Chapter Text
She checked the calendar again. Four days, it had been. Four days since that asshole who was too proud for his own good had last came out of his respiteblock on the meteor. Now, she knew he liked his silence. He liked the quiet and the solitude that came from being a recluse. But she also knew he wouldn’t be able to take it for much longer, that someone who was born to scream at the world until it did what he told it to do wouldn’t stay hidden forever. He was a born leader.
So why was he hiding? Rolling back over on the floor where she was laying, head angled towards the ceiling, Terezi hummed to herself in the silence of what she thought was the night. Not that it really mattered. Her head rolled to one side, she had been trying to sleep for hours but never really got comfortable.
Instead, she continued her thinking. She wasn’t one to care for people who treated her like Karkat did. There were times where he could be awful to her. Nobody really understood why she kept worrying about him, wondering where he was, if he had abandoned them. It was a long story for her, and one that was not understandable by most everyone else.
In the game, she was flushed for him. She openly admitted that, and she wasn’t sure he ever reacted or even saw the message for him. It was a bit childish, honestly, she recalled with a slight grin. Then, killing Vriska for the sake of their own lives. Almost, she almost couldn’t do it. The pain of having to take one life for your own is unforgettable, and she continued to have nightmares of Vriska, making fun of her for her hesitation. Only because it still showed that Terezi cared. They worked alongside each other for a long time. It wasn’t easy for her, no.
Of course, Karkat did not know that. Once they began their endless three years journey, he took to the liberty of holing himself up in his respiteblock, coming out only when necessary. Terezi wasn’t even sure if anyone else considered him leader. She still did. No matter how conflicted she felt about him, he was a genuinely good leader to the group.
Once more attempting sleep, she shut her eyes tightly before visions of Jack stabbing her, and Karkat lying on the ground next to her made her open them once more. Sure, they passed through dreambubbles every so often, but the nightmares occurred more often than that.
Terezi grabbed her husktop from where it was lying a few feet away. Opening it, it made a quiet noise as Trollian started up. Not so surprisingly, he was online. She snorted. Surprisingly easy access to one who didn’t want to be bothered.
-- gallowsCalibrator [GC] began trolling carcinoGeneticist[CG] --
GC: OH M4J3ST1C L34D3R, M4Y 1 4PPRO4CH YOU HUMBLY 1N HOP3S TH4T YOU M4Y SP34K TO M3?
CG: DON’T BE SO FUCKING KIND. YOU KNOW I AM NOT THE LEADER ANYMORE.
So he didn’t consider himself Mr. High and Mighty anymore.
GC: WHO C4R3S? 4R3 YOU GO1NG TO T4LK OR 4R3 YOU GO1NG TO JUST CLOS3 OUT OF TH1S CH4T W1NDOW B3C4US3 YOU H4V3 B3TT3R TH1NGS TO DO?
CG: I HAVE PERFECTLY IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LIKE SLEEPING. WHY DON’T YOU RUN ON YOUR WAY AND FUCK OFF SO I CAN GET SOME PEACE?
GC: OH, L1K3 YOU R34LLY TH1NK TH4T’S GO1NG TO H4PP3N. >:/
GC: YOU’R3 TH3 WORST SL33P3R OUT OF 4LL OF US.
CG: GOOD TO KNOW YOU MONITOR MY SLEEPING HABITS. NOW CAN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?
CG: SERIOUSLY. ALL I ASK FOR IS SOME SILENCE, FOR ONCE CAN I JUST GET WHAT I DAMN WANT?
GC: YOU SOUND L1K3 4 WR1GGL3R.
GC: 4ND YOU’R3 NOT GO1NG TO G3T 4NY S1L3NC3.
GC: OR 4NY P34C3 4ND QU13T.
GC: NON3 OF TH4T NONS3NS3 >:P
GC: OHHH NO, YOU’R3 GO1NG TO G3T TH3 T3RR1FY1NG N1GHTM4R3S TH4T H4V3 YOU B3GG1NG TO ST4Y 4W4K3 FOR D4YS UPON 3ND.
GC: YOU KNOW TH3 ON3S.
GC: W1TH YOUR WORST DOUBTS 4ND F34RS 4ND N1GHTM4R3S 4LL JUMBL3D 1NTO ON3?
GC: 4BSOLUT3LY R3FR3SH1NG SL33P YOU’R3 GONN4 G3T, K4RKL3S!
CG: HOLY SHIT JUST SHUT UP.
CG: SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP.
CG: I DON’T NEED YOU TELLING ME HOW TO SLEEP.
CG: I NEED YOU TO GO OFF AND DRAW ON SOME MORE CANS AND DICK AROUND IN THE MEADOW OF HAPPINESS AND FRALALA.
GC: >:?
GC: SO YOU H4V3 B33N H4V1NG DR34MS L1K3 TH4T?
CG: IT’S NOT LIKE IT IS A FUCKING FEDERAL ISSUE OR ANYTHING.
CG: ALL OF US CAN’T SLEEP. WHATEVER. BIG WHOOP.
GC: BUT YOU’R3 TH3 L34D3R. YOU SHOULD B3 SL33P1NG.
CG: I TOLD YOU I’M NOT THE LEADER ANYMORE!
GC: OH MY GOD K4RK4T STOP T4LK1NG.
GC: YOU 4R3 TH3 L34D3R, YOU’V3 B33N TH3 L34D3R 3V3R S1NC3 YOU TOOK MY PL4C3 4S TH3 STUP1D R3D T34M L34D3R.
GC: 1T 1S 4 B1G 1SSU3 1F YOU 4R3N’T SL33P1NG.
GC: NON3 OF US 4R3.
GC: SO SHUT TH3 H3LL UP 4ND UNLOCK YOUR DOOR, 1’M COM1NG UPST41RS.
CG: WHAT THE HELL?
CG: NO, TEREZI THIS WAS NOT A FUCKING SLEEPOVER INVITE.
CG: NO LAME MOVIES OR BRAIDING HAIR TEREZI I SWEAR TO GOD.
CG: DON’T YOU DARE COME UP HERE. I DON’T WANT YOU HERE.
CG: I’M NOT GOING TO SLEEP ANYWAYS, JUST GIVE UP.
CG: THIS IS ALL SO STUPID, WHY DON’T YOU EVER LISTEN?
CG: ...TEREZI?
CG: ADJSFKLAJDFKASDFADF
-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling gallowsCalibrator[CG] --