, watching my course on the slippery stairs. Of course, Rose. Rose this; Rose that. But if I had the audacity to say that Kanaya had simply fallen horns over heels for the Seer, she would murder me.

I faltered on one of the last steps, socks unable to grip at whatever non-existent uneven surface. I tumbled forwards, grabbing Kanaya's shoulders tightly. She gave me a funny look, and I glared-embarrassed-back.

I made it down the rest of the steps easily, ducking under Kanaya's waiting arm that held the door open. I looked around the library, finally catching sight of two people in the far corner in almost a pile of books.

Rose's head popped from a hunched position over a book as I approached. "Hello Karkat." She smiled warmly, "I'm glad Kanaya got you."

"Yeah, sure. What do you have?" I sat gingerly in a chair, moving a few thick books out of the way.

"Well, I have some more leads to the session, and more on the concepts of ancestry-"

Rose's intelligent spiel was cut off by Dave appearing next to her.

"Hey Karkles." He smirked.

"Shut the fuck up…" I grumbled, not in the mood for this.

"You look decrepit, grouchy ass." He remarked, and then dove back into the pile of books; apparently in search of some Alternian Slam Poetry.

Rose nodded her head slightly in agreement, eyes sweeping over my body. Kanaya was probably nodding so fast her head would come detached from her neck.

Okay, I wasn't in the best shape, but it wasn't enough for others to be worried. The shadows under my dark eyes were like deep bruises that surpassed my cheek bones, true. I had drastically lost weight over the session, so my already stretched out sweater smothered me nearly to my knees. Plus my hair was probably a bird's nest.

I finally retorted, "Says the shit who's wearing pajamas."

Dave laughed from under the table. "Nice socks by the way."

I looked down, seeing just plain black socks. They were just socks for Gog's sake! I shot up from the chair, aiming a kick at Dave's empty head. "Shut your mouth, Strider, no one fucking cares!"

"Ahem," Rose's impatient voice began with no intention of stopping. "If you two would stop acting like children, I would like to show you some evidence."

"Yeah, okay. Chuck it at me." I grasped the edge of the table, leaning over to see.

As Rose explained her conclusions from her newest set of books, I realized something was wrong. The more my eyes tried to focus, the more things I was looking at warped. I watched Rose's finger mush together with the book she was indicating to, which made me very nauseous.

Rose gave me a tap on my forehead, and I shook myself out of it. Sort of.

"Are you paying attention?" She asked.

"Of course I fucking am!" I muttered, head burning where she had touched me.

"That's exactly why you were staring at my hand with a look of almost awe. Do I do my nails that well?" Rose ensued talking again, ignoring my angry face. My body grew heavy, threatening to topple onto the uncomfortable looking books. My head spun, as if I had stood up too quickly. My knees weren't locked, where they? They of course, weren't.

I straightened, rubbing the stairs from my eyes for a moment; then leaned forwards again.

"Go on, I don't have all day."

"I never stopped talking." Rose raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure you're not okay. You can listen and sit down, you know." She began to stand, leaving her book unattended.

"Look, I'm fucking fine. Get off my bulge about it." I protested. But as I said it, my body began to stray, swaying like a leaf in the breeze.

"Karkat." Rose said firmly, "Sit down."

"No!" I yelled; then felt a sickly feeling in my head. Something was definitely wrong.

Both Rose and Kanaya grabbed for my sweater sleeves to stretch them out even more, but the rug and a surprised looking Knight where approaching very suddenly.

With a loud 'crack' and a sharp pain in my forehead, I was out like a light.


This is one of the only multi-chapter sort of Sadstuck fanfictions I will be writing, unless I can get Crash and Burn up. But that's irrelevent. I hoped you liked this chapter, and the next ones too! I would enjoy it if you reviewed this, so I can improve on the writing I did in this and to come, or I did something great that needs to be acknowledged. c:

Arrivederci!

-Puffin