Karkat's eyes shot open and he jolted upward, looking around. He was lying on the ground in the middle of some weird forest he'd never seen before. The trees were large and fully leaved, the branches above so entangled that only specks of the sky came through. Ferns and other foliage covered the ground, making it seem more like a jungle that anything.
"The fuck..." Karkat cursed as he stood up, brushing off the leaves that clung to his shirt. He was seriously confused. How and why was he here? He couldn't remember anything. He decided he wasn't going to get any answers by standing around, so he started walking. He went on walking for what seemed like a long ways, the scenery around him hardly changing in the slightest.
Okay, what the hell is going on?! Does this forest even end?!He thought bitterly to himself, beginning to get frustrated. What if he just ended up lost in this maze of trees forever? That thought frustrated him even more, and so he began to strut at a faster pace. There had to be something or someone out here who wasn't a plant. Right? He continued this quick pace until he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He halted in his tracks, and turned to look. A few yards away, a cloaked figure was making his way among the trees, though not with the same desperate speed as Karkat. This troll was paced evenly, in a way that one could tell he knew where he was going, and was in no rush to get there.
Finally! I knew that I wasn't the only one out here. Maybe now I can finally get some damn answers. Karkat narrowed his eyes and began to head straight towards the figure, not even attempting to be cautious. He was too sick of walking to care. With all the noise he was making, the figure heard him easily and turned to face him.
"Hey!" Karkat shouted, letting out the frustration that had been rising inside him. "Who are you and where the fuck am I?" The figure, who still had his hood obscuring his face, lifted his hands in a calming gesture. A low, smooth voice came from him as he spoke.
"Woah there, calm down young one. There's no need to lose your temper." Karkat scoffed.
"Look mister, I've been wandering around these woods for Gog knows how long, and so far you're the only other person I've seen. So I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat me like a wriggler having a temper tantrum and just help me out." The figure chuckled slightly and moved to take off his hood. It slipped down his head and hung off his shoulders, revealing his face. He was charming, in a word. His black hair was sort of shaggy and thick, as if he had just woken up and had a case of bed head. He had nubby horns, almost like his own, Karkat thought, but ever so slightly bigger. His face was well-shaped, with a smooth jaw line and rounded chin, which was adorned with a bit of scruff. His eyebrows were a bit thick, but they fit his face nicely. But what hit Karkat the most about him were his eyes. They stood out more than any other feature. They were soft, kind, and- bright red. They pierced into him like a blade, and he stiffened. He looked almost... familiar.
"W-who are you?" Karkat stammered a bit, his mind scrambling to get a hold on this guy. Where have I seen him before? He had to know. The troll became thought full, his red eyes glancing up.
"Hm... I have gone by many names these past few sweeps. Though most simply refer to me as Signless." The name hit Karkat like a punch in the face. Fuck.He knew that name. He remembered it now. Back when he was younger his Lusus would try to teach him about his history and his ancestor. Even though he'd never really cared about any of that nonsense, he still remembered the pictures that Crabdad had shown him. And they looked just like this guy. Karkat took a step back, his head reeling. He was starting to feel lightheaded.
No... No no no no NO!This could not be happening. It had to be fake. There was no way that his ancestor was real, let alone standing in front of him. And yet-
"Are you alright?" The Signless asked, slight concern on his face. "You look as if you've seen a ghost." Karkat blinked, his heart pounding in his chest. "I-I.. I..." He tried to form a sentence, but he couldn't think straight. Darkness was statring to fog his vision, and his knees buckled beneath him.
"Kid!" He heard the voice call out as he felt himself topple over onto the ground. A blurry shape appeared above him as muffled words met his ears.
"Hey! Can you hear me? C'mon, stay with me! I'll get you some help. You're gonna be okay..." Karkat couldn't hear much after as the darkness consumed his vision. Only one more phrase made it into his mind before he shut down completely. It's all going to be okay.