===Katt: See two new reviews in inbox
You realize with a twinge that something is weird. One of the reviews is anonymous, and the other, for some reason, refuses to appear at all.
RAEGQUIT.
Thanks to both of you who left such nice reviews! Also, Karkat's perspective is going to be pretty confusing for most of this story, since he spends most of it either suffering from hypothermia or flat out sick. Part of why I insist on writing two chapters before posting is because both take place at more or less the same time, just from different perspectives.
Tl;dr: This chapter is confusing, next chapter makes more sense I promise.
Something's different. All of the dancing shapes in front of your eyes have been the same colors, all about the same size, for what feels like forever, but now there's this new shape and it doesn't fit. You're not sure how you feel about that. The big shape just comes nearer, moving faster than anything else you can see, coming closer until it blocks everything else from your sight.
Somehow, it seems familiar, but you don't lift your head. You're tired, so tired, but you have this weird feeling like if you fall asleep, something really bad will happen.
The whole world starts shaking, and you finally lift your head. You look straight at the new-but-not-new shape, but your vision is blurry, unfocused. Still, this familiarity...where do you know that sound...?
Something is definitely happening. You were surrounded by nothing but cold, cold, cold, so much so that you almost forgot what warm is. You're still cold, you still feel the cold straight through you, blocks of it where your insides should be - but there's warm on the outside. Not much, just a bit, but it's still warmth, and it feels good. You sigh just a little and move your stupidly stiff limbs to hold yourself a bit tighter.
Now it...now it feels like...like you're floating? No, wait, there's something underneath you, supporting your weight. Two somethings. One under your knees, one wrapped around your shoulders from behind. Someone's holding you up, and moving you. The painfully familiar shape, maybe? There's this noise, pounding in your ear. At first it bugs you, because damn you are fucking tired, but then you realize that that side of your body is warm. And that sound...you definitely recognize this sound, this touch, this scent that's wrapped around you, the voice you heard, the look of this big, familiar shape. It's your roommate, you have no doubt.
Gamzee came after you...?
When did that happen?
He's warm. In this big, cold, wet world, he's warm. You relax a bit, leaning into him and away from the cold, but you don't let yourself sleep, not just yet. Something's still nagging at the back of your mind, warning you not to fall asleep, no matter what, so you hang on to the little bit of awareness you have left. The world, already so blurry, runs together even more, and you get the feeling you're moving fast. It takes a second, but you manage to adjust to the way the world keeps steadily bouncing, almost in time with the pounding in you ear and the low sound you hear nearby, halfway between a gasp and a whisper. It's not comfortable, this movement. Every move makes you ache a little more, knocks the breath out of your lungs all over again. Your head is really starting to ache, and you can't decide in your dead-tired state if it's because of the cold, exhaustion, or the fact that it's hard to breathe. You don't really care about whys at this point, though.
On the other hand, it's not all bad. Gamzee's strong arms are wrapped around you in a way that's kind of comforting. And the way his heart keeps pounding in your ear is oddly reassuring, for some reason you can't explain. And while you're still painfully far from being warm...you're not quite so cold, either.
Overall, you guess this is an improvement. It's better than how things were not too long ago. You wish Gamzee would loosen his grip around your shoulders a little, though. The pressure on your rib cage makes breathing even harder. The air is so cold it makes you feel like you're trying to breath smoke.
And then the bouncing stops. You blink slowly, confused. It's brighter here, and you can still see the little white smudges dancing around, but they're far away. None are falling on you or Gamzee. He shifts, stiffly, and a small sound of complaint makes its way out of your mouth. The hand that was holding up your legs rests you on something that you guess might be Gamzee's leg before vanishing. The motion forces you to curl up a bit uncomfortably. What's worse than the discomfort is the fact that it makes you feel a bit like you're going to fall, and you don't think your legs can support you right now.
It's hard to tell if the moment lasts a second or an eternity, but his hand returns shortly after a wave of warm air flows over you, and then you find a feeling like you're enclosed. The air feels still, and more importantly, warm. The blurry colors even look warm, and there's light and a feeling of safety. It's not so bright as to blind you, but bright enough to be comforting. Certainly better than the dark world you've been in.
You're still being carried. Gamzee's not moving as fast anymore, but he's still moving. You don't miss the bumpy ride that took you here, not a fucking bit.
All too soon, though, you're deposited on a soft surface and Gamzee's presence slips out of your dwindling sphere of awareness. You groan and try to focus your vision, squinting at the blurry figure a bit further away in the room that might be Gamzee. The shape comes close again, and you think you hear your name. A cool hand rests on your forehead, and stiffens after just a second. Then you feel a gentle tugging at your hoodie. You groggily lift your arms, and the wet fabric leaves your trembling body, as does the t-shirt you had on underneath. Another piece of fabric, something dry and fluffy and kinda scratchy, is draped over your head and shoulders.
Your awareness begins expanding slowly, now that you're surrounded by warmth. You're starting to be able to think again, just a little, but your thoughts are scrambled and float through your head. And you feel this odd, uncomfortable heat beginning to take the place of those ice blocks that have been sitting where bones and organs are supposed to be. And your whole body aches, and you still can't stop shivering. But you know enough now to be able to figure out that Gamzee's getting the wet clothing off of you. Thank goodness for that, the cloth was so fucking cold...
That kind of scratchy thing that's over your head is suddenly roughly rubbed against your skin. It hurts, but you don't try to stop it because it makes the rest of the moisture clinging to you go away, and it warms up your deadened skin. The cloth moves away from your eyes, and your vision focuses briefly on Gamzee's face.
He looks...scared. And he's shaking, you realize numbly. Why is he shaking? It makes you nervous, that something has him so worried.
He locks his eyes with you, and something about the way he looks at you melts the ice away from your heart straightaway. You don't know what that light is in his eye, but you've never seen it there before. And it gives you a small thrill of joy, for reasons you don't know.
Everything's so confusing. What the fuck is going on right now?
The scratchy thing vanishes, and your bare skin is covered in soft, dry fabric. You can hear your roommate gently whispering something, and he picks you up again. Your head is rested on what you figure has to be a pillow - that's why this place feels safe, you must be back home, you finally realize - and then the covers are draped over you.
Darkness is creeping in all around your vision. You try to fight it, you really do, but you've got so little energy you don't stand a chance.
You finally give in with a sigh, and you're practically asleep before your eyes are completely closed.