It had been three sweeps since that day. Almost three sweeps to the hour, Karkat thought as he glanced down at his palm-husk. He didn't have time to dwell at the moment. He had to get back to the other's. They were waiting for the days rations that he managed to scrounge up what little money he had made from his work as a mediculler. The Vantas had become the equivalent to a nurse in a sense. It was a protected job under the Empire and with the forged papers that Sollux had made for him he was documented as a rust blood he was safe for a t least a couple sweeps.

This was the only way Karkat had completely avoided not only the drones but questions from most other trolls. No one wants to fuck with a troll that was currently stitching your arm up or could possibly be the one to save your life. They came with a good bit of respect at the very least. While Karkat can still get away with some of his badmouthing and attitude, it was only a fraction of what he used to say. Mainly because these older trolls were a lot less forgiving than the ones he used to argue with behind a screen. Regardless he was safe. Safer than he had been in the past.

However that safety came with some responsibility. He had trolls looking for refuge. Most being lowbloods, there were a few lower midbloods that had been pushed out of their usual class for some reason or another. Rather it be for their values or the fact they were roped into the lowbloods by default. Either way Karkat had started taking trolls in. Protecting them and hiding them from an untimely demise. Of course this was highly illegal, but he had an entire operation. Sollux, Aradia and Kanaya had taken to helping him with his selfless act. There was some talk of his ancestor, but he made it very clear that he had no plans of war. This was purely survival. But that expectation, that almost hopeful plea of change that scratched at the back of his skull. trying to claw its way to the forefront of his mind. But he knew that it would only end in failure. Like the troll before him, the other to share his hue.

He was almost at his hive. If anything he could sit down and do his every few months, where he would 'talk' to his long lost moirail. It used to be daily, then it was every few days, then weekly. It had taken a lot of self control to not just sit and wait for a reply. Hope of a reply. It would never come. But that was okay. Karkat had come to terms that he was lost. If anything this was therapeutic in an almost sad sort of way. But hey if it works it works, right? He made his way over to his rather nice sized hive he had taken up residency in. Crabdad seemed to enjoy it at the very least. Few trolls keep their moirails at his age. Most would lose interest as their little wrigglers no longer needed them for protection. Granted Crabdad had always been a bit different. He had to be, to take in a mutant grub after all.

Karkat walked through his doorway with the bags of cheap lowblood food for his hive. There were one or two trolls hanging about in his living room and maybe another in the kitchen as he stocked up the pantry. They tended not to bother him after a long night at his job. They had been kind enough to coexist and not try and interfere with his nightly habits. Meaning as soon as he had done grabbing his dinner he would make his way out towards his own block. Respectfully no one was allowed in there, not even Sollux. It was a much needed safe haven for him to completely relax. He didn't even have to wear his rust colored contacts when he was in there.

Karkat's shoulders slumped against the door after he had slipped into the room. A soft sigh escaping him, his clawed hand running through his mess of hair. Scars were all over his chest and a few on his arms, even his hands. He had too many close calls in these past three sweeps. As trolls grew and spread out he came into more contact with them. Them being less than pleasant in dealing with some small screaming jackass troll. His fingers gripped his hair a moment as he took in another breath through his nose. He couldn't dwell. That was useless. He can only move forward.

Forward… he told himself this at least as he settled in his seat and moved his fingers over the power button of his husk-top. It was alive in the matter of seconds. As if muscle memory he opened trollian and went to that dreary purple colored troll handle.

- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling terminallyCapricious [TC] -

CG: HEY.

CG: I KNOW, SHIT'S GETTING A BIT SAD AT THIS POINT ISN'T IT? BUT HEY HAPPY FUCKING ANIVERSARRY OF ME SITTING HERE AND TALKING TO MYSELF.

CG: ALRIGHT WELL LET'S GET INTO THE ABSOLUTE HELLSCAPE OF THE DAY I'VE HAD WHY DON'T WE? I MEAN WHAT ELSE ARE WE GOING TO DO HERE?

CG: WELL SOME DAMN BRONZE BLOOD GOT HIS HORNS STUCK IN A DOORWAY. YES COMPLETELY STUCK. THEY HAD TO BREAK THE DAMN FRAME AROUND IT AND I HAD TO FIX UP THE CRACKS AND SPLINTERS IN THEM. HOW FUCKING STUPID CAN YOU GET? JUST GO THROUGH SIDEWAYS!

CG: BUT NO.

CG: OF COURSE NOT

CG: …

CG: I KNOW YOU ARE PROBABLY LONG GONE BUT FUCK I MISS YOU.

CG: KANAYA THINKS THIS IS GOOD FOR MORNING BUT AT THIS POINT I THINK IT'S JUST DENIAL.

CG: HOW FUCKING SAD IS THAT? IT HAS BEEN THREE SWEEPS TODAY.

CG: HELL I KNOW THE DAMN HOUR IT HAPPENED.

CG: I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED GAMZEE. WHERE DID YOU GO?

CG: I MISS YOU.

- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling terminallyCapricious [TC] -

Karkat could feel red tears welling up in his eyes as he looked over the plane grey text on his screen. All he saw was grey. He closed the tab, standing up with a hiss. Pushing his chair back as he stood. He gripped his fingers into fists as he aimed his frustration at a nearby cushion slap. Punching at it as hard as he possibly could. He didn't want to actually break it but he needed some outlet so he hit it again, and again, and again, and-

DING.

Karkat stopped mid strike. That was trollian. It was probably Sollux needing something or Aradia found another troll that needed help. He was still frustrated but he grabbed the back of his chair and pulled it in for him to settle down and go back to work. That is all he does. Work. Though as he stared at his screen his heart stopped. Those candy red eyes could only stare at the single thing on his screen.

- terminallyCapricious [TC] began trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] -