Chapter 19:
The whole world is a dark globe to you.
Nothing seems real to you anymore.
Your name is Calliope and you are afraid.
Afraid of living any longer after this is over. Your brother is laughing like a maniac as his leg is sawed off.
And you are crying. Crying for your life, crying at the thought of yourself plunging into that madness.
Third Person POV:
Dave Strider sits down on the candy red couch facing Karkat Vantas, who he expected answers from.
"What."
Dave says, gesturing at the photo, hand shaking a little. Karkat turned, saw the picture and turned back.
"OH RIGHT. THAT"
Dave cocks an eyebrow. Karkat sighs, hands trembling as he picked it up, as if it were the most priceless thing to him. He looks at it nostalgically and starts to speak.
"YOU KNOW, I WAS REALLY GOOD FRIENDS WITH YOU GUYS. EVEN THOUGH I DIDNT F***ING DESERVE IT." He says, turning away, careful not to show the ignorant cool kid his tears.
"Why do you do that?" Dave asks.
"DO WHAT?" Is the reply.
"Hide your emotions away, and never completely tell people how you feel." Dave elaborates, voice still monotone.
"YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW. YOU HIDE EVERYTHING BEHIND THOSE RIDICULOUSLY POMPOUS AND AGGRAVATING SUNGLASSES. YOU THINK THAT COVERING YOUR F***ING RED EYES WILL COVER UP THE REST. BUT YOU'RE WRONG. AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE WRONG, WHICH IS WHY YOU DO IT." Karkat says, biting his lip in frustration.
The only thing that Dave can reply is "Don't diss the shades man."
"LIKE I SAID. YOU JUST BRUSH IT OFF, BUT YOURE TRYING TO COVER UP YOUR SENSITIVE FEELINGS. I KNOW. YOU TOLD ME THIS WHILE YOU DIED. AND ITLL HAPPEN AGAIN." Karkat turned to Dave, getting a gasp in return at his cherry red tears.
"Woah. What."
"AT LEAST I DONT COVER UP MY F***ING EYES YOU DOUCHE." Karkat says.
And then he whispers to Dave
"THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME"
MANY DAYS LATER:
The group didn't sit together as much. They just sat in twos or threes, near enough to each other to talk to another table if the conversation was to their liking.
Dave sat with Karkat. His mask now half off due to the lack of sleep and the newfound realization and memories Karkat had shared with him. The five words had somehow given Dave the image of each person's death, making him want to puke all over Karkat (who ended up slugging Dave rather hard, to break him out of his daze).
There's no place like home.