"I'm sørry?"

"I said no. I don't want to return to that hellhole."

Karkat's voice was quiet, like he didn't want to admit it. He turned his head away from the Slender Man, not making eye contact.

"Well then it's settled. I am gøing tø take yøu in and raise yøu as my new apprentice. I will intrøduce yøu to Sally, but that will cøme later as yøu need tø get used tø yøur surrøundings. That is, If yøu accept my øffer."

His voice was almost at a whisper as he spoke, "Okay."

"Øh please støp with the mumbling, I can't understand."

"OKAY! I'LL STAY HERE WITH YOU."

"Gøød, nøw let's get yøu dressed and tø yøur røøm." Slender Man said sweetly.

Karkat jumped off of the operating table and landed on his feet, "I GET MY OWN ROOM! I'VE HAD TO SHARE ONE WITH KANKRI FOR SUCH A LONG TIME!"

"'Kankri?' Is that yøur brøther?"

"YEAH. HE NEVER SHUTS UP! HE JUST SEEMS TO GO ON AND ON AND ON ABOUT 'Equality' AND triggers' AND 'It w9uld 6e in every69dy's 6est interest if-' GOD!"

"We must certainly wørk øn that brash temper øf yøurs."

"I KNOW. MY MOTHER SAYS I HAVE A BAD ONE... WHEN SHE ISN'T STONED OFF HER ASS."

"Døn't yøu have any friends?"

"UM.. YEAH! HER NAME IS ARADIA MEGIDO. I WOULD DIE FOR HER SAFETY. SHE IS THE ONLY REASON I HAVEN'T KILLED MYSELF YET."

"I see," said the Slender Man. "Wøuld yøu be willing tø alløw me tø bring her tø yøu?"

"NO!... She has so much more going for her.. I don't want to take her from that."

We switch to another character, now a girl. She is the same age as Karkat, but has knee-length, curly black hair. She dresses in a black pencil skirt with a black polo shirt. This girl is Karkat's next door neighbor. Her name is Aradia Megido.

Aradia is easily one of the sweetest girl alive, but she is an orphan. Her parents were killed during a mountain climbing expedition, and she has lived with her grandmother ever since. Right now, she is mourning for her friend's safety.

apocalypseArisen began pestering carcinoGeneticist at 9:53

AA: kitkat?

AA: are y0u there?

AA: please be 0kay.

We go back to the original boy. He is wearing a black dress shirt, black dress pants, and a candy red bowtie.. He feels a vibration in his back pocket, and comes to the conclusion that his phone is alerting him of a new pesterchum message. He turns to Slender Man for an okay. Once received, he begins to check and see that the message is from his best friend Aradia. He replies back to her.

CG: YEAH I'M FINE. WHY WOULDN'T I BE?

CG: HEY GUESS WHAT. YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO GUESS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. I WAS RUNNING FROM RANDY AND HIS GROUP WHEN I RAN INTO THE WOODS.

AA: again?!

AA: karkat, y0u need t0 tell s0me0ne ab0ut that!

AA: i d0nt like it when y0u get hurt!

CG: I DID.

CG: BUT YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE ME IF I TOLD YOU WHO IT WAS.

AA: karkat

AA: im assuming that because 0f y0ur apprehensi0n, it is s0me0ne 0f an0ther w0rld.

CG: OKAY. YOUR RIGHT.

AA: since y0u have just t0ld me im right, i als0 feel i have the right t0 be 0ffended by the th0ught 0f y0u n0t telling me ab0ut a paran0rmal enc0unter y0u may 0r may n0t have had.

AA: i mean, it seems t0 me that ive always t0ld y0u ab0ut every enc0unter ive had. especially c0nsidering that ive been l00king f0r the paran0rmal since i c0uld walk.

CG: I SUPPOSE I UNDERSTAND YOUR ANGER TOWARDS THE SITUATION BECAUSE ALL OF THAT IS TRUE. I WAS JUST UNSURE IF YOU WOULD TAKE ME SERIOUSLY IN THE EVENT THAT I DID TELL YOU ABOUT THE SITUATION I SEEM TO FIND MY SELF IN, AND THE SITUATION YOU FIND YOURSELF IN, WHICH THOUGH RIGHTFULLY LABELED AS A SITUATION, IS SLIGHTLY LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE SITUATION I FIND MYSELF IN.

AA: karkat, what are y0u saying?

CG: WE BOTH SEEM TO FIND OURSELVES IN A CLUSTER FUCK OF SITUATIONS. I SHOULD PROBABLY TELL YOU MINE. AFTER I RAN INTO THE WOODS, I STARTED TO HEAR THIS STATIC-ISH SOUND, AND IT JUST KEPT GETTING LOUDER. THEN I SAW IT.

AA: saw what? 0h, let me guess! Hmm... static s0und in the w00ds 0f Washingt0n... i think ive read that in a b00k s0mewhere. it seems t0 ring a bell.

AA: 0h! y0u must have seen the Slender Man! i've read quite a bit ab0ut him.

AA: wait, are y0u telling me that y0u have seen him, and y0ur alive n0w?

CG: THOUGH IT DOESN'T MAKE MUCH FUCKING SENSE TO ME EITHER, I'M NOT GONNA LOOK A GIFT-HORSE IN THE MOUTH. HE WANTS TO TAKE ME IN, AND RAISE ME AS ONE OF HIS STUDENTS.

AA: but why? i mean, y0ure just a human.

CG: WE'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW, APPARENTLY, HE'S GOING TO CHANGE ME INTO A DEMON... BUT I'LL NEVER HAVE TO GO HOME AGAIN!

AA: KARKAT! this is crazy! th0ugh i kn0w this w0n't matter t0 y0u, i can n0t c0nd0ne this activity! but... being y0ur best friend...

AA: im g0ing t0 g0 against my better judgement and supp0rt y0u.

AA: g00d luck 0ut there. i g0tta g0.

CG: ALRIGHT. THANK YOU, ARADIA. I'LL COME AND SEE YOU- I PROMISE!

AA: pinkie pr0mise?

CG: CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO FLY, STICK A CUPCAKE IN MY EYE. I'M GONNA SEE YOU SOON.

CG:

AA:

apocalypseArisen has ceased pestering carcinoGeneticist at 21:53

The diamond has represented their friendship for as long as each of them could remember. Karkat had read somewhere about how to do a card trick. Once he perfected it, he tried it on Aradia. She picked her card, and Karkat guessed it correctly. It was the Ace of Diamonds, and the diamond became their symbol of friendship ever since.