004 ♌ [video]

[fundemetal]

So. Woke up this morning to a couple of things. Good news, I'm back in my own body.

[As is probably obvious to everyone when they see his face, which looks too sad for this post to be about the curse being over.]

Bad news, Percy and Annabeth are both gone. Checked the list and everything.

[He pauses to sigh and looks away from the camera for a moment.]

Gotta remind myself that at least they've got each other this time.

[He reaches his hand out to turn off the SFC, his hand blocking the camera as he says one last thing.]

I just wish them being gone didn't mean they're free-falling into Tartarus.

Comments

[action]

[shippingmath]

[After waking up back in his own body at the end of the curse, Dirk's focus hadn't been on the network, but taking advantage of being back in his own body again. As fascinating as it had been to be in an older body, let alone one with mechanical limbs, it had been hard to adjust to the longer limbs and the lack of flashstepping, not to mention the pins-and-needles hurt that came along with the prosthesis.

In short, he'd spent the morning stretching out, taking a shower, then putting his hair back in the usual style. Then he checked the network and saw this.

His first instinct was to check the list of residents anyway, but he doesn't, because Leo probably double or triple-checked before he said anything.

So instead, he heads over to Coral Corral 8. Time to find where his bro's gone.]

[action]

[fundemetal]

[He feels guilty about where Percy and Annabeth are headed. Even though they'd assured him that he wasn't at fault for them falling into Tartarus back when they first arrived here, he can't help but feel he kind of was. If they'd been less focused on saving the statue, he might have been able to save them. Yes, the statue was important and necessary to the quest, but so were Percy and Annabeth.

Leo's in the living room curled up with the giant Festus plushie Nepeta had made for him, moping over these thoughts when Dirk shows up.]

[action]

[shippingmath]

[Dirk's first instinct is to check the garage, mostly because it's where he usually could find Leo (thanks to the open invitation). When that proved to be the wrong place to start, he tapped his knuckles against the doorframe to make some noise so that he wasn't just sneaking into the house unannounced.]

Leo, you around?

[video]

[skwisklok]

I'd, uh, just likes to say dat uh... "Freefalling into Tartarus" would be a pretty badass chorus line, ja? Mind if I steals that one?

[video]

[fundemetal]

[Leo just stares into the SFC for several moments. One, who is this guy. Two, what is he even asking about?]

Whatever. Not like I own the words. [Or would want to.]

[video]

[skwisklok]

Okay, cool. Not that I have much use for it witout Nathans but okay.

Sos.

Your friendsguys or whatever, are they really falling into Tartarus? Like really?

video;

[redboots]

[Ouch. Rough. Marceline doesn't really do the whole... comforting sad friends deal, so she'll just do what she does.]

Wanna go set some stuff on fire?

[video]

[fundemetal]

Sure.

[He's not so sure how much if at all it will help. But it's better than just sitting around the house moping.]

[video]

[redboots]

I'll meet you up topside, sound good?

pretty sure these two have spoken before

[onlyasign]

I'm so sorry, Leo. Do you want a hug?

[video]

[fundemetal]

[He recognizes the guy from during the cuddle curse.]

Sufferer, right?

[He considered the offer for a moment.]

I wouldn't mind some company.

[If a hug happens, it happens, but he's not gonna say "Sure! I'd love a hug!"]

[video]

[onlyasign]

Yes, that's right. Where are you?

[VIDEO]

[bethehugejerk]

[Being back in your own body is a pretty great thing, which in fact has had Karkat busy most of the day. Finally he's free of Kid's obsession with order and symmetry, and despite some lingering fondness over the concept, he's been enjoying getting to do things like going outside without freaking out, and putting his respiteblock furniture back into its prior positions.]

[As such, it's not until evening that Karkat checks the network and sees Leo's message.]

... Well, shit. There's not much I can actually say, because I've been there, and words don't really help. The only thing I can think of is a technical correction that you probably don't care about right now. How are you holding up, dude?

[video]

[fundemetal]

Thanks. I'm holding up, I guess. I just keep worrying about what's going to happen to them.

[He's not sure what the technical correction Karkat might have would be, but whatever it is, doesn't really matter right now.]

[video]

[bethehugejerk]

[He hmms, then holds silent for a stretch. He knows that worry. He's not one to sugarcoat things, though, so when he finds the words, they aren't what one might expect.]

I'll say this much. Whatever will happen is going to happen whether it's good or bad, whether you want it to or not. It is as beyond your control as the whims of the scientists screwing over our lives, and even further removed so long as you're here. But whatever does happen, even if things turn for the worst and they fail whatever they're trying to do or wind up dead, they can show up here again. Maybe they won't remember, maybe it won't be for a while, if it happens at all, but there is at least a chance you'll see the both of them alive and well regardless of what shit goes down in your world.

[He's trying to help, really.]

[Voice]

[ourfirststeps]

[There was a bit of a mumble]

I'm sorry to hear that your friends went back home...

At least they're going to be okay right?

[But she couldn't help but be a little nervous about his last line though]

[Voice]

[fundemetal]

Thanks, Bianca.

I hope they'll be okay. They need to be okay. But they're kind of going to the worst place in the entire world.

[Voice]

[ourfirststeps]

I'm sure they will be, I thi-

[Wait what?]

...Ah...why do you say that?

Voice

[fallenstar]

[He didn't really know what to say, there probably wasn't much he could think of that would help.

But he still felt like he had to try, it was obvious Leo was upset.]

Hey...wanna go do something?

[voice]

[fundemetal]

Sure. What do you have in mind?

[A distraction was a good idea, but he didn't have any ideas of his own. Or he'd be doing them already.]

[voice]

[fallenstar]

Have you ever gone flying? Not in an airplane or anything, but wind-in-your-face kind of stuff.

[It wasn't a thing he usually offered, but it was how he distracted himself. Of course, if Leo was afraid of heights or something, he'd have to think of something else.]

[video]

[420]

[This is not a fun message to see :o(]

Awww, bro, that is some sadness to hear, but fuck, you gotta keep the faith, aight? Maybe they'll be back before you even really get to noticing them being gone. Karkat done that.

[video]

[fundemetal]

Maybe, but what if they don't? What if I don't ever get to see them again?

[Action]

[nice_pipes]

[Piper looks kind of wobbly as she emerges from her room. Going from completely stoned in a different species' body makes this sudden soberness really disorienting.

Lesson learned: don't do pot or slime for the rest of her life.

At any rate, she goes searching for her friend, hoping he's still in the house. Piper doesn't really feel like going outside to search just yet.]

[action]

[fundemetal]

[Leo's in the living room curled up on the living room floor with the Festus plush Nepeta gave him.]